Game machine

• US 6,174,233 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Sales Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Inamura, Yukinori, Sunaga, Isao, Danjo, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US08/971,601
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 273/143.R, 463/20, 463/19, 463/18, 463/17, 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

In a game machine, game result conditions may be randomly selected for a predetermined number of games among a plurality of given game result conditions and a demonstration may be made to provide a player of the game with a feeling of higher probability of winning a prize in the game when the randomly selected game result conditions include a given specific game result condition. The demonstration may be made by a variety of possible techniques, including using a flashing light or changing the volume or tone of a sound. Random numbers may be sampled in advance for random selection of game result conditions for the current game and for one or more games that will follow the current game, i.e., ranging several games down from the current game. These random numbers may be used to determine whether or not a demonstration should be made in the current game. As a result, more games will have demonstrations than in existing games, in which only the current games status can be considered, and more effective demonstrations may be made to enhance a player'"'"'s interest in playing more games. The present invention is a game machine that randomly selects the game result conditions of a first game by lottery from among a plurality of conditions, and that determines the game results on the basis of the randomly selected results, wherein the player is alerted by a presentation to the fact that a “Second Game Win” condition exists among randomly selected conditions.

Claims

1. A game machine that randomly selects a plurality of game result conditions corresponding to a plurality of different games including a current game and at least one subsequent game, and that determines a game result for the current game on the basis of one of the plurality of game result conditions for the plurality of different games, the game machine including an alert to a player when there is a “

Second Game Win”

condition among the plurality of game result conditions indicating a free game.

2. A game machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

random selection means for randomly selecting, at the beginning of the current first game, game result conditions for a predetermined prescribed number of games from among the plurality of such conditions, storage means for storing a prescribed number of game result conditions;

actuating means for actuating the start of a game;

determination means for determining whether or not a “

Second Game Win”

condition is present among the randomly selected results for a prescribed number of games; and

demonstration means for displaying prescribed sensory information to the player when the “

Second Game Win”

condition is present.

3. A game machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

second random selection means for randomly selecting in advance several kinds of current game result conditions at the beginning of the current first game;

selecting one of the several kinds of randomly selected results by a prescribed method; and

actualizing the current game results, wherein a demonstration is made during the current game when the aforementioned “

Second Game Win”

condition is present among the several kinds of conditions randomly selected in advance.

4. A game machine, comprising:

random selection means for randomly selecting a plurality of game result conditions of a plurality of games, including a first game and at least one subsequent game, from among a plurality of possible game result conditions; and

demonstration means for demonstrating that there is a “

Second Game Win”

condition among the plurality of game result conditions associated with the first game wherein said “

Second Game Win”

corresponds to a free game.

5. A game machine comprising:

random selection means for randomly selecting, at the beginning of the game, game result conditions for a predetermined number of games, including a first game and at least one subsequent game, from among a plurality of given game result conditions;

storage means for storing game result conditions selected for the predetermined number of games;

actuating means for actuating the start of a game;

determination means for determining whether the game result conditions randomly selected for the predetermined number of games include a “

Second Game Win”

game result condition associated with the first game corresponding to a free game; and

demonstration means for indicating a higher probability of obtaining a “

Second Game Win”

game result in the game when said randomly selected game result conditions include said “

Second Game Win”

game result condition as one of said plurality of game result conditions.

6. A game machine according to claim 5, further comprising:

bonus game play means for allowing a player to play a second game without requiring the player to enter additional tokens after a “

Second Game Win”

condition has been obtained in the first game.

7. A game machine, comprising:

result selection means for randomly selecting game result conditions for a plurality of games including a current game and at least one subsequent game;

determining means for determining whether the results selected by said result selection means include at least a predetermined “

Second Game Win”

game result corresponding to a free game; and

demonstration means, responsive to said determining means, for indicating when the “

Second Game Win”

game result is included in the results selected by said result selection means.

8. A game machine according to claim 7, wherein said result selection means selects a plurality of sets of randomly selected game results for the plurality of games, and then selects one result from the plurality of sets of randomly selected game results as the result for the current game.

