Gaming system and gaming machine

• US 20060111179A1
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp.
• Inventors: Inamura, Yukinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A plurality of game selection-enabled gaming machines, which implement a game on the basis of a unit gaming fee, are connected to a game providing server via a network. The game providing server includes a game program storage unit and a download unit for permitting downloading a game program of a type of game requested by the gaming machine. The respective gaming machines includes a unit gaming fee selection unit for enabling selection of a unit gaming fee from a plurality of candidates, a game type selection unit for enabling selection of a type of game from the game type candidates which accept the selected unit gaming fee, and a game program request unit for requesting the game program from the game providing server.

Claims

1. A gaming system in which a plurality of game selection-enabled gaming machines, which implement a game on the basis of a unit gaming fee, are connected to a game providing server, via a network;

wherein said game providing server comprises;

a game program memory configured to store game programs of a plurality of types of games; and

a processor configured to permit downloading a game program of a type of game requested by any of said game selection-enabled gaming machines; and

wherein said gaming machines each comprise;

a unit gaming fee selector configured to enable selection of a unit gaming fee from a plurality of unit gaming fee candidates;

a game type selector configured to enable selection of a type of game from one or more game type candidates which accept the selected unit gaming fee; and

a processor configured to request a game program of the selected type of game, from said game providing server.

2. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein said processor of game providing server determines whether or not conditions for permitting downloading are satisfied when a game program of a certain game type is requested by any of said game selection-enabled gaming machines.

3. The gaming system according to claim 2, wherein said processor of game providing server determines that downloading is not permitted in cases where if the current request is accepted and the game program is downloaded then a total number of gaming machines that downloaded the game program is equal to or greater than a threshold value, or determines that downloading is not permitted in cases where a ratio of the total number of gaming machines that downloaded the game program to a total number of said plurality of gaming machines is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

4. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein each of said gaming machines comprises a display;

and wherein said game type selector includes touch panel switches configured to change the type of game displayed on said display.

5. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein each of said gaming machines comprises a display configured to display a gaming demonstration screen thereon during a changing of the type of game.

6. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein each of said gaming machines comprises a display, and wherein said unit gaming fee selector includes touch panel switches configured to select the unit gaming fee displayed on said display.

7. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein said network is any one of a local area network, a public telecommunication network, a dedicated circuit in which said game providing server and said gaming machines are connected in a one-to-one fashion, and a radio circuit configured to provide radio communications between said game providing server and said gaming machines.

8. A game selection-enabled gaming machine that implements a game on the basis of a unit gaming fee, said gaming machine comprising:

a unit gaming fee selector configured to enable selection of a unit gaming fee from a plurality of unit gaming fee candidates; and

a game type selector configured to enable selection of a type of game from one or more game type candidates that accept the selected unit gaming fee.

9. The gaming machine according to claim 8, further comprising a processor configured to request a game program of the selected type of game from a game providing server connected via a network.

10. The gaming machine according to claim 8, further comprising:

a game program memory configured to store game programs of a plurality of types of games; and

wherein said processor extracts a game program of the selected type of game from said game program memory, and sets the extracted game program in a storage region for execution of a game.

11. The gaming machine according to claim 8, further comprising a display, wherein said game type selector includes touch panel switches configured to change the type of game displayed on said display.

12. The gaming machine according to claim 8, further comprising a display configured to display a gaming demonstration screen thereon during a changing of said type of game.

13. The gaming machine according to claim 8, further comprising a display, wherein said unit gaming fee selector includes touch panel switches configured to enable selection of the unit gaming fee displayed on said display.