ELECTRONIC RACING GAME

• US 3,729,193 A
• Filed: 02/18/1971
• Issued: 04/24/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George H. Labis
• Original Assignee: George H. Labis
• Inventors: Labis, George H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Application Number:
  US05/116,347
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 273/86B,86F,86G,138A
• US Class Current: 463/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/143 electric

Abstract

A method and system for racing a plurality of motor driven units along a track which combines a random factor, not subject to control, with manually actuated means for establishing odds between the racing units at the beginning of each race. In a preferred embodiment, the heart of the system comprises two pulse sources operating at substantially different nonharmonic frequencies which are characterized by built-in frequency drifts. The higher frequency pulse source drives a system of stepping selectors through a repetitive cycle. The initial manual arrangement of a group of odds selector dials determines the number of times a power circuit is completed to any specific racing unit as the stepping system proceeds through its cycle. At random contacts during the stepping cycle, depending on the operation of the second pulse source, electrical current passes through one of the power circuits momentarily completed, to drive one or another of the racing units to spurt ahead. This continues until one or more of the units cross an arbitrary finish line. In a preferred embodiment, the racing units are motor driven horses. The odds manually set on each of the horses at the beginning of the race are also indicated on an electronic tote board, which is electronically triggered to indicate Win, Place and Show, at the end of each race, and also, the amount paid on each of the winning horses. Additional features include means for setting and counting races of more than one lap.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game of chance between a plurality of electrically driven units which comprises in combination the steps of:

deriving pulses from two distinct pulse sources operating at substantially different frequencies which are not harmonically related, employing the pulses from one said source to drive a stepping selector system through a repetitive cycle of steps, each of said steps being connected on contact during said selector cycle to condition a unique circuit to one of said electrically driven units for possible energization by a pulse from the other said pulse source, utilizing pulses from the other said pulse source, which are applied through random steps of said stepping selector system upon a coincidence between the pulses of said two pulse sources, to energize one or another of said electrically driven units over one of said conditioned unique circuits, for driving said unit along a preselected course, and utilizing the first said unit reaching a preselected goal on said course to actuate an indicator.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one said pulse source is constructed with a built-in frequency drift of a few cycles per minute.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said pulse sources is constructed with a builtin frequency drift of a few cycles per minute.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the number of said unique circuits conditioned to energize a specific one or another of said electrically driven units during a single selector cycle can be varied from game to game prior to the playing of said game, thereby to vary the odds of one or the other of said units being a winner.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein prior to operation of each game a single pulse is supplied to said stepping selector for driving said stepping selector to move through a single step before beginning said game, thereby to increase the randomness of said game.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said game is an electronic horse race, and wherein said game is played using electrically driven units which simulate race horses, which are driven by individual motors to move along a preselected course which simulates a race track, each of said individual motors being dIsposed in contact with a low friction electrically conducting path for propelling a corresponding one of said simulated race horses along said track.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6 wherein the terminals of the driving unit comprising said individual motors are movably disposed across a double rail electrically conducting track.

8. The method in accordance with claim 6 wherein the finish line track section is insulated from the driving sections of said track, and wherein a circuit including said finish line section is actuated upon contact with a wining horse crossing said finish line to energize a winning display indicator uniquely connected to said winning horse circuit.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein, in addition to energizing a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'winning'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' display indicator, a winning horse crossing said finish line conditions a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'place'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating circuit which responds to the second said horse crossing said finish line to energize a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'place'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' display indicator on said tote board;

and wherein, in addition, the said second horse crossing the finish line conditions a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'show'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating circuit which responds to the third horse crossing the finish line to actuate a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'show'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicator on said tote board, and wherein, in addition, said third horse crossing the finish line conditions a circuit to prevent further indications when additional horses cross the said finish line.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein a section of the said track designated the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'lap counter section'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' is disposed to immediately follow the finish line section of said track;

and wherein said lap counter section is disposed by a manual pregame setting to deactivate the circuit for energizing the winning display indicators corresponding to each of said horses for a preselected number of laps traversed by said horses around said track, and to reactivate the said circuit for energizing said winning display indicators on the last lap of said horses around said track.

11. A game of chance comprising in combination:

a plurality of units having electrical driving means, said units disposed to be propelled along a preselected course, a pair of pulse sources operating simultaneously at substantially different frequencies which are not harmonically related, a stepping selector system connected to be stepped through a repetitive cycle of contacts by the pulses from a first one of said pulse sources, the driving means of each of said units being connected to one or more discrete contacts of said selector system, and means responsive to the second one of said pulse sources upon a coincidence with a stepping pulse from said first pulse source to energize a circuit supplying a spurt of power through one of said selector contacts to one said driving means, thereby propelling the unit corresponding to said driving means to move along said preselected course.

