GB2309570A - Selective coin gaming machines - Google Patents

SELECTIVE COIN AND GAME SLOT MACHINE This invention relates to a gaming machine for playing one or more games.

The coin operated gaming machine has evolved from a mechanical device into a microprocessor based electronic system. Most recent examples use colour CRT screens to display the gaming action, with the mechanical aspects limited to the handling of the coins involved. Some of today's designs replicate mechanical and physical features of older, mechanical designs, but these are a stylistic overlay on what is fundamentally a modern, electronic system.

Present coin operated gaming machines handle only one denomination and only local currency and consequently a casino must install separate machines for each popular denomination of a local currency. Player's desires for specific games and for the amount wagered tend to vary over the course of the day. Smaller denominations tend to be more popular during early daylight hours of the day, larger denominations tend to be more popular during the evening and night and early morning hours.

At any given time, a player's desire to play particular denominations of coins may not coincide with machine availability. Further, the various games have typically been available on a one machine/one game basis. More recently, machines have evolved which offer multiple games on one machine, but such machines do not satisfy the need for savings of space and the convenience afforded by the ability to play multiple denominations of coins.

In the past, mechanical, illuminate push button switches have been used to instruct game programs, such as drawing or holding cards in the game of draw poker or taking a hit card or staying, in the game of black jack, as examples, and had permanently affixed markings on the buttons, making them unsuitable for multiple games. Touch responsive screens with their changeable legends, or blank buttons with directions displayed on a screen, deal with this difficulty, but they are expensive or awkward.

In International Publication W085/00910 of February 28, 1985 there is shown and described a gaming machine of the type employed for what is commonly known as a "fruit machine" or slot machine which accepts coins of two different currencies and pays out winnings in the opposite currency which enables the prior art slot machine to accept, for example, a coin of the currency of one country and pay out in coins of the currency of a different country. Such machines were adapted to accommodate travellers who desire to employ the currency of different countries and receive the pay out in the country of their destination and wherein means were contemplated to establish the necessary rates of conversion of the different currencies. However, such machines would not recognize play and winnings with different denominations of coins of the single local currency, or chips representing a currency common in a casino, for example, a chip representing a currency denomination being regarded as an instance of such a currency denomination for the purposes of this application.

The present invention provides a gaming machine for playing one or more games responsive to the payment of currency of a plurality of denominations and operable to pay out in the same currency and denomination, comprising game display means, means for receiving a bet of multiple currency denominations, means for manually directing the playing of the displayed game, and means for paying out winnings in multiples of the same currency denomination.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for insertion of a plurality of coins of different denominations either in a typical so-called fruit machine or slot machine or in any of the more recently evolved games adapted to be played and displayed on a video screen and wherein typical coin currency receptors are provided for the different coins, or equivalently the currency receptor may be adapted to receive paper bills of different currencies or the machine may be adapted to receive a credit card in support of play in different denominations of the same local currency.

In a broad sense therefore, embodiments of the present invention may provide a game machine capable of playing with different denominations of some local currency and to calculate and pay out winnings in that denomination or denominations of that currency whether in coin or in paper bills or credits.

In addition, contemplated embodiments provide for the playing of a plurality of different games, such as, for example, poker and/or black jack or so-called fruit games at the same machine and at the election of the player who may select both the denomination of the currency to be played and the type of game to be played.

Further embodiments contemplate the playing of multiple games which are displayed on a video screen wherein a local area network interface is provided for the changing of games, as desired and the monitoring of machine activity at a central station.

A specific form of embodiment involves the use of a liquid crystal display (LCD) play board with buttons or pads which are capable of displaying the variable game instructions for playing the game selected by the player.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a view generally illustrating a game machine incorporating the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the components of the machine; and Figure 3 is a flow charge illustrating the functioning of the machine.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is generally illustrated a game machine G adapted to play multiple games and receive coins of multiple denominations as well as to pay out in the same denomination as played or accrue play credits based upon the multiple coin denominations as may be selected by the player. More specifically, the game machine G is illustrated as a video game machine having a video display unit V providing game display means on which may be displayed the game selected by the player, such as poker or black jack, for example. It will be understood the invention is, however, applicable to machines on which only one type of game is playable.

