Gaming machine with fixed pointer that points to winning symbol on rotating wheel

• US 9,672,684 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interblock DOO
• Original Assignee: Aruze Gaming America Incorporated (Aruze Gaming America, Inc. /Okada/), Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Munakata, Hiroki, Kido, Katsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US14/875,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 273142 R, 463 17, 463 21
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/00 Roulette games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/007 Details about the compartments or sectors, e.g. sectors having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/0094 with a plurality of roulette wheels A63F5/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/045 using a rotating wheel and a fixed indicator, e.g. fortune wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/046 with a horizontal wheel, i.e. wheel with a vertical rotation axle
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3297 Fairground games, e.g. Tivoli, coin pusher machines, cranes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming machine of the present invention stores a bet area on which a bet is placed and a game value placed as the bet in each gaming terminal, rotates and stops the wheel to determine a resulting symbol from the plurality of symbols, awards a payout based on the resulting symbol and the odds set for the bet area on which the bet is placed in the gaming terminal, and then adjusts the payout rate by changing the odds set for the bet areas in the gaming terminals.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a wheel which is capable of rotating, with symbols that are provided in respective visible areas on a surface of the wheel;

a pointer that is fixed relative to the wheel, wherein the pointer is arranged such that the symbols move past the pointer as the wheel rotates and the pointer points to one of the areas when the wheel stops rotating;

a motor that causes the wheel to rotate;

a plurality of betting units each configured to receive a bet in connection with the areas;

a rotation speed data storage with rotation speed data stored therein, which rotation speed data regulates the speed of rotation of the wheel;

an input device; and

a controller that is programmed to award payouts based on bets received at each of the plurality of betting units and in accordance with the symbol that is located in the area to which the pointer points when the wheel stops rotating, with the payouts, if any, all being determined based on the symbol that is located in the area to which the pointer points when the wheel stops rotating,

wherein the controller measures an operation period of the input device and causes the wheel to rotate at a rotation speed corresponding to the measured operation period, and controls the speed of rotation of the wheel, based on the rotation speed data stored in the rotation speed data storage, by controlling the motor.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is configured to permit a payout rate to be adjusted by changing the number of the symbols on the wheel.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying the areas,

wherein the controller is programmed to award the payout based on odds set for the area to which the pointer points when the wheel stops rotating and to switch a form of displaying the odds set for the various areas on the display.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the wheel is configured to permit a payout rate to be adjusted by increasing the number of symbols of one given type that are arranged in the areas and by decreasing the number of symbols of one or more other given types that are arranged in the areas.

5. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the controller activates operation of the input device if a predetermined condition is satisfied and causes the wheel to rotate based on operation of the activated input device.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the rotation speed data regulates the rotation speed such that the rotation speed is increased or decreased within a predetermined period of time, and

the controller controls the motor so as to increase or decrease the rotation speed of the wheel based on the rotation speed data stored in the rotation speed data storage.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 6, wherein the controller controls the motor so as to cause rotation of the wheel to rapidly decelerate and then subsequently gradually decelerate to a stop, based on the rotation speed data stored in the rotation speed data storage.