Gaming machine

• US 7,690,998 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FigureFun LLC (Endpoint IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S.
• Application Number:
  US11/284,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/25, 463/26, 463/29, 463/31, 463/32, 463/43, 463/44
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A gaming machine includes: an information reading unit that reads object information from a reading object provided with a storage medium in which the object information is stored, the reading object being mountable on the gaming machine; a game processing unit that performs game processing to provide to a player a game in a plurality of game states including a base game state and a bonus game state in which a grater advantage is provided to the player than in the base game state; and a display unit that displays an effect related to the game, wherein the game processing unit controls a frequency of occurrence of the effect to be displayed on the display unit during the game based on the object information read from the reading object by the information reading unit.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

an information reading unit that reads object information from a reading object provided with a storage medium in which the object information is stored, the reading object being mountable on the gaming machine;

a game processing unit that performs game processing to provide to a player a game in a plurality of game states including a base game state and a bonus game state in which a greater advantage is provided to the player than in the base game state; and

a display unit that displays an effect related to the game, wherein

the game processing unit controls a frequency of occurrence of the effect to be displayed on the display unit during the game based on the object information read from the reading object by the information reading unit,

the game processing unit determines an advantage provided to the player in the bonus game state, based on the object information read from the reading object by the information reading unit,

the reading object is a three-dimensional figure, and

the figure is configured to be capable of attaching thereto a subsidiary figure having a subsidiary storage medium in which a subsidiary object information is stored, wherein the information reading unit reads the object information stored in the storage medium of the figure and reads the subsidiary object information stored in the subsidiary storage medium of the subsidiary figure, and wherein the game processing unit determines the advantage provided to the player in the bonus game state, based on the identification information and the subsidiary object information.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the object information includes identification information that indicates kind of the reading object, and wherein the game processing unit controls the frequency of occurrence of the effect based on the identification information.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the object information includes history information that indicates a history of usage of the reading object, and wherein the game processing unit controls the frequency of occurrence of the effect based on the history information.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 3, wherein the history information indicates a number of times the reading object is used for playing the game.

5. The gaming machine according to claim 1 wherein the game processing unit controls the frequency of occurrence of the effect in the base game state and controls the frequency of occurrence of the effect in the bonus game state.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the information reading unit reads the object information from the reading object without contacting the reading object.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the information reading unit writes an updated object information into the storage medium provided in the reading object.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 7, wherein the information reading unit writes the updated object information into the storage medium without contacting the reading object.

9. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the display unit variably displays a plurality of symbols arranged on a plurality of reels.

10. The gaming machine according to claim 9, wherein the display unit is provided with a plurality of mechanical reels as the plurality of reels.

11. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a plurality of options related to the game, wherein the gaming machine further comprises a selection unit that allows the player to select one of the plurality of options displayed on the display unit, and wherein the game processing unit determines the plurality of options to be displayed on the display unit during the game is performed in the bonus gaming state, based on the object information read from the reading object by the information reading unit.

12. The gaming machine according to claim 11, wherein the object information includes identification information that indicates kind of the reading object, and wherein the game processing unit determines the plurality of options to be displayed on the display unit based on the identification information.

13. The gaming machine according to claim 12, wherein the game processing unit determines the plurality of options to be displayed on the display unit, the plurality of options having a close relationship to the identification information.

14. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the game processing unit controls the display unit to display the effect corresponding to the reading object mounted on the gaming machine, based on the object information read from the reading object by the information reading unit.

15. The gaming machine according to claim 14, wherein the object information includes identification information that indicates kind of the reading object, and wherein the game processing unit controls the display unit to display the effect based on the identification information.

16. The gaming machine according to claim 15, wherein the game processing unit controls the display unit to display the effect that is related to an appearance of the reading object.

17. The gaming machine according to claim 14, wherein the object information includes history information that indicates a history of usage of the reading object, and wherein the game processing unit controls the display unit to display the effect based on the history information.

18. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the object information includes identification information that indicates kind of the reading object, and wherein the game processing unit determines the advantage provided to the player in the bonus game state, based on the identification information.