Game server, game machine, and game control method

• US 20030064809A1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp.
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,465,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

In a collective control of plural game machines placed in the same parlor, it is detected whether there is player change on each game machine and, based on the detection result, the credit cumulative consumption on each game machine is managed player by player. When the credit cumulative consumption of a certain player reaches a predetermined upper limit, payout return is executed to this player. The display status and non-display status of information about the upper limit can be switched depending on the play status. Therefore, the player can perform a game without anxiety while enjoying amusement of the game. As the result, the problem of missing customers is eliminated.

Claims

1. A game server for collectively controlling plural game machines which are brought into a status enabling to start a game based on throwing of coins or a given credit number and receive payout according to a result of said game, said game server executing a payout return based on a result of a lottery for determining whether said payout return according to a predetermined payout return rate is executed without fail or whether said payout return is executed, when judged that a credit cumulative consumption reaches a predetermined upper limit, based on information of credit cumulative consumption on one of said game machines on which a player is performing the game, said game server including:

receiving means for receiving play information about play status in each of said game machines; and

sending means for sending, based on contents of said play information received by said receiving means, a signal for switching between (i) display status of displaying information about said predetermined upper limit on a display part provided in each of said game machines and (ii) non-display status of not displaying said information.

2. The game server according to claim 1 wherein

said payout return is executed without fail to said each of said game machines reaching said predetermined upper limit, based on a result of a timing determination lottery for determining a timing of said payout return.

3. The game server according to claim 1 further including:

means for executing said payout return when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is not changed to another player, by regarding, as one player, said one player who has continued performing said one game until said one player has reached said predetermined upper limit on said one of said game machines.

4. The game server according to claim 1 further including:

means for sending, when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is changed to another player, a signal for resetting the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said one of said game machines, to said one of said game machines.

5. The game server according to claim 1 wherein

said information about said predetermined upper limit is information about a gap between said credit cumulative consumption on said one of said plural game machines under collective control and said predetermined upper limit.

6. The game server according to claim 1 wherein

said play information about said play status is information as to whether said one of said plural game machines under collective control is in play.

7. The game server according to claim 2 further including:

means for executing said payout return when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is not changed to another player, by regarding, as one player, said one player who has continued performing said one game until said one player has reached said predetermined upper limit on said one of said game machines.

8. The game server according to claim 2 further including:

means for sending, when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is changed to another player, a signal for resetting the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said one of said game machines, to said one of said game machines.

9. The game server according to claim 7 further including:

means for sending, when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is changed to another player, a signal for resetting the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said one of said game machine, to said one of said game machine.

10. A game machine that is one of plural game machines in a single parlor under collective control of a game server, said game machine being brought into a status enabling to start a game based on throwing of coins or a given credit number and receiving payout according to a result of said game, said game machine receiving payout return when its credit cumulative consumption reaches a predetermined upper limit, based on a result of a lottery executed by said game server in order to determine whether payout return according to a predetermined payout return rate is executed without fail or whether payout return is executed, said game machine including:

sending means for sending play information about play status to said game server; and

switching means for receiving a signal sent from said game server and switching, based on contents of said play information, between (i) display status of displaying information about said predetermined upper limit on a display part of said game machine and (ii) non-display status of not displaying said information.

11. The game machine according to claim 10 wherein

said payout return is executed without fail when reaching said predetermined upper limit, based on a result of a timing determination lottery that is executed by said game server in order to determine a timing of said payout return.

12. The game machine according to claim 10 further including:

means for executing said payout return when one player performing one game on said game machine is changed to another player, by regarding, as one player, said one player who has continued performing said one game until said one player has reached said predetermined upper limit on said game machine.

13. The game machine according to claim 10 further including:

means for resetting, when one player performing one game on said game machine is changed to another player, the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said game machine.

14. The game machine according to claim 10 wherein

said information about said predetermined upper limit is information about a gap between said predetermined upper limit and said credit cumulative consumption on said game machine under said collective control.

15. The game machine according to claim 10 wherein

said play information about said play status is information as to whether said game machine under said collective control is in play.

16. The game machine according to claim 11 further including:

means for executing said payout return when one player performing one game on said game machine is changed to another player, by regarding, as one player, said one player who has continued performing said one game until said one player has reached said predetermined upper limit on said game machine.

17. The game machine according to claim 11 further including:

means for resetting, when one player performing one game on said game machine is changed to another player, the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said game machine.

18. The game machine according to claim 16 further including:

means for resetting, when one player performing one game on said game machine is changed to another player, the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said game machine.

19. A game control method of collectively controlling plural game machines which are brought into a status enabling to start a game based on throwing of coins or a given credit number and which receive payout according to a result of said game, said game control method including a payout return step of detecting a credit cumulative consumption on each of said game machines and executing payout return based on a result of a lottery for determining whether said payout return according to a predetermined payout return rate is executed or whether said payout return is executed, with respect to each of said game machines whose said cumulative consumption found in detection reaches a predetermined upper limit, said game control method including:

a receiving step of receiving play information about play status on each of said game machines; and

a sending step of sending, based on contents of said play information received in said receiving step, a signal for switching between (i) display status of displaying information about said predetermined upper limit on a display part provided in each of said game machines and (ii) non-display status of not displaying said information about said predetermined upper limit.

20. The game control method according to claim 19

said payout return step is executed without fail to said game machine reaching said predetermined upper limit, based on a result of a timing determination lottery for determining a timing of said payout return.

21. The game control method according to claim 19 wherein said payout return step includes the step of:

executing said payout return when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is not changed to another player, by regarding, as one player, said one player who has continued performing said one game until said one player has reached said predetermined upper limit on said one of said game machines.

22. The game control method according to claim 19 further including the step of:

resetting, when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is changed to another player, the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said one of said game machines.

23. The game control method according to claim 19 wherein

said information about said predetermined upper limit is information about a gap between said credit cumulative consumption on one of said plural game machines under collective control and said predetermined upper limit.

24. The game control method according to claim 19 wherein

said play information about said play status is information as to whether one of said plural game machines under collective control is in play.

25. The game control method according to claim 20 wherein

said payout return step includes the step of executing said payout return when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is not changed to another player, by regarding, as one player, said one player who has continued performing said one game until said one player has reached said predetermined upper limit on said one of said game machines.

26. The game control method according to claim 20 further including the step of:

resetting, when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is changed to another player, the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said one of said game machines.

27. The game control method according to claim 25 further including the step of:

resetting, when one player performing one game on one of said game machines is changed to another player, the credit cumulative consumption of said one player on said one of said game machines.