Video pachinko on a video platform as a gaming device

• US 6,769,982 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Brosnan, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US09/553,438
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/19, 463/16, 273/121.B
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/022 Pachinko
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine presents pachinko games to a player playing the gaming machine. In some embodiments, a player may initiate a new pachinko game on the gaming machine while the outcome of a previous pachinko game is being presented to the player. The wagers on each game may be different. Also, a player may input parameters into the gaming machine that affect the game outcome presentation. For a number of different games, two or more game outcomes may be presented simultaneously to the player on the gaming machine. However, the game outcomes determined by the gaming machine are independent of one another and do not depend on the game outcome presentation. Normally, the game outcomes are determined using a random number generator and a pay table stored in a memory on the gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured to determine an outcome of at least a first and a second pachinko game of chance and to control game outcome presentations for at least first and second corresponding pachinko games of chance in a manner allowing parallel game play of two or more separate pachinko game sequences each patio game sequence comprising;

1) receiving a wager for the pachinko game of chance wherein for each wager an input signal indicating that the wager has been made and indicating an amount of the wager is generated,

2) determining the game outcome for the pachinko game of chance and

3) presenting the game outcome for the pachinko game of chance on a video display

the video display that is operable to simultaneously display the game outcome presentations generated for the two or more separate game sequences;

at least one input mechanism for receiving an input used by a player to make the wager and for each wager generating the input signal indicating that the wager has been made and indicating the amount of the wager;

wherein after a first input of a first wager has been received by the input mechanism for a first video pachinko game of chance in a first pachinko game sequence and prior to the completion of presenting the game outcome for the first pachinko game of chance the gaming machine is operable;

i) to receive a second input of a second wager for a second video pachinko game of chance in a second game pachinko game sequence and

ii) to begin generating the second pachinko game sequence.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said first pachinko game sequence is initiated on the gaming machine and a third pachinko game sequence is initiated on a second gaming machine wherein the second gaming machine and the gaming machine are operable to share trajectory information allowing a combined pachinko game outcome presentation to be generated including an object trajectory from said first pachinko game sequence and an object trajectory from said third pachinko game sequence on at least the video display.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein a game event in said first pachinko game sequence, a game event in said second pachinko game sequence, and combinations thereof trigger a bonus game.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game outcome presentations from the first pachinko game sequence initiated on the gaming machine and a third pachinko game sequence initiated on a second gaming machine are combined into a single pachinko game outcome presentation including an object trajectory from said first pachinko game sequence and an object trajectory from said third pachinko game sequence and are presented on a shared display screen viewable from the gaming machine and the second gaming machine.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said game outcome presentations, each game outcome presentation including an object trajectory, in said pachinko game sequences generated on the gaming machine are displayed on a display screen of a second gaming machine.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a third pachinko game outcome presentation from a third pachinko game sequence generated on a second gaming machine and the pachinko game outcome presentation from the first pachinko game sequence generated on the gaming machine are combined into a combined game outcome presentation to show an object trajectory from the third pachinko game sequence and an object trajectory from the first pachinko game sequence and the combined game outcome presentation is simultaneously displayed on the display screen of the first gaming machine and the display screen of the second gaming machine.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller provides instructions for simultaneously displaying two or more previous pachinko game sequences for which the outcomes were previously determined.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising a pay table stored on a memory device, wherein the master gaming controller uses the pay table to determine the outcome of the pachinko games of chance.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game outcome of each pachinko game of chance is not related to the pachinko game outcome of any other pachinko game of chance.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game outcome of the pachinko game of chance is related to a wager amount made on the pachinko game of chance.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game outcome of said second pachinko game of chance in said second pachinko game sequence is generated using a first wager amount on said first pachinko game of chance in said first pachinko game sequence and a second wager amount on the second pachinko game of chance in the second pachinko game sequence.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game outcome of said first pachinko game of chance is affected by how many pachinko game sequences are played in parallel.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said first pachinko game outcome presentation is related to a number of pachinko game outcome presentations presented simultaneously with the first pachinko game outcome presentation.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller provides instructions for displaying a bonus game and wherein a bonus game outcome presentation for the pachinko games of chance is related to a wager amount made on the pachinko games of chance.

15. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a bonus game outcome presentation for said first pachinko game of chance is related to how many pachinko game outcome presentations are presented simultaneously with the first pachinko game outcome presentation.

16. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the display screen is selected from the group consisting of a video display screen, a video touch screen and LCD screen.

17. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising one or more input mechanisms for initiating the pachinko games of chance, inputting a wager on the pachinko games of chance and combinations thereof.

18. The gaming machine of claim 17, wherein the one or more input mechanisms is for altering the pachinko games outcome presentation on the display screen.

19. The gaming machine of claim 17, wherein the one or more input mechanisms are selected from the group consisting of a video touch screen and input buttons.

20. The gaming machine of claim 17, wherein the one or more input mechanism is for selecting a game presentation mode.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the game presentation mode is selected from the group consisting of a pachinko ball speed, a pachinko ball size, a pachinko ball elasticity, a pachinko game background pattern and a pachinko game layout.

22. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein a first game presentation mode for said first pachinko game of chance is different from a second game presentation mode of said second pachinko game of chance.

23. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a first pachinko game outcome is determined by the master gaming controller from a first pay table and a second pachinko game outcome is determined by the master gaming controller from a second pay table.

24. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game outcome presentations includes a presentation of a bonus game.

25. The gaming machine of claim 24, wherein the bonus game presentation is related to an award including a progressive award.

26. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a first pachinko game ball in said first pachinko game outcome presentation and a second pachinko game ball in said second pachinko game outcome presentation appear to interact on the display screen.

27. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a pachinko game ball is selected from a pachinko ball reservoir on the video display.

28. The gaming machine of claim 27, wherein the pachinko game balls are color coded to represent different wager amounts.

30. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the outcomes of the pachinko games of chance are determined using a random number generator.

29. A method of generating video pachinko games of chance on a gaming machine, having a video display and an input mechanism the method comprising:

receiving on the input mechanism a first input specifying a first wager amount for a first pachinko game of chance played in a first pachinko game sequence;

generating a first input signal for indicating that the first wager has been made and indicating said first wager amount;

determining a game outcome for the first pachinko game of chance;

generating a game outcome presentation for the first pachinko game of chance;

displaying the game outcome presentation and the determined game outcome for the first pachinko game of chance on the video display;

after receiving the first input and prior to the completion of displaying the determined game outcome for the first pachinko game of chance, receiving on the input mechanism a second input specifying a second wager for a second pachinko game of chance played in a second pachinko game sequence;

generating a second input signal for indicating that the second wager has been made and for indicating a second wager amount;

determining a game outcome for the second pachinko game of chance;

generating a game outcome presentation for the second pachinko game of chance; and

displaying the game outcome presentation and the determined game outcome for the second pachinko game of chance on the video display.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the first wager amount is different from the second wager amount.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the game outcome of said first pachinko game of chance is determined from a first pay table and the game outcome of said second video pachinko game of chance is determined from a second pay table.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first pay table and the second pay table are the same.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising presenting a bonus game in one of the video pachinko games of chance.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the bonus game is selected from the group consisting of a pachinko game, a slot game, a keno game, and a poker game.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising receiving an input signal to start the bonus game, determining a bonus game outcome and presenting the bonus game outcome.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising

after receiving the second input and prior to the completion of displaying the presentation of the pachinko game outcome in the first pachinko game of chance or prior to the completion of displaying the pachinko game outcome in the second pachinko game of chance, receiving on the input mechanism a third input specifying a third wager for a third pachinko game of chance played in a third pachinko game sequence;

generating a third input signal indicating that the third wager has been received and indicating the third wager amount;

determining a game outcome for the third pachinko game of chance;

generating a game outcome presentation for the third pachinko game of chance; and

displaying the game outcome presentation and the determined game outcome for the third pachinko game of chance on the video display.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein at least the first game outcome presentation and the second game outcome presentation are simultaneously displayed.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the first game outcome presentation and the second game outcome presentation appear to interact.

40. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving a presentation mode signal prior to presenting the game outcome for the pachinko game of chance.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the presentation mode signal carries information about a pachinko ball speed, a pachinko ball size, a pachinko ball elasticity, a pachinko game background pattern and a pachinko game layout.

42. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining a game presentation mode for said first video pachinko game of chance prior to presenting the game outcome for said first video pachinko game of chance and determining a game presentation mode for said second video pachinko game of chance prior to presenting the game outcome for said second video pachinko game of chance.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the game presentation mode is selected from the group consisting of a pachinko ball speed, a pachinko ball size, a pachinko ball elasticity.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the game presentation mode for said first video pachinko game of chance is different from the game presentation mode for said second video pachinko game of chance.

