Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-11
2003-10-28
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S013000, C273S292000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06638165
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a display device for displaying images for a player and to a slot machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying apparatus for superimposing a virtual image on an real image and displaying the thus-superimposed images, as well as to a slot machine for effecting progress in a game through use of the displaying apparatus.
A hit-the-target game machine described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 323037/1996 is a game machine which uses a video display device employing virtual images.
In the hit-the-target machine, a target image appearing on a screen of a cathode ray tube (CRT) is displayed on a display by superimposing, with the aid of a half mirror, a virtual image of a hitting table on a mirror image of a hammer held by a player.
At the time of a game, the player plays the game while watching a screen of the video display device. The player swings his hammer down such that the mirror image of the hammer hits a target image.
When the player has successfully hit the target image, an impact sensor detects the hitting action and outputs a signal. On the basis of the outputted signal, a video controller switches the target image appearing on the CRT to a hit effect image.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 114221/1999 describes a composite image display device, a gaming machine, and a bowling game machine.
The composite image display device superimposes an actual ball on a ball of a video image and displays the thus-superimposed ball to an observer. The composite image display device includes a CRT display for displaying an image and a mirror for forming a virtual reflected image of the image.
At the time of a game, an actual ball tossed by a player rolls over a travel surface, passes through the mirror, and travels to a deeper position relative to the mirror.
When the actual ball passes through a half mirror portion of the mirror, a video-image ball having the same appearance as that of the actual ball appears, and the actual ball is replaced with the video-image ball.
When the actual ball has gone behind the mirror, movement of the actual ball is succeeded by movement of the video-image ball serving as a virtual reflected image.
As mentioned above, the image display device for use with a hit-the-target gaming machine effects a game through use of a mirror image of a hammer and a background image by means of simply a half mirror. The hit-the-target gaming machine is substantially equal to a commonly-known whack-a-mole game machine, except that an real image employed in the hit-the-mole gaming machine is replaced with a video expression. An image to be displayed for a player in the hit-the-target gaming machine is a warmed-over version of an old game and is simple.
In the above-described composite image display device, the gaming machine and the bowling gaming machine, after the actual ball tossed by the player has gone behind the mirror, travel of the actual ball is succeeded by movement of a video-image ball serving as a virtual reflected image. By means of spatially separating an actual portion from a virtual reflected image portion, there is yielded an advantage of reducing the space occupied by the gaming machine and facilitating the gaming machine. However, an actual substance used in a gaming machine is replaced with a mere video expression. Hence, as in the case of the image display device, the composite image display device, the gaming machine and the bowling gaming machine are stale and simple and fail to improve the entertainment characteristic of the gaming machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been conceived in light of the above description and is aimed at providing a virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying apparatus which achieves fusion of an image and an actual substance, by means of combining together the fantasy of an image and the three-dimensionality and realism of an actual substance. Further, the present invention is aimed at providing a slot machine which enables fertile video expression through use of the superimposing and displaying apparatus and improves an entertainment characteristic of a game.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
(1) A virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying apparatus for displaying a virtual image and an actual substance, comprising:
an image display for displaying an image which is a original of the virtual image;
a half mirror which forms the virtual image on the basis of the image displayed by the image display; and
a junction section which enables movement of the actual substance from a back side of the virtual image to a front side of the virtual image so as to penetrate therethrough,
wherein the actual substance becomes visible only when the actual substance is moved to a front side of the virtual image.
(2) The virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying apparatus according to (1), wherein a background of a virtual image display area in which the virtual image is displayed front of the actual substance is of dark color.
(3) A virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying apparatus for displaying a virtual image and an actual substance, comprising:
an image display for displaying an image which is a original of the virtual image;
a half mirror which forms the virtual image on the basis of the image displayed by the image display;
an actual substance which is disposed so as to extend from a front side of the virtual image to a back side of the virtual image;
an actual substance display area in which a predetermined portion of the actual substance is disposed front of the virtual image;
a virtual image display area in which the virtual image is disposed front of another portion of the actual substance; and
an image controller for moving an image of the virtual image between the actual substance display area and the virtual image display area.
(4) The virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying device according to (3), wherein a background of a virtual image display area in which the virtual image is displayed front of the actual substance is of dark color.
(5) The virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying device according to (3), further comprising:
a dark color section provided in at least a portion of the actual substance display area in which a predetermined portion of the actual substance is disposed front of the virtual image, wherein the virtual image is displayed on the dark color section.
(6) A virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying apparatus for displaying a virtual image and an actual substance, comprising:
an image display for displaying an image which is a original of the virtual image;
a half mirror which forms the virtual image on the basis of the image displayed by the image display;
an actual substance which is disposed so as to extend from a front side of the virtual image to a back side of the virtual image;
an actual substance display area in which a predetermined portion of the actual substance is disposed front of the virtual image; and
a controller for controlling the movement of the actual substance in cooperation with the virtual image.
(7) The virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying device according to (6), wherein a background of a virtual image display area in which the virtual image is displayed front of the actual substance is of dark color.
(8) The virtual image/real image superimposing and displaying device according to (6), further comprising:
a dark color section provided in at least a portion of the actual substance display area in which a predetermined portion of the actual substance is disposed front of the virtual image, wherein the virtual image is displayed on the dark color section.
(9) A slot machine which pays prize values when combination of a plurality of marks represents a winning combination, comprising:
an image display for displaying an imag
Goto Nobuhiro
Muto Nobuhito
Toriyama Ryosuke
Uchiyama Takashi
Yasuda Shingo
Collins Dolores R
Konami Corporation
Layno Benjamin H.
LandOfFree
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