Reel game requiring skill to win

• US 7,179,166 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas S. Abbott
• Original Assignee: Thomas S. Abbott
• Inventors: Abbott, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/663,661
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/23, 463 20- 22, 273/237, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A reel based game that requires skill, fast reflexes, good memory, and strategy to play well. In the preferred embodiment, a video screen is used to electronically display the apparent rotation of several reels. A player presses a stop button to stop the rotation of the reels. If a player can stop a symbol on the reel in a required location on the screen, then the player is rewarded according to a pre-determined table of rewards. In an electronic version of the game, there can be a bonus symbol that allows a player to enter a bonus round where rewards are higher. A player can use concentration and memory to increase the likelihood of successfully stopping desired symbols in the appropriate location by recognizing what symbols appear in what order on the reels. In an electronic version of the game, the symbols will be periodically shuffled on the reel to renew the challenge for a player. The reels rotate at a speed that allows a player with concentration and skill developed by practice to be successful on a consistent basis in stopping a desired symbol in the winning location.

Claims

1. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well comprising:

(a) a plurality of reels;

(b) a plurality of pre-determined fixed symbols, with said symbols randomly distributed on each of said reels;

(c) means for displaying a portion of said reels to a player so that for each of said reels at least two full symbols of said symbols on each of said reels are simultaneously displayed;

(d) means for rotating each of said reels;

(e) for each reel of said plurality of reels, a player controlled means for stopping said means for rotating;

(f) for said player controlled means for stopping, means for timing said player controlled means for stopping whereby when said player controlled means for stopping is used, said means for displaying at least two full symbols displays at least one of said two full symbols that were displayed when said player controlled means for stopping was used;

(g) a pre-determined location within said portion of said reels that is displayed to said player;

(h) means for determining if a symbol of said two full symbols of said plurality of fixed symbols on each of said reels is stopped within said pre-determined location;

(i) a results table to determine the outcome of the play of said game based on whether said player has timed the operation of said stops whereby at least one of said pre-determined fixed symbols is stopped within one of said pre-determined locations;

whereby said player plays said rotating reel based game by initiating means for rotating each of said reels then using said player controlled means for stopping for each of said reels to attempt to stop said symbol of said two full symbols within said pre-determined location according to said results table to maximize the results for said player.

2. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating each of said reels rotates said reels at a rotational speed so that means for timing operates so that said player has a time interval at least one-tenth of a second to use said player controlled means for stopping to stop the rotation of the reels whereby the player may control if a symbol of said two full simultaneously displayed symbols of said plurality of said fixed symbols is stopped within said pre-determined location.

3. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 2 wherein a bonus window randomly displays one of said plurality of pre-determined fixed symbols, said display occurring prior to initiating said means for rotating each of said reels, and said results table to increase results based on whether said player has timed the operation of said player controlled stops whereby a symbol of said two full symbols is stopped within one of said pre-determined locations for said plurality of reels by said player that matches said symbol displayed in said bonus window whereby said player uses said player controlled means for stopping to attempt to stop in said pre-determined location symbols matching said symbol displayed in said bonus window to obtain increased results thereby.

4. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 3 wherein the same total number of said plurality of pre-determined fixed symbols are randomly distributed on each of said plurality of fixed reels.

5. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 4 wherein said plurality of pre-determined fixed symbols is a fixed amount and a fixed multiple number of said fixed amount of symbols is randomly distributed on each of said reels whereby for each individual symbol each reel will have that said multiple number of said individual symbol displayed on said reel so that no symbol appears more or less frequently than any other symbol on said reel whereby said player can use concentration and memory to anticipate the order of symbols on said reels maximizing player'"'"'s opportunity to activate said means for stopping within said time interval according to said results table.

6. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 5 further comprising a timer so that when game is started by initiating said means for rotation of said reels to begin game that said player has a fixed amount of time to operate said player controlled means for stopping for each of said reels.

7. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 6 wherein said symbols are constrained to stop outside of said pre-determined location at expiration of said fixed amount of time unless player has used said player controlled means for stopping within said fixed amount of time determined by said timer to stop said reel whereby a player must use said player controlled means for stopping within said fixed amount of time to stop at least one of said pre-determined fixed symbols within said pre-determined location to obtain favorable results from said result table thereby requiring skill from a player to be successful in play of said game.

8. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 7 wherein if a player is successful in stopping a pre-determined number of said two full symbols of said symbols displayed in said bonus window in said pre-determined location, then player is awarded by a special bonus table.

9. A rotating reel based game apparatus requiring patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 8 further comprising a game counter to record how many games have been played.

10. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well comprising:

(a) means for displaying to a player on a video screen a plurality of reels;

(b) means to make said means for displaying said plurality of reels to appear to rotate said reels by successively projecting on said video screen images of a reel at differing locations on said video screen;

(c) means for displaying on each of said reels a plurality of full symbols, said plurality of full symbols simultaneously displayed;

(d) for each of said plurality of reels, player controlled means to stop said apparent rotation of said reels;

(e) means for timing said player controlled means to stop whereby when said player controlled means to stop is used said means for displaying a plurality of full symbols displays at least one of said plurality of full symbols that was displayed when said player controlled means to stop was used;

(f) means for determining whether player has used said means to stop so that at least one of said plurality of full symbols is stopped within a predetermined location on said video screen;

(g) means for determining results of said play of game based on whether said player used said means to stop whereby at least one of said plurality of full symbols is stopped within one of said predetermined locations.

11. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 10 wherein said means for timing said player controlled means to stop allows a player at least one-tenth of a second to use said means to stop at least one of said plurality of simultaneously displayed full symbols within said pre-determined location on said video screen.

12. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 11 further comprising a means for displaying a bonus symbol to a player, said bonus symbol one of said plurality of full symbols, with said bonus symbol display occurring randomly prior to activating said means for displaying to a player on a video screen a plurality of reels, and said means for determining results of said play providing increased results based on whether a symbol of said plurality of full symbols matching said bonus symbol is stopped within one of said pre-determined locations by said player.

13. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 12 wherein each of said plurality of said reels has the same total number of said plurality of pre-determined fixed symbols.

14. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 13 wherein said plurality of pre-determined fixed symbols is a fixed amount, and a fixed multiple number of said fixed amount of pre-determined fixed symbols is randomly distributed on each of said reels, whereby each reel will have for each individual symbol that fixed multiple number of said individual symbols displayed on said reel whereby no symbol appears more or less frequently than any other symbol on said reel.

15. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 14 which further comprises a timer so that when said means for displaying a plurality of reels begins to operate, said player has a fixed amount of time to operate said means to stop.

16. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 15 wherein said fixed symbols are constrained to stop outside of said pre-determined location at expiration of said fixed amount of time unless player has used said means to stop within said fixed amount of time determined by said timer to stop said reel.

17. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 16 that further comprises means for shuffling said random distribution of said symbols on each of said reels, said means for shuffling constrained to operate only between games and not during play of a game.

18. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 17 wherein said means for shuffling is constrained so that no more than two of any same symbol will be in succession on a reel but where said symbols are otherwise randomly distributed on each of said reels.

19. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 18 wherein said means for shuffling is constrained to operate after a pre-determined number of games has been played.

20. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 19 wherein a said fixed amount of time determined by said timer expires without a player using means to stop said reels, then said means for shuffling is activated for each of said reels but said symbol displayed in said bonus symbol remains the same until player uses said means to stop said apparent rotation of said reel.

21. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 20 wherein if a player is successful in using said means to stop a symbol of said plurality of full symbols matching said bonus symbol in said pre-determined location, then player is awarded by a special bonus table.

22. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 21 further comprising a game counter to record how many games have been played.

23. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 20 wherein if a player is successful using said means to stop symbol of said plurality of full symbols matching said bonus symbols are stopped in said pre-determined location, then player enters a bonus round, said bonus round comprising a bonus round display on said video screen, said bonus round display further comprising a plurality of flashing symbols, each of said flashing symbols containing a number, each of said numbers different in each of said flashing symbols and wherein there is a second means to stop that is used to stop said flashing of said symbols whereby a player receives a reward multiplied by said number appearing in said flashing symbol stopped by said player using said second means to stop.

24. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 23 wherein said second means to stop allows a player at least one-tenth of a second to signal a stop of said flashing bonus symbols.

25. An electronic video based apparatus for simulating a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 24 wherein said means to stop allows a player at least two-tenths of a second to stop at least one symbol of said plurality of full symbols within said pre-determined location on said video screen.

26. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of reels;

(b) providing a means to make said reels appear to rotate;

(c) providing a means for displaying on each of said reels a plurality of full predetermined fixed symbols, said plurality of full symbols simultaneously displayed;

(d) providing a means for a player to stop said apparent rotation of said reels;

(e) providing a means for timing said means for a player to stop so that when said means for a player to stop is used, said means to make said reels rotate is stopped while one of said plurality of full predetermined fixed symbols, displayed when means to stop was used, is still displayed;

(f) providing a means for determining if a player has used said means to stop so that at least one of said plurality of full symbols of said predetermined fixed symbols is stopped within a predetermined location on said means for displaying;

(g) providing a means for determining results of said play of said game based on whether said player has used means to stop whereby at least one of said plurality of full symbols of said predetermined fixed symbols is stopped within one of said predetermined locations.

27. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 26 further comprising providing said means for timing gives at least one-tenth of a second for a player to use said means to stop at least one of said plurality of full symbols of said pre-determined fixed symbols within one of said pre-determined locations.

28. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 27 further comprising providing a means for displaying a bonus symbol to a player, said bonus symbol one of said plurality of said pre-determined fixed symbols with said bonus symbol display occurring randomly prior to activating said means for displaying to a player a plurality of reels and said means for determining results of said play providing increased results based on whether a symbol of said plurality of full symbols matching said bonus symbol is stopped within one of said pre-determined locations by said player, each of said reels of said plurality of reels is provided with the same total number of said plurality of pre-determined fixed symbols.

29. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 28 wherein each of said reels is provided with a fixed multiple number of a fixed amount of said pre-determined fixed symbols whereby each of said reels will be provided with the same fixed multiple number of said individual symbols displayed on said reel so that no symbol appears more or less frequently than any other symbol on said reel.

30. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 29 which further comprises providing a timer so that said player has a fixed amount of time to operate said means to stop.

31. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 30 further providing a means for shuffling said random distribution of said symbols on said reel, said means for shuffling constrained to operate only between games and not during play of a game.

32. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 31 further comprising providing a special bonus table wherein if a player is successful in using said means to stop a pre-determined number of said fixed symbols of said plurality of full symbols visually perceived by a player matching said bonus symbol in said pre-determined locations then player is awarded by said bonus table.

33. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 32 of providing a bonus round conditioned upon a player successfully using said means to stop a pre-determined number of fixed symbols matching said bonus symbols in said pre-determined location, said bonus round further comprising providing a bonus display, said bonus round display comprising a plurality of flashing symbols, each of said flashing symbols containing a number, each of said numbers different in each of said flashing symbols and a second means to stop is used to stop flashing of said symbols whereby a player receives a reward multiplied by said number appearing in said flashing symbols stopped by said player using said second means to stop.

34. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 33 wherein a player is provided at least one-tenth of a second to use said second means to stop said flashing bonus symbols.

35. A method for playing a rotating reel game that requires patience, skill, knowledge, and concentration to play well of claim 34 wherein a player is provided at least two-tenths of a second to use said means to stop at least one of said pre-determined fixed symbols of said plurality of full symbols visually perceived by a player within said pre-determined location.