Video slot machine

• US 4,648,600 A
• Filed: 02/03/1976
• Issued: 03/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Manufacturing Corp. (Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.)
• Inventors: Olliges, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lastova, MaryAnn Stoll
• Application Number:
  US05/654,916
• Time in Patent Office: 4,053 Days
• Field of Search: 273/1 E, 273/85 R, 273/138 A, 273/143 R, 273/143 A, 273/143 C, 273/DIG. 28, 178/6.8, 235/92 GA, 340/172.5, 340/323 R, 340/323 B, 340/324 R, 340/324 B, 340/112.5, 340/324 A, 340/324 AD
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

An electronic amusement device is provided in which a set of symbols is displayed on a cathode ray tube. A set of winning symbols is also displayed in response to selection by a player. Upon actuation of a lever arm by the player, the first-mentioned set of symbols is randomized and the resulting display is compared with the selected winning symbols. A reward output is provided in response to match of one or more of the randomized symbols with the selected winning symbols.

Claims

1. An electronic slot machine which comprises a cathode ray tube, means for displaying a plurality of symbols of each of a plurality of sets of symbols on said cathode ray tube, means for selecting at least one combination of winning symbols and producing winning symbols signals corresponding thereto, means for moving the displayed symbols of each set on said cathode ray tube along a respective predetermined path in simulation of the wheels of a mechanical slot machine, said respective paths being parallel to one another, means including randomizing means for stopping the motion of the displayed symbols with a random one of said displayed symbols of each set at a predetermined position along said paths, means for producing displayed symbol signals corresponding to the symbols displayed at said predetermined positions, comparison means for comparing said displayed symbol signals to said winning symbol signals to find matches between the symbols stopped at said predetermined position and respective ones of said selected at least one combination of winning symbols, and reward means responsive to said comparing means for providing a reward when said comparing means finds at least one symbol match.

2. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said means for moving the displayed symbols accelerates the symbols of the respective sets together substantially linearly from zero velocity to a predetermined terminal velocity, and said means for stopping the motion decelerates said symbols substantially linearly from said terminal velocity to zero, with the deceleration of each set beginning at a different randomly determined time.

3. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said reward means provides greater rewards for a greater number of matching symbols.

4. An electronic device according to claim 1 including means operable by said player for selecting a plurality of said predetermined positions.

5. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein all symbols stop at said predetermined position with equal probability.

6. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein all of said plurality of sets of symbols are alike.

7. An electronic device according to claim 1 including a lever arm pivotally coupled to a side of said electronic device for initiating the motion of said symbols.

8. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said symbols comprise letters of the alphabet.

9. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said means for displaying includes means for generating said symbols to follow one another in predetermined sequence.

10. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said selected symbols are digitally stored in shift register means.

11. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said means for selecting a winning symbol is operable by the player of said electronic device.

12. An electronic device according to claim 11 wherein said means for selecting a winning symbol includes a manually operable keyboard accessible to the player.

13. An electronic device according to claim 1 including means for displaying said selected winning symbols on said cathode ray tube.

14. An electronic device according to claim 13 wherein three of said sets of symbols are displayed, said paths are vertical, said stopped symbols are horizontally aligned at said predetermined position, and said winning symbols are displayed on said cathode ray tube in vertical alignment with respective sets of displayed signals and in horizontal alignment with each other.

15. An electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said means for moving provides a simulated rolling effect to the symbols displayed on said cathode ray tube.

16. An electronic device which comprises a cathode ray tube, means for displaying a plurality of symbols of each of first, second and third sets of symbols on said cathode ray tube, an enabling mechanism, means for selecting a respective winning symbol in respect to each of said sets, start means, means for substantially linearly accelerating the displayed symbols of each set on said cathode ray tube along respective predetermined vertical paths from zero to a predetermined constant velocity, first, second and third random delay means, means for substantially linearly decelerating the motion of the displayed symbols of each respective set to stop with one of said displayed symbols of the respective set stopped at a predetermined position along said paths, the stopped symbols being horizontally aligned, means for comparing the symbols stopped at said predetermined position with respective ones of said selected winning symbols, reward means responsive to said comparing means for providing a reward when said comparing means finds at least one symbol match, and state sequencing means including a nine-state counter having a starting state S0 and eight successive timing states S1 to S8 wherein said first, second and third random delay means are randomized in state S0 and wherein said means for selecting is enabled in state S0 by operation of said enabling mechanism, said state sequencing means being advanced to the first timing state S1 by operation of said means, said state sequencing means providing respective timing signals during states S1 to S8 to time the operation of respective ones of the above means in the sequence:

S1. enable said accelerating means until said sets of symbols attain said constant velocity,

S2. enable said first random delay means for the period of a first random delay,

S3. enable said means for decelerating said first set of symbols until said first set stops moving,

S4. enable said second random delay means for the period of a second random delay,

S5. enable said means for decelerating said second set of symbols until said second set stops moving,

S6. enable said third random delay means for the period of a third random delay,

S7. enable said means for decelerating said third set of symbols until said third set stops moving,

S8. enable said comparing means and said reward means until said reward is complete,

said state sequencing means being advanced to its next state by the respective enabled means upon completion of the respective function.

17. An electronic device which comprises a cathode ray tube, means for displaying a plurality of symbols of a set of symbols on said cathode ray tube, means for selecting a winning symbols, means for moving the displayed symbols on said cathode ray tube along a predetermined path, means including randomizing means for stopping the motion of the displayed symbols with a random one of said displayed symbols at a predetermined position along said path, means for comparing the symbol stopped at said predetermined position with said selected winning symbol, and reward means responsive to said comparing means for providing a reward when said comparing means finds the symbols to match, wherein said means for displaying includes an ASCII character generator, and means for decoding an ASCII null signal as an asterisk.

18. A symbol display for an electronic device which comprises a cathode ray tube, means for displaying a plurality of symbols of a set of symbols on said cathode ray tube, means for moving the displayed symbols on said cathode ray tube along a predetermined path, and means including randomizing means for stopping the motion of the displayed symbols with a random one of said displayed symbols at a predetermined position along said path, wherein said means for displaying includes an ASCII character generator, and means for decoding an ASCII null signal as an asterisk.

19. A symbol display for an electronic device which comprises a cathode ray tube, means for displaying a plurality of symbols of each of a plurality of sets of symbols on said cathode ray tube, means for moving the displayed symbols of each set on said cathode ray tube along a respective predetermined path, said respective paths being parallel to one another, and means including randomizing means for stopping the motion of the displayed symbols with a random one of said displayed symbols of each set at a predetermined position along said paths, wherein said means for displaying includes an ASCII character generator, and means for decoding an ASCII null signal as an asterisk.

20. An electronic slot machine which comprises a cathode ray tube, means for displaying a plurality of symbols of each of a plurality of sets of symbols on said cathode ray tube, means for selecting at least one combination of winning symbols and producing winning symbol signals corresponding thereto, means for moving the displayed symbols of each set on said cathode ray tube along a respective predetermined path in simulation of the wheels of a mechanical slot machine, said respective paths being parallel to one another, means including randomizing means for stopping the motion of the displayed symbols with a random one of said displayed symbols of each set at a predetermined position along said paths, means for producing displayed symbol signals corresponding to the symbols displayed at said predetermined position, comparison means for comparing said displayed symbol signals to said winning symbol signals to find matches between the symbols stopped at said predetermined position and respective ones of said selected at least one combination of winning symbols, and reward means responsive to said comparing means for providing a reward when said comparing means finds at least one symbol match, said means for displaying including an ASCII character generator.

21. An electronic device according to claim 20 including means for decoding an ASCII null signal as an asterisk.

22. An electronic slot machine which comprises a cathode ray tube, means for displaying a plurality of symbols of each of a plurality of sets of symbols on said cathode ray tube, means for selecting at least one combination of winning symbols and producing winning symbol signals corresponding thereto, means for moving the displayed symbols of each set on said cathode ray tube along a respective predetermined path in simulation of the wheels of a mechanical slot machine, said respective paths being parallel to one another, means including randomizing means for stopping the motion of the displayed symbols with random one of said displayed symbols of each set at a predetermined position along said paths, means for producing displayed symbol signals corresponding to the symbols displayed at said predetermined position, comparison means for comparing said displayed symbol signals to said winning symbol signals to find matches between the symbols stopped at said predetermined position and respective ones of said selected at least one combination of winning symbols, and reward means responsive to said comparing means for providing a reward when said comparing means finds at least one symbol match, said symbols available for display on the cathode ray tube including a "wild" symbol for which the player cannot select a corresponding winning symbol, and said comparing means including means for sensing the display of said "wild" symbol after the motion of the symbols has stopped.