9. A game machine, comprising:

a main unit;

an actuator coupled to said main unit;

a result selector coupled to said main unit and having a random result selection component and a plurality of game result storage areas;

a demonstrator coupled to said main unit; and

an activator coupled to said demonstrator and responsive to said result selector, whereby said activator activates said demonstrator when at least one of said game result storage areas contains a “

Second Game Win”

game result corresponding to a free game.

10. A game machine according to claim 9, wherein said demonstrator includes at least one light.

11. A game machine according to claim 9, wherein said demonstrator includes at least one speaker.

12. A method of playing a game, comprising:

randomly selecting game results for a plurality of games for a current game and at least one subsequent game; and

demonstrating when the randomly selected game results include at least one “

Second Game Win”

game result corresponding to a free game from said game results for the current game and at least one subsequent game.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

storing the randomly selected game result conditions before demonstrating.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

starting the game after storing the randomly selected game result conditions.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

starting the game before storing the randomly selected game result conditions.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein randomly selecting game results for a plurality of games includes selecting a plurality of sets of randomly selected game results and selecting a game result for the current game from the plurality of sets.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein randomly selecting game result conditions for a plurality of games includes selecting a plurality of sets of randomly selected game result conditions and randomly selecting a game result for the current game from the plurality of sets.

18. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

starting the game by placing at least one token in at least one slot.

19. A method according to claim 12, wherein demonstrating includes indicating when the randomly selected game results include a “

Second Game Win”

game result and an additional predetermined game result.

20. A game machine comprising:

random selection means for randomly selecting a plurality of game result conditions of a plurality of games corresponding to a first game and at least one subsequent game;

storage means for storing said plurality of game result conditions for a predetermined number of games;

determining means for determining whether a “

Second Game Win”

condition is one of said plurality of game result conditions indicating a free game; and

demonstration means for demonstrating that there is a “

Second Game Win”

condition among the plurality of game result conditions.

21. The game machine of claim 20, further comprising:

actuating means for actuating a start of a game.

22. The game machine of claim 21, further comprising:

bonus game play means for allowing a player to play a second game without requiring the player to enter additional tokens after a “

Second Game Win”

condition has been obtained in a first game.

23. The game machine of claim 20, wherein said demonstration means includes at least one light.

24. The game machine of claim 20, wherein said demonstration means includes at least one speaker.

25. The game machine of claim 20, wherein said determining means is first determining means, and the game machine further comprising:

second determining means for determining whether one of said plurality of game result conditions indicates another game result condition; and

wherein said demonstration means, coupled to said first determining means and said second determining means, is activated when it has been determined that there is a “

Second Game Win”

condition or said other game result condition.

26. The game machine of claim 25, wherein said another game result condition is one of:

a “

Big Jackpot”

, a “

Small Jackpot”

, and a “

One Shy”

condition.

27. The game machine of claim 20, wherein one of said plurality of game result conditions is associated with a single game play.

28. The game machine of claim 20, wherein at least two of said plurality of game result conditions are associated with a single game play and the game machine further comprises:

means for selecting a first of said at least two plurality of game results conditions for said single game play.

29. A method of playing a game comprising:

randomly selecting a plurality of game result conditions of a plurality of games corresponding to a first game and at least one subsequent game;

storing said plurality of game result conditions for a predetermined number of games;

determining whether a “

Second Game Win”

condition is one of said plurality of game result conditions indicating a free game; and

demonstrating that there is a “

Second Game Win”

condition among the plurality of game result conditions.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

starting a game by placing at least one token in at least one slot.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

playing a second game without entering additional tokens after a “

Second Game Win”

condition has been obtained in a first game.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said demonstrating includes displaying at least one light.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said demonstrating includes using at least one speaker.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

determining whether one of said plurality of game result conditions indicates another game result condition; and

demonstrating that said other game result condition is one of the plurality of game result conditions.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said another game result condition is one of:

a “

Big Jackpot”

, a “

Small Jackpot”

, and a “

One Shy”

condition.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

associating a single one of said plurality of game result conditions with a single game play.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

associating at least two of said plurality of game result conditions with a single game play; and

selecting a first of said at least two plurality of game results conditions for said single game play.