Coin input devices 1, 2 and 3 are illustrated, providing means, respectively adapted to receive coins of multiple currency denominations, comprising as shown, three denominations of the same local currency, $.25, S.50 and $1.00, although other coin denominations or currencies may be utilized. In typical casinos the most popular current coin operated games are adapted to receive coins in denominations of S.25 or $1.00. However, it has been found that the machines for play with S.25 are very popular early during the course of the daylight hours, while machines adapted for play with $1.00 coins are more popular later in the evening and during the night time hours into the very early morning hours. The machine includes means including coin receptors la, 2a and 3a to which coins inserted into the selective slots are received and which, as will be later described, include means adapted to cause pay out of winnings to a receiver tray or hopper 4 depending upon the denomination of coins played and the number of coins to be paid out responsive to a winning play.

Means for manually directing the playing of the game displayed by the display unit are shown, a play control board 5, associated with the video display unit V and with the various coin receptors. The play control board means 5 is provided with an array of combined operating and display push buttons or pads 6 adapted to enable manual control of the game to selectively determine which game will be played and the operative coin to be inserted.

The control buttons or pads are preferably in the form of liquid crystal displays (LCD) and depending upon the nature of the game being displayed, are adapted to display in the touchable area of the button or pad various indicia related to a selected game, the selected coinage and the various operations available in the play of one of the games illustrated on the video screen.

For example, in the play of a game of draw poker in which five cards are displayed upon the screen pad 6-1 through 6-5 are individually operable by the player to instruct the game to "HOLD" one or more of the five cards displayed on the screen following instructions by the player applied to a pad 6-7 to either "DEAL" or "DRAW" cards.

One of the buttons or pads 6-8 may be employed as a button displaying a selected coin denomination for betting, or the coin bet may be determined by means simply responsive to inserting a coin of a preferred denomination.

A button or pad 6-9 may instruct the player to select the type of game to be played, say, in the event that the player desires to play black jack in lieu of draw poker.

In either case, a button or pad 6-10 may be employed to determine the amount of coinage of any selected denomination to be bet, or as will be later understood, to place a bet from the usual bet credit register in which winning may be recorded if desired. If it is desired that the machine be instructed to pay out winnings, then a button or "PAY" pad 6-11 may be used to so instruct the machine so that coins from one of the receptors la, 2a or 3a, will be dispensed to the receiver tray 4.

In the event that the player should select the game of black jack, buttons or pads 6-1 through 6-5 may be used to display 5 options available in the playing of black jack depending upon the cards that the player has initially received, namely "STAY", "HIT", "SPLIT", "DOUBLE" and "INSURANCE".

In a preferred form of the black jack game, since the buttons or pads are LCD displays, the only displays activated may be those related to the optional plays available to the player, depending upon the cards that the player has received, which is to say, that if the players hand is not susceptible to being split, button or pad 6-3 may be blank and if the dealer does not have a potential "Black Jack", the insurance button or pad 6-5 may remain blank.

Referring to Fig 2, a block diagram is shown, illustrating the various components of an apparatus as depicted generally in Fig. 1.

These components involve a power supply unit 10 which typically converts AC line current to a desired DC voltage for supplying power to the system.

A central processing unit or CPU "MOTHERBOARD" 11 which will be more fully described as to its functions with reference to Fig. 3, is interconnected with and controls a video graphics adaptor 24, for example a VGA video drive, for the video display unit V, all in response to various components for playing monitoring and interfacing the apparatus with a control centre and protecting the apparatus.

