Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-30
2001-09-11
Sager, Mark (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S020000, C273S139000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287194
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gaming machines, and more particularly to gaming machines such as slot machines or the like that have a variable display for displaying image information representative of a plurality of symbols necessary for a game and a controller for controlling the variation action of the variable display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A gaming machine such as a slot machine usually has a mechanical variable display formed of rotatable display elements that are provided with a plurality of symbols disposed on peripheral surfaces thereof. The symbols are visible through a display window at the front of the slot machine. Alternatively, an electrical variable display is formed of indicating elements with symbols on a display screen. In response to a “start” operation by a player, a controller drives the variable display to start the rotation of each rotatable display element and to stop the rotation of each rotatable display element in a determined sequence automatically after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, or in response to initiation of a “stop” operation by the player. When the rotation of all of the rotatable display elements has ceased, there is shown a specific combination of symbols (winning pattern) in the display window. The player is then given an award by paying out gaming medium such as coins. In a recent popular model of a gaming machine, a “win” corresponding to a predetermined plurality of winning symbols being completely positioned on the effective line of the display when rotation of the rotatable display elements ceases occurs only when a win has been established by a system internal to the gaming machine. In a practical machine, this happens when a sampling operation of a random number issued by a microcomputer has been determined to constitute a win.
The reason why such gaming machines have become popular is that if the particular symbols that appear on the display when the rotatable display elements are stopped were to depend completely on the stop operation, or timing, of the player, the end result (i.e.,win or loss) of the game would be responsive to the skill of the player. Consequently, only the relative abilities of the players would be emphasized, and the wholesomeness of the game would be compromised. A further reason for the popularity of such machines is that their designers have solved a number of problems related to management of the pay out rate of the coins for amusement shops.
In such known gaming machines, a microcomputer decides which symbols are to be displayed when the display variation ceases, and controls the stopping of the variation action to display the predetermined symbols. It is often difficult for the player to wait for symbols to be displayed when the variation in the display stops, and until such time, the player merely waits to obtain the result. There is a need, therefore, for a gaming machine that overcomes the known problems relating to obtaining the winning indication from the display.
In one effort at alleviating these problems, a gaming machine is provided with a game indication device that operates in response to the occurrence of a predetermined winning condition. When a winning condition occurs on this game indication device, the gaming machine is itself caused to assume a winning condition. With such gaming machine, the player can enjoy a “big hit” for a period of time while the “big hit” condition is completed. Moreover, the probability of occurrence of a hit is increased. This known arrangement, however, is operated for the duration of the winning condition of the gaming machine. This means that the game indication device does not work till a result of the game performed by the gaming machine itself is obtained. Therefore, the gaming machine is not different from the conventional gaming machine in that the player must wait over a period from beginning of the game to the time when the result of the game is obtained.
A further known slot machine is provided with a second display unit in addition to the main variable display for displaying a plurality of symbols. In this slot machine, a game in the second display unit is performed in determined time (service time) when a game can be performed without coin insertion by interrupt control. Also, the game of the second display unit is performed during the service time and occurs after the completion of the usual game. This means that the second display does not operate when the main display for performing the original game of slot machine is working. Therefore, this further known gaming machine does not solve the problems discussed above with respect to certain conventional gaming machines in that the player has to wait from beginning of the game to the time when the result of the game is obtained. Thus, in conventional gaming machines, if a further display device is provided in addition to the variable display, the player merely watches signals varying on the variable display over the duration of the main game.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a gaming machine that maintains player interest by performing some indications on the variable display over the period from beginning to the end of the main game, and wherein signals necessary for the game are viewed.
Another object is to provide a game machine having an enhanced, staged operating characteristic such that the player can easily recognize or anticipate a result of the game performed by the variable display by watching the indications thereon.
In accordance with the invention, a gaming machine has a variable display for displaying image information representative of a plurality of symbols necessary for a game, a controller for controlling display of the variable display, and a secondary display being optionally provided to display an optional image, the image displayed by the secondary display being determined in relation to the control of the variable display by the controller.
The secondary display may include electric displays such as liquid crystal, CRT, and LED, as well as mechanical displays having rotating display elements of structure as are used in conventional slot machines.
The image displayed by the secondary display may be distinguished each other by using various kinds of characters and figures, animations, light flashing on and off, and the like. The images for the secondary display can be classified into several kinds such as “prognostic” images that lead the player to believe that a particular display, such as a “big hit,” is to occur, images indicating promotion of “big hit,” images indicating “big hit,” images indicating “loss,” images giving expectation for “big hit” to the player. For example, a memory of a microcomputer can store such images as data.
According to the present invention, a controller controls the variation action of the variable display during game time. As a result of the game, a win or loss occurs in response to the signals that are shown in the display at the time the variation action has stopped.
The controller controls the operation of the game to determine which signals are to be shown when the variation in the display ceases, as well as determining the game result and cessation of the variation in the display.
The image displayed by the secondary display is different from that of the variable display, and is determined by the controller.
Consequently the player can predict or expect a result of the game during the variation shown in the variable display. In one embodiment of the invention, the controller determines an image to be displayed by the secondary display and causes the secondary display to display the determined image. The particular image that is determined in relation to the control of the variable display is, as stated, decided by the controller. This image includes information relating to the control state corresponding to the various kinds of possible game results, such as win or loss, kinds of win such as small hit, big hit, or the lik
Danjo Hiroyuki
Inamura Yukinori
Okada Kazuo
Aruze Corporation
Hotaling, II John M
Rohm & Monsanto, PLC
Sager Mark
LandOfFree
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