Electronic gaming apparatus
First Claim
1. Gaming apparatus comprising, a plurality of reels mounted for rotation about an axis, said reels having peripheral surfaces on which indicia are disposed indicative of angular positions of the respective reel, means for starting rotation of said reels, means for assigning a preselected hit frequency value representative of the probability of a winning game, means for generating a first random number, means for comparing said random number with said hit frequency value to determine whether the game played is a winning game or is not a winning game, means for stopping rotation of said reels at angular positions displaying indicia representing a losing game when the game played is determined not to be a winning game, means for generating a second random number whenever said game played is determined to be a winning game, means for assigning a plurality of numbers defined as win probabilities each representative of the probability of winning a respective win value, means for comparing said second random number in sequence with said win probabilities to determine the value of a win if the game played when a winning game, and means for stopping rotation of said reels at angular positions displaying indicia representing the value of the win.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Gaming apparatus including a series of rotatable reels having indicia on the peripheries for displaying game results and which are set in motion when the game commences and which stop when the game ends. The gaming apparatus includes a number of computers for controlling the various functions such as the acceptance of a coin inserted into the apparatus, pay out of coins when a game is a winner, the commencement and termination of rotation of the reels, and the determination as to whether a game played is a winning game or a losing game. One of the computers includes a random number generator which generates a first random number that is compared to the hit frequency defined as the probability of a game being a winning game to determine whether the game played is a winner or a loser, and if the game is a losing game, the reels are stopped to display a losing combination. If the game is a winning game, a second random number is generated which is compared to the win probability set to determine the value of the win, and the reels are stopped at positions indicating a winning combination corresponding to the value won.
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. Gaming apparatus comprising, a plurality of reels mounted for rotation about an axis, said reels having peripheral surfaces on which indicia are disposed indicative of angular positions of the respective reel, means for starting rotation of said reels, means for assigning a preselected hit frequency value representative of the probability of a winning game, means for generating a first random number, means for comparing said random number with said hit frequency value to determine whether the game played is a winning game or is not a winning game, means for stopping rotation of said reels at angular positions displaying indicia representing a losing game when the game played is determined not to be a winning game, means for generating a second random number whenever said game played is determined to be a winning game, means for assigning a plurality of numbers defined as win probabilities each representative of the probability of winning a respective win value, means for comparing said second random number in sequence with said win probabilities to determine the value of a win if the game played when a winning game, and means for stopping rotation of said reels at angular positions displaying indicia representing the value of the win.
- 9. Gaming apparatus comprising, display means for displaying a combination of indicia, means for storing a preselected fixed hit frequency value representative of the probability of having a winning game, means for generating a first substantially random number in the range of 0 to 1, means for comparing said random number with said hit frequency, means for selecting only a losing combination for display by said display means when said random number is more than said hit frequency, means for generating a second random number only when said first random number is less than said hit frequency, means for comparing said second random number with a plurality of win probabilities corresponding to respective different win values to select a winning value, and means for selecting a winning combination for display by said display means corresponding to said winning value.
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18. The method of operating gaming apparatus having a plurality of like-symbol displaying means to produce and display game results wherein the ratio of the number of winning games to the total number of games played is a constant defined as hit frequency, and for displaying the results of winning and losing games by said displaying means, said method comprising generating a first substantially random number, comparing said random number with said hit frequency to determine whether said random number is more or less than said hit frequency, selecting and displaying a symbol on each of said plurality of displaying means defining only a losing game when said random number is more than said hit frequency, generating a second substantially random number only when said first random number is less than said hit frequency, comparing said second random number with a plurality of numbers corresponding to the probability of winning different amounts, and selecting and displaying a symbol on each of said plurality of displaying means defining an winning game of the winning amount.
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19. In gaming apparatus, the method of controlling the display of a symbol on each of a plurality of rotatable reels each having a plurality of symbols so that a combination of symbols indicative of winning and losing games may be displayed, said method comprising, storing a value representative of the probability of a game being a winning game defined as the hit frequency, said probability being expressed as the decimal equivalent of the ratio of winning games to total games played, generating a first random number in the range of 0 to 1, comparing said random number to said hit frequency, selecting only a losing combination for display from a set of losing combinations when said random number is more than said hit frequency, generating a second random number only when said first random number is less than said hit frequency, and selecting a winning combination for display from a plurality of sets of winning combinations when the second random number is generated.
Specification