45. The method of claim 29, further comprising summing the first wager amount made in said first video pachinko game of chance to the second wager amount made in said second video pachinko game of chance prior to determining the game outcome for said second video pachinko game of chance and determining the game outcome for said second video pachinko game of chance using the sum of said first wager amount and said second wager amount.

46. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining when to present a bonus game based on amount wagered on one of the video pachinko games of chance.

47. The method of claim 29, further comprising after a new wager is received for a new video pachinko game of chance and when the new video pachinko game of chance is initiated, determining a total number of video pachinko games of chance that are being concurrently generated with the new video pachinko game of chance and using the total number of video pachinko games of chances being concurrently generated in calculating the game outcome for the new pachinko game of chance.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising determining when to present a bonus game using the total number of video pachinko games of chances being concurrently generated.

49. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving an input signal from an input mechanism prior to presenting a game outcome for at least one of said video pachinko games of chance wherein the input signal includes information for specifying a parameter that affects the appearance of the game outcome presentation and generating the game outcome presentation for the one video pachinko game of chance using information from the input signal.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the input mechanism is an input button or a touch screen.

51. The method of claim 29, further comprising selecting a particular pachinko ball from a ball reservoir displayed on the display screen prior to receiving an input signal to start at least one of the video pachinko games of chance wherein the selected pachinko ball is used in the pachinko game outcome presentation for the video pachinko game of chance.

52. The method of claim 29, further comprising selecting a trajectory from a trajectory database for generating a game outcome for the video pachinko games of chance.

53. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving an input signal to initiate one of the pachinko games of chance.

54. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

calculating the game outcome for each the pachinko games of chance using a random number generator.

55. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving an input signal to launch a pachinko ball in one of the pachinko games of chance.

56. A gaming machine comprising:

a video display for displaying a pachinko game of chance;

a master gaming controller designed or configured to determine an outcome of at least two pachinko games of chance and provide instructions for presenting the outcome on the video display;

wherein the master gaming controller is operable to allow a plurality of corresponding pachinko game sequences to be generated in parallel, each pachinko game sequence comprising;

1) receiving a wager for the pachinko game of chance wherein for each wager an input signal indicating that the wager has been made and indicating an amount of the wager is generated,

2) determining the game outcome for the pachinko game of chance and

3) presenting the game outcome for the pachinko game of chance on the video display

at least one input mechanism for receiving an input used by a player to make the wager and for each wager generating the input signal indicating that the wager has been made and indicating the amount of the wager;

wherein after a first input of a first wager has been received by the input mechanism for a first video pachinko game of chance in a first pachinko game sequence and prior to the completion of presenting the game outcome for the first pachinko game of chance the gaming machine is operable;

i) to receiver a second input of a second wager for a second video pachinko game of chance in a second game pachinko game sequence and

ii) to begin generating the second pachinko game sequence wherein the first pachinko game sequence is initiated on the gaming machine and a third pachinko game sequence is initiated on a second gaming machine wherein the second gaming machine and the gaming machine are operable to share trajectory information allowing a combined pachinko game outcome presentation to be generated including an object trajectory from said first pachinko game sequence and an object trajectory from said third pachinko game sequence and the gaming machine is operable to display the combined pachinko game outcome presentation.

57. A gaming machine comprising:

a video display for displaying a pachinko game of chance;

a master gaming controller designed or configured to determine an outcome of at least two pachinko games of chance and provide instructions for presenting the outcome on the video display;

wherein the master gaming controller is operable to allow a plurality of corresponding pachinko game sequences to be generated in parallel, each pachinko game sequence comprising;

1) receiving a wager for the pachinko game of chance wherein for each wager an input signal indicating that the wager has been made and indicating an amount of the wager is generated,

2) determining the game outcome for the pachinko game of chance and

3) presenting the game outcome for the pachinko game of chance on the video display

at least one input mechanism for receiving an input used by a player to make the wager and for each wager generating the input signal indicating that the wager has been made and indicating the amount of the wager;

wherein after a first input of a first wager has been received by the input mechanism for a first video pachinko game of chance in a first pachinko game sequence and prior to the completion of presenting the game outcome for the first pachinko game of chance the gaming machine is operable;

i) to receive a second input of a second wager for a second video pachinko game of chance in a second game pachinko game sequence and

ii) to begin generating the second pachinko game sequence wherein one or more game outcome presentations, each game outcome presentation including an object trajectory, in the plurality of pachinko game sequences generated on the gaming machine are displayed on a display screen of a second gaming machine.