Clot machine

• US 5,209,479 A
• Filed: 04/02/1992
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aruze Corp.
• Original Assignee: Sigma Corporation (Avis Budget Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Yoshihiro, Nagao, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/863,479
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138 A, 273/138 R, 273/143 R, 364/412
• US Class Current: 463/21
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

The present invention provides a slot machine for determining winning or losing by selecting predetermined symbols from symbol trains arranged on X reels, in accordance with a random number, in which the X reels have symbol trains of different numbers of symbols arranged thereon.

Claims

1. A slot machine comprising:

a random number generator which generates a random number, having the highest number of random numbers satisfying 2ⁿ wherein n is a positive integer, each random number corresponding to one of a plurality of symbol combinations stored in memory means;

reels, each having a plurality of symbols arranged thereon, at least one of said reels having a different number of symbols than the other reels, said symbols corresponding to those in the symbol combinations stored in the memory means; and

memory means which stores all the symbol combinations and the likelihood of the selection of each symbol combination, the total number of combinations being L×

M×

N, wherein L is the number of symbols on a first reel, M is the number of symbols on a second reel and N is the number of symbols on a third reel;

wherein 2ⁿ and the number of symbol combinations are equal to each other.

2. A slot machine according to claim 1, wherein n is log T/log 2 or ln T/ln 2, wherein T is the total number of symbol combinations.

3. A slot machine comprising:

a random number generator which generates a random number, having the highest number of random numbers satisfying 2ⁿ wherein n is a positive integer, each random number corresponding to one of a plurality of symbol combinations to be used in a game;

symbol memory means which stores symbols to be used for said symbol combinations;

display means which shows a plurality of symbols in series, said symbols in series corresponding to those in the symbol combinations selected;

combination memory means which stores all the symbol combinations and the likelihood of the selection of each symbol combination, the total number of combinations being L×

M×

N, wherein L is the number of symbols in a first series of symbols, M is the number of symbols in a second series of symbols, and N is the number of symbols in a third series of symbols at least one of L, M, and N being different than the other two and

display controller means which retrieves from the symbol memory means the symbols in the symbol combination corresponding to the random number generated by the random number generator and controls the display of said symbols in series by the display means;

wherein 2ⁿ and the number of symbol combinations are equal to each other.

4. A slot machine according to claim 3, wherein n is log T/log 2 or ln T/ln 2, wherein T is the total number of symbol combinations.

5. A slot machine comprising:

a random number generator which generates a random number, having the highest number of random numbers satisfying 2ⁿ wherein n is a positive integer, each random number corresponding to one of a plurality of symbol combinations stored in memory means;

reels, each having a plurality of symbols arranged thereon, at least one of said reels having a different number of symbols than the other reels, said symbols corresponding to those in the symbol combinations;

selection means for selecting a symbol from each of said reels to constitute a symbol combination to be used; and

memory means which stores the likelihood of the selection of each symbol combination, each symbol combination being selected by said selection means;

wherein 2ⁿ and the number of symbol combinations are equal to each other.

6. A slot machine comprising:

a random number generator which generates a random number, having the highest number of random numbers satisfying 2ⁿ wherein n is a positive integer, each random number corresponding to one of a plurality of symbol combinations to be used in a game;

symbol memory means which stores symbols to be used for said symbol combinations;

display means which shows a plurality of symbols in series, said symbols in series corresponding to those in the symbol combinations selected, at least one series of symbols having a different number of symbols than the other series;

selection means for selecting a symbol from each of said series of symbols to constitute a symbol combination to be used;

combination memory means which stores the likelihood of the selection of each symbol combination, each symbol combination being selected by said selection means; and

display controller means which retrieves from the symbol memory means the symbols in the symbol combination corresponding to the random number generated by the random number generator and controls the display of said symbols in series by the display means;

wherein 2ⁿ and the number of symbol combinations are equal to each other.

7. A slot machine comprising:

a random number generator which generates a random number, having the highest number of random numbers satisfying 2ⁿ wherein n is a positive integer, each random number corresponding to one of a plurality of symbol combinations stored in memory means;

reels, each having a plurality of symbols arranged thereon, at least one of said reels having a different number of symbols than the other reels, said symbols corresponding to those in the symbol combinations;

selection means for selecting a symbol from each of said reels to constitute a symbol combination to be used; and

memory means which stores the likelihood of the selection of each symbol combination, each symbol combination being selected by said selection means;

wherein 2ⁿ and the number of symbol combinations are equal to each other and n is not more than 13.

8. A slot machine comprising:

a random number generator which generates a random number, having the highest number of random numbers satisfying 2ⁿ wherein n is a positive integer, each random number corresponding to one of a plurality of symbol combinations to be used in a game;

symbol memory means which stores symbols to be used for said symbol combinations;

display means which shows a plurality of symbols in series, said symbols in series corresponding to those in the symbol combinations selected, at least one series of symbols having a different number of symbols than the other series;

selection means for selecting a symbol from each of said series of symbols to constitute a symbol combination to be used;

combination memory means which stores the likelihood of the selection of each symbol combination, each symbol combination being selected by said selection means; and

display controller means which retrieves from the symbol memory means the symbols in the symbol combination corresponding to the random number generated by the random number generator and controls the display of said symbols in series by the display means;

wherein 2ⁿ and the number of symbol combinations are equal to each other and n is not more than 13.