SLOT MACHINE AND CONTROL METHOD OF GAME

• US 20080064476A1
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp. (Universal Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,083,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A slot machine of the present invention comprises: a symbol display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols; and a controller, the controller programmed to execute the processing of: (A) executing a game in which the plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to the symbol display device after game media are BET in number equal to or less than a previously set maximum number of BETs, and game media are paid out in number according to the plurality of stop-displayed symbols; (B) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted; (C) counting the number of games played after shifting to the insurance mode, in the insurance mode; (D) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in the processing (C) reaches a specific number; and (E) shifting the mode from the insurance mode to the non-insurance mode while holding the number of games counted by the processing (C) when a predetermined insurance canceling condition is established.

Claims

1. A slot machine comprising:

a symbol display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols; and

a controller,

said controller programmed so as to execute the following processing of;

(A) executing a game in which said plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to said symbol display device after game media are BET in number equal to or less than a previously set maximum number of BETs, and game media are paid out in number according to a combination of said plurality of stop-displayed symbols;

(B) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted;

(C) counting the number of games played after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode;

(D) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a specific number; and

(E) shifting the mode from the insurance mode to the non-insurance mode while holding the number of games counted in said processing (C) when a predetermined insurance canceling condition is established.

2. The slot machine according to claim 1,

wherein

said controller is programmed so as to further execute the following processing of:

(F) clearing the number of games counted in said processing (C) when a game is played in which game media are paid out in number equal to or more than a predetermined number before the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said specific number.

3. The slot machine according to claim 2,

wherein

said insurance canceling condition is that games have been played in which the number of game media are paid out in number equal to or more than a set number, and

said set number is smaller than said predetermined number.

4. The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

wherein

said controller counts in said processing (C) the number of games played after sifting to said insurance mode in addition to the number of games held in said processing (E), when the mode is shifted from said non-insurance mode to said insurance mode in said processing (B) after shifting the mode from the insurance mode to said non-insurance mode while holding said number of games counted in said processing (E).

5. The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

wherein

said processing (C) includes counting the number of games in which game media are BET in number equal to said maximum number of BETs after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode.

6. A game control method, comprising the following steps of:

(A) executing a game in which a plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to a symbol display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols after game media are BET in number equal to or less than a previously set maximum number of BETs, and game media are paid out in number according to a combination of said plurality of stop-displayed symbols;

(B) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted;

(C) counting the number of games played after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode;

(D) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in said step (C) reaches a specific number; and

(E) shifting the mode from the insurance mode to the non-insurance mode while holding the number of games counted by said processing (C) when a predetermined insurance canceling condition is established.