An input/output unit or "I/O BOARD" 12 is adapted to transmit to the CPU 11 instructions from the various components which, in a preferred form, would include a networking interface unit or "LAN INTERFACE" 13 whereby the gaming apparatus operations may be communicated with a central control or data collection and monitoring location and at 14 and 15 it will be seen that it may be desired that a "MAINTENANCE TEST PORT" and a security unit may be included in the system to preclude tampering with the other signal producing components.

The major game playing components of the system, as indicated above, include the manually operated play controlling board 5, together with "COIN INPUT CONTACT DENOMINATION" 16, 17 and 18 which are respectively associated with the coin input slots 1, 2 and 3 referred to in Fig. 1 and which are adapted to either recognize upon insertion of a coin its acceptable denomination or which may be collectively combined to provide means responsive to the selected coin denomination button or pad 6-8 for establishing the level of the coin denomination being played.

Similarly at 19, 20 and 21 are illustrated "PAY OUT CONTROL FOR DENOMINATION" #1, #2 and #3 which are employed to regulate the respective coinage pay out dependent upon the denomination of the coin played and which provide means responsive to the inputted coin to regulate the number of coins won by the player.

Referring to Fig. 3 a flow chart is illustrated relating to the playing of the game with any one of the selected coin denominations, the selection of the game to be played and the variables related to the functions controlled by the CPU MOTHERBOARD 11 pursuant to input derived from the playboard 5 to pay out in the same local coinage denominations or to continue play with coins of the same or a different denomination or by betting credits won.

Step 1 is the start of a gaming sequence.

Step 2 allows the user to pick one of several games.

By using input means 6-9, the display means may be caused to sequentially display the various games available, and input means 6-9 allows selection of one of the games.

After a game is chosen, at step 3 coinage is selected at button 6-8 and the selection recognized at step 4. This decision may be made by placing the desired coin in the specific slot for that denomination at step 3. Of course a single slot could be used in conjunction with a multidenominational sorting means.

Having chosen the denomination of coin step 6 allows for play based on the coin played.

Ae the coin is inserted we pass from step 6 to step 9, the coin selector validates that a proper coin has been inserted. If not, at step 10 the coin is rejected.

Assuming a valid coin, the machine checks to determine whether the bet limit is reached. If not, we pass to step 15 and increment the bet counter.

A step 16 playing is enabled. Assuming that the desired number of coins have been inserted we go to step 17 where the input means and output means are used to play the game.

At the conclusion of the game in step 18, the winnings, if any are added to the credit counter. At that point, the user can move to step 20 and cash out or continue to play.

We then pass to step 8 where the credit counter is checked to see if it is equal to zero. If it is equal to zero, we go to step 5 where the user is offered the option to play the same game again or to choose a different game, or the decision can be made to change the coin denomination in step 3 which returns the user to step 4 for playing the same game but with the same or a different denomination.

At step 6, if a coin is not inserted, we pass to step 7 where the number of credits is checked. If credits exist, the input means is used to wager credits at step 1.

In step 13, if the bet limit is not reached, we pass to step 14 where the credit counter is decremented and the best counter is the incremented. However, upon entering step 13, if the bet limit has been reached we pass to step 17 where game play can begin.

At step 6, when a coin is inserted, if it is a proper coin we proceed to step 12. If the bet limit has been reached than we pass immediately to step 17 where game play can begin.

At the conclusion of the game, the opportunity to cash out in step 20 is presented. If the decision is made to cash out by acting upon the input means, step 21 places the remaining credit and winnings into the hopper.

At each point in the flow chart, those push buttons which have a function are illuminated. Those which have no function at that particular point in the flow chart are not illuminated. Furthermore, during the play of the game, it is possible to change the label on switches, depending upon the events of the game, enabling fewer switches to allow all choices to be made without having to reserve a specific switch for a specific function. This allows greater flexibility with less complication. In the preferred embodiment there are as many switches as the maximum number of decisions that can be made at any point in the game so that the user need only press a single button for any decision.