Gaming machine and backlit reel device thereof

• US 9,865,120 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technological Group Limited, Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Gaming America Incorporated (Aruze Gaming America, Inc. /Okada/), Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Tanimura, Tatsuhiko, Kukita, Noritoshi, Ike, Hiroatsu, Sasaki, Yoshitomo
• Primary Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US14/720,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• 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 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• 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 includes: a reel having an outer circumferential surface on which symbols are lined up; a reel driving mechanism which rotates the reel to rearrange the symbols; a magnet which is provided in the reel driving mechanism to change an external magnetic field in accordance with the rotation of the reel; a magnetic force detecting mechanism which detects a magnetic force of the external magnetic field so as to output a magnetic force detection signal; a reel setting unit by which the magnetic force detection signal and arrangement positions of the symbols are associated with one another; and a reel drive control unit which controls the reel driving mechanism so that the symbols are rearranged in a predetermined arrangement based on the magnetic force detection signal and the arrangement positions of the symbols.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a reel having a reel band which is arranged to be able to transmit illumination light and on which symbols are lined up;

a reel driving mechanism which rearranges the symbols by rotating the reel;

a backlight apparatus which emits illumination light from the inner circumference side of the reel toward the reel band to allow the illumination light having passed through the reel band to be visible from the outside of the gaming machine; and

a controller which controls emission states of the illumination light emitted from the backlight apparatus,

the backlight apparatus including a plurality of backlight source units which are lined up in a longitudinal direction of the reel band and a supporting member which detachably supports each of the plurality of backlight source units,

each of the plurality of backlight source units including;

a backlight substrate having a plurality of illumination light sources which are in parallel to a width direction and the longitudinal direction of the reel band and are able to change an amount of the illumination light stepwise, and a backlight substrate case supporting the backlight substrate;

wherein the supporting member supports the backlight substrate case of each of the plurality of backlight source units individually in a detachable manner, and

the controller being able to individually control the plurality of illumination light sources of each of the plurality of backlight source units.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein, the controller is able to individually control each of the plurality of illumination light sources so that the emission states of the illumination light correspond to at least one of rotating the reel and stopping the reel.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein, the controller controls the plurality of illumination light sources so that the amount of illumination light is increased or decreased stepwise from the inside to the outside of the reel band in the width direction and the longitudinal direction.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein, the controller controls the emission states of the plurality of illumination light sources in accordance with a rotational direction of the reel.

5. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein, the controller controls the plurality of illumination light sources so that a direction of increase or decrease in the amount of the illumination light is changed in accordance with the rotational direction of the reel.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein, the controller controls the plurality of illumination light sources so that a speed of increase or decrease in the amount of the illumination light is changed in accordance with a rotation speed of the reel.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein, the controller controls the emission states of the plurality of illumination light sources in accordance with a combination of the rearranged symbols.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein, each of the emission states of the plurality of illumination light sources is at least one of the amount of the illumination light, color of the illumination light, emission intervals of the illumination light, and emission timings of the illumination light.

9. A reel device comprising:

a reel having a reel band which is arranged to be able to transmit illumination light and on which symbols are lined up;

a reel driving mechanism which rearranges the symbols by rotating the reel;

a backlight apparatus which emits illumination light from the inner circumference side of the reel toward the reel band to allow the illumination light having passed through the reel band to be visible from the outside of the reel device; and

a controller which controls emission states of the illumination light emitted from the backlight apparatus,

the backlight apparatus including a plurality of backlight source units which are lined up in a longitudinal direction of the reel band and a supporting member which detachably supports each of the plurality of backlight source units,

each of the plurality of backlight source units including a backlight substrate having a plurality of illumination light sources which are in parallel to a width direction and the longitudinal direction of the reel band and is able to change an amount of the illumination light stepwise, and a backlight substrate case supporting the backlight substrate;

wherein the supporting member supports the backlight substrate case of each of the plurality of backlight source units individually in a detachable manner, and

the controller being able to individually control the plurality of illumination light sources.

10. The gaming machine according to claim 9, wherein, the controller controls the emission states of the plurality of illumination light sources in accordance with a rotational direction of the reel.

11. The gaming machine according to claim 9, wherein, the controller controls the plurality of illumination light sources so that a direction of increase or decrease in the amount of the illumination light is changed in accordance with a rotational direction of the reel.