Entertainment machines

• US 4,335,809 A
• Filed: 01/29/1980
• Issued: 06/22/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Barcrest Ltd. (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Barcrest Ltd. (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wain, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROLLA, JR., JOSEPH J
• Application Number:
  US06/116,627
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 194/1 R, 194/1 N, 194/DIG. 11, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 273/138 A
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

A coin-freed player-operable entertainment machine is connected via a transmission link, such as a telephone line, to a remote control device. The link may be used to tramsmit program information to a control system of the machine so that the game to be played with the machine can be changed as desired from the remote control location. Alternatively or additionally, the transmission link may be used to transmit information concerning machine operation from the machine to the remote control location.

Claims

1. An entertainment machine system comprising at least one entertainment machine and a main control device remote from said machine and connectable thereto via a remote transmission link;

said entertainment machine being of the kind which is operable by a player, after actuation of a coin or token mechanism of the machine, so as to perform a number of operations as initiated by the player and to perform further operations determined by the first said operations in accordance with a predetermined game to be played with the machine;

said entertainment machine having a control system which is arranged to respond to and effect control of said machine operations and which incorporates a processing device, and a program device containing stored program data determining the said game and operable to supply said data to the processing device;

said main control device being operable on occasions to transmit data signals via said link to said control system corresponding to different said stored program data for different said predetermined games;

the said control system further incorporating interface means connected to said program device and operable to receive said transmitted data signals, said control system being adapted to change the stored program data of said program device to different stored program data corresponding to said received data signals thereby to reprogram the machine for the playing of a different said game therewith.

2. A machine system according to claim 1, wherein the entertainment machine is a fruit machine having a number of rotatable members carrying indicia, which members are in play set in rotation and subsequently come to rest with a combination of said indicia displayed to the player, the duration of rotation of each member, and hence the displayed combination of indicia being determined wholly or largely on a random basis and a reward mechanism being actuated in the event that said displayed combination is of a predetermined nature.

3. A machine system according to claim 1, wherein the said transmission link is a cable link provided by lines of a telephone system.

4. A machine system according to claim 1, wherein the control system of the entertainment machine incorporates an erasable memory which is a CMOS RAM provided with the independent battery power supply.

5. A machine system according to claim 1, wherein the machine has an electronic visual display unit arranged to produce a visual display representative of the performance of the first said machine operations, said display unit being connected to said control system and production of said display being arranged to be controlled by said control system.

6. A machine system according to claim 5, wherein the said visual display is arranged to simulate rotatable members of a fruit machine.

7. A machine system according to claim 6, wherein the said visual display unit is also arranged to produce a visual display, under the control of said control system, of informative matter.

8. An entertainment machine system comprising a plurality of entertainment machines, a common main control device remote from said machines and adapted for connection thereto via respective remote cable transmission links;

each said entertainment machine being of the kind which is operable by a player, after actuation of a coin or token mechanism of the machine, so as to perform a number of operations as initiated by the player and to perform further operations determined by the first said operations in accordance with a predetermined game to be played with the machine;

each said entertainment machine having a control system arranged to respond to and effect control of said machine operations, said control system incorporating a processing device, a program device containing stored program data determining the said game and operable to supply said data to the processing device, and a modem device connected to said processing and program devices and adapted for connection to the respective said cable link;

said common main control device being operable on occasions to transmit fresh said program data corresponding to fresh said predetermined games via said links to the modems of the different said machines, and said control systems being operable to effect replacement of the stored data of the program devices under the control of the processing devices with said fresh program data thereby to reprogram the machine for the playing of said fresh games therewith.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein each said machine also has means operable to produce electrical signals from said machines via said links.