12. A game in accordance with claim 11 wherein at least one of said pulse sources has a built-in frequency drift.

13. A game in accordance with claim 12 wherein both said pulse sources have built-in frequency drifts.

14. A game in accordance with claim 11 wherein the selector contacts which are connected to the electrical driving means in each said unit during one cycle of said selector system are connected in circuit relationship with odds selecting means which is adjustable at the beginning of each game to vary the number of selector contacts connected to the driving means of each said unit during one selector cycle, thereby to adjust the winning odds on each said unit.

15. An electronic horse race in accordance with claim 14:

wherein said units simulate race horses, each said electrical driving means comprising an individual motor, said preselected course comprising a plurality of adjacent individual electrically conducting tracks, each said horse motor being disposed in electrical contacting relation for propulsion along one of saiD individual tracks, said combination including an electrically actuated tote board having indicating means for each said horse connected in circuit relationship with said system and disposed to indicate information in response to the conditions of each race including the first horses to reach a preselected position on each of said individual tracks.

16. An electronic horse race in accordance with claim 15 wherein each of said individual tracks is continuous and comprises a finish line track section insulated from the other sections including the driving sections of said individual tracks, means connected to said finish line track sections which are actuated upon contact with one or more winning horses crossing said finish line to actuate appropriate winning indicating means on said tote board connected through a corresponding one of said horse circuits.

17. An electronic horse race in accordance with claim 16 wherein said tote board includes indicating lights for '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'Win,'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'Place'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'Show'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indications individual to each said horse;

and wherein first means are connected to said finish line track sections which operate when the winning horse crosses said finish line track section, in addition to energizing a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'winning'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' display indicating means on said tote board, to condition a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'place'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating circuit which responds to the second said horse crossing the finish line to actuate the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'place'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating means on said tote board;

wherein second means are connected to said finish line track sections, which operate when the second horse crosses said finish line track section, in addition to energizing a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'place'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating means on said tote board, to condition a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'show'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating circuit which responds to the third said horse crossing the finish line to actuate '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'show'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating means on said tote board; and

wherein third means are connected to said finish line track sections, which operate when the third horse crosses said finish line section, in addition to energizing a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'show'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indicating means on said tote board, to condition a circuit to prevent further indications on said tote board when additional horses cross the said finish line track section.

18. An electronic horse race in accordance with claim 16 wherein each of said individual tracks comprises a lap counter section immediately following said finish line section, each said lap counter section being insulated from said finish line section and from the remaining portion of each of said individual tracks, relay means connected to said lap counter section which is constructed and arranged in response to a manual pregame setting to deactivate said tote board on the winning display indications corresponding to each of said horses for a preselected number of laps traversed by said horses around said track, and to reactivate said winning display indications on the last lap of each of said horses around said individual tracks.

19. An electronic horse race in accordance with claim 14 wherein said tote board includes means in circuit relation with said odds selector means for indicating the selected odds on each said horse.

20. An electronic horse race in accordance with claim 19 wherein said tote board includes indicating means connected to said odds selector means and each said horse circuit to indicate the amount paid for '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'Win,'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'Place'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'Show'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' at the preselected odds.

21. A game of chance comprising in combination:

means for driving a plurality of racing units including driving means for driving said racing units to traverse a preselected course, commutating means including a series of contacts, at least one of said contacts being uniquely connected to the driving means for each of said racing units, means comprising a first pulse source for driving said commutating means to engage the contacts of said series in orderly progression at a regular contacting rate, a secOnd pulse source independent of said first pulse source constructed to generate pulses at a frequency which is roughly of the same order but a nonharmonic of the pulse rate of said first pulse source, a source of power, and means for utilizing coincidences between the pulses of said second independent pulse source and engagement of one of said contacts by said commutating means to complete one of said unique circuits between said source of power and said driving means for driving a specific one of said units to move in a preselected direction along said course.

22. The combination in accordance with claim 21 wherein said commutating means comprises a system of stepping selectors, and wherein means for driving said racing units comprise motors individual to each said unit, each of said motors uniquely connectable at one or more steps of said selectors to be energized upon a coincidence with a pulse from said independent pulse source to drive the corresponding racing unit a preselected distance on said course.

23. The combination in accordance with claim 22 which includes means for manually varying the number of steps in said selector system uniquely connectable to specific ones of said racing units, thereby to vary the odds on said units.

24. A game of chance comprising in combination:

means for driving a plurality of racing units including driving means for driving said racing units to traverse a preselected course, commutating means comprising a plurality of motor driven commutators individual to said racing units, means for driving each of said commutators to move in sequence through a series of contacts in orderly progression at a regular contacting rate for placing each of said racing units in unique circuit relationship on at least one said contact with the means for driving said racing unit, an independent pulse source constructed to generate pulses at a frequency which is roughly of the same order but a nonharmonic of said regular contacting rate, a source of power, and means for utilizing coincidences between the pulses of said independent pulse source and engagement of said one contact by said commutating means to complete one of said unique circuits between said source of power and said driving means for driving a specific one of said units to move in a preselected direction along said course.