Slot machine and control method of game

• US 8,083,579 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Suho, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/734,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463/42, 2731381-1382, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A slot machine of the present invention comprises: a mechanical reel device provided with a plurality of reels each having a plurality of symbols drawn on its peripheral face; an image display device which is provided at a front of the mechanical reel device and is capable of changing the state of the backside thereof from visible to invisible by displaying an image; and a controller, the controller programmed to execute the processing of: (A) executing a game in which the plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to the mechanical reel device after game media are BET in number equal to or less than a previously set maximum number of BETs, and game media are paid out in number according to the plurality of symbols stop-displayed or a combination thereof; (B) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted; (C) counting the number of games played after shifting to the insurance mode, in the insurance mode; (D) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in the processing (C) reaches a specific number; and (E) displaying a specific effect image at a position in front of the reels in the image display device during a period when game media are being paid out in the processing (D).

Claims

1. A slot machine comprising:

a mechanical reel device provided with a plurality of reels each having a plurality of symbols drawn on a peripheral face;

an image display device provided at a front of the mechanical reel device, the image display device capable of changing a state of a backside thereof from invisible to visible by controlling display of an image;

an effect image display device; and

a controller,

said controller programmed to execute the processing of

(A) executing a game in which said plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed on the peripheral face of said mechanical reel device after game media are bet in a number equal to or less than a previously set maximum bet,

(B) determining a number of payouts of game media based on said plurality of symbols stop-displayed or a combination of said plurality of symbols stop-displayed in said processing (A),

(C) paying out said number of payouts of game media determined in said processing (B),

(D) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on a condition that a predetermined number of game media are inserted,

(E) counting a number of games played after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode,

(F) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches a specific number,

(G) displaying a specific effect image at a position in front of said plurality of reels on said image display device during a period when game media are being paid out in said processing (F) based on when the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches the specific number,

(H) displaying an image indicating an amount of game medium paid out in said processing (F) on said effect image display device when the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches the specific number, and

(I) paying out game media based on a plurality of stop-displayed symbols or a combination of the plurality of stop-displayed symbols after payout of game media in said processing (F), after displaying the specific effect image in said processing (G), and after displaying the image indicating the amount of game medium paid out in said processing (F) on the effect image display device in said processing (H), when the number of payouts of game media is not 0 based on the plurality of symbols stop-displayed in a game in which the number of games counted in said processing (E) has reached the specific number.

2. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein

said controller is programmed to further execute the processing of

(J) changing a state of said image display device to a state where said plurality of reels are visible after the display of said specific effect image in said processing (G) is finished.

4. The slot machine according to any of claims 1, 2, or 3, wherein

said processing (E) includes counting a number of games in which game media are bet in number equal to said maximum bet after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode.

6. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein

said controller is programmed to further execute the processing of

(J) displaying an image on said effect image display device indicating a number of games remaining before the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches the specific number, in said insurance mode.

3. A slot machine comprising:

an image display device;

an effect image display device;

a controller,

said controller programmed to execute the processing of

(A) executing a game in which a plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed on said image display device after game media are bet in a number equal to or less than a previously set maximum bet,

(B) determining a number of payouts of game media based on said plurality of symbols stop-displayed or a combination of said plurality of symbols stop-displayed in said processing (A),

(C) paying out said number of payouts of game media determined in said processing (B),

(D) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on a condition that a predetermined number of game media are inserted,

(E) counting a number of games played after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode,

(F) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches a specific number,

(G) displaying a specific effect image in place of said plurality of symbols displayed on said image display device during a period when game media are being paid out in said processing (F) based on when the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches the specific number,

(H) displaying an image indicating an amount of game medium paid out in said processing (F) on said effect image display device when the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches the specific number, and

(I) paying out game media based on a plurality of stop-displayed symbols or a combination of the plurality of stop-displayed symbols after payout of game media in said processing (F), after displaying the specific effect image in said processing (G), and after displaying the image indicating the amount of game medium paid out in said processing (F) on the effect image display device in said processing (H), when the number of payouts of game media is not 0 based on the plurality of symbols stop-displayed in a game in which the number of games counted in said processing (E) has reached the specific number.

7. The slot machine according to claim 3, wherein

said controller is programmed to further execute the processing of

(J) displaying an image on said effect image display device indicating a number of games remaining before the number of games counted in said processing (E) reaches the specific number, in said insurance mode.

5. A game control method executed by a processor of a slot machine, comprising the steps of:

(A) executing, by the processor, a game in which a plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed on a peripheral face of a mechanical reel device after game media are bet in a number equal to or less than a previously set maximum bet,

(B) determining a number of payouts of game media based on said plurality of symbols stop-displayed or a combination of said plurality of symbols stop-displayed in said step (A),

(C) paying out said number of payouts of game media determined in said step (B),

(D) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on a condition that a predetermined number of game media are inserted,

(E) counting a number of games played after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode,

(F) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in said step (E) reaches a specific number,

(G) displaying a specific effect image at a position in front of said mechanical reel device on an image display device during a period when game media are being paid out in said step (F) based on when the number of games counted in said step (E) reaches the specific number,

(H) displaying an image indicating an amount of game medium paid out in said step (F) on an effect image display device when the number of games counted in said step (E) reaches the specific number, and

(I) paying out game media based on a plurality of stop-displayed symbols or a combination of the plurality of stop-displayed symbols after payout of game media in said step (F), after displaying the specific effect image in said step (G), and after displaying the image indicating the amount of game medium paid out in said step (F) on the effect image display device in said step (H), when the number of payouts of game media is not 0 based on the plurality of symbols stop-displayed in a game in which the number of games counted in said step (E) has reached the specific number.

8. The game control method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(J) displaying an image on said effect image display device indicating a number of games remaining before the number of games counted in said step (E) reaches the specific number, in said insurance mode.