DE3035947C2 - - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a slot machine with a profit symbol-carrying revolving bodies that at the start of the game in Circulated and after their decommissioning one symbol combination decisive for profit or loss ads coupled with a profit scanner whose profit signals are profit-specific storage and display elements of a risk gaming facility, their assigned winnings a sequence with essentially Lichen geometric progression, and wherein the storage and display elements into one from a random generator towards higher or lower changeable step switch device organized, with the player being able to the saved and displayed profit on a good to have credit counters for profit.

A slot machine of the type mentioned is from the older one DE-OS 29 38 307 known, in which the combinations from winning symbols (winning line game) to suspended Orbital bodies first made profit in one profit individual storage and display element one step switching device is cached. The profit can either be given immediately or at risk disposition in the step switch with help Random generator increased or decreased will.

The present invention is based on the object a slot machine with a risk gaming facility to create the using technical means the older registration in the payline game regularly small profits of different amounts arise,  which are automatically increased via the risk game facility Can win.

The task is solved in that the profit scanning device assignable memory and display elements the risk gaming facility only to one contiguous area of the episode with low profits include that a the playing time of the current game determining control device is provided, which is dependent can be activated from the occurrence of a profit, the Control device starts the random number generator so often until the profit is an upper limit of the contiguous Range exceeded or fallen below a lower limit has after which they are reloading the most recently achieved Allocation from the step switch device in the credit controls counter, and that a risk button is provided, when actuated, the control device on the order storage of the risk above the upper limit game win for the duration of a new risk game is prevented.

One in the win line game and in the step switching device of temporarily stored and displayed Prize may be awarded provided the player does not have the immediate order storage on the credit counter causes automatically risked in favor of higher profits, with the Random number generator in the running game as often or as long as is started to risk games, like that of the step switching device reported profit level within a lower and an upper profit limit. At the transfer of the profit into the credit counter the step switch device emptied: the lower limit is below and the game is over.

The one in the payline game based on symbol combinations achievable profit is limited to the area lower Profits. This is based on the legal  predetermined payout ratio of the slot machine ensures high hit frequency so that the player correspondingly often the possibility of risk management Has. The willingness to take risks is increased by the fact that higher winnings can only be achieved in the risk game.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention is the sub claim. A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and in the following Description explained. It shows  

Fig. 1 mate front view of the gambling car and

Fig. 2 circuit diagram of the essential parts of the invention of the slot machine shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawing, a total of 1 be drawn slot machine is shown schematically in Fig. 1 with a front window 2 , behind which three ge dashed roller-shaped rotating body 3 to 5 are arranged coaxially next to each other. The circulation body 3 and 4 carry rows of profit symbols on the circumference; they are put into circulation at the start of the game and, after they have been shut down, display 2 win symbols in a window 6 and 7 of the front screen, the combination of which determines the win or loss. The combination shown shows an eighty-pfennig win line, and in accordance with the profit achieved, a display element 8 lights up, which is part of a profit-indicating band 9 composed of a plurality of display elements. With the display element 8, a crediting grater key 10 lights up, passes upon actuation of the gain under extinction of the display element 8 in an indicative credit meter 11, wherein the status of a callable for payout coin store 11 'is increased to eighty cents.

If the credit button 10 is not actuated, the circulating body 5 , which is put into circulation for a short time after the two left circulating bodies 3 and 4 have come to a standstill, decides after its shutdown whether the gain of eighty pfennigs is increased or decreased by an upward or downward one Arrow 12 , which is visible in the window 13 of the front window 2 .

It is assumed that the arrow points upwards in the profitable direction, whereupon the display element 8 goes out and the next higher one, 14 , which indicates a profit of 1.60 DM, is illuminated. At the same time as the display element 14 , a risk button 15 also lights up, and the right circulation body 5 starts up again. When the key is pressed, the circulating body 5 again decides on the increase or decrease in the profit; If the risk button 15 is not pressed, the profit of 1.60 DM at the end of the game is loaded into the coin store 11 ' .

The risk-loving player comes in the event of a further doubling of the profit in the area of special games, in which a winning key is granted with increased profit expectations, so that an average of 1.60 DM is won per special game. If is not pressed after a win in the special play area risk button 15, the last enlightened Ge the credit counter 11 is profit in the special game counter still in the running game 11 '' reloaded.

After pressing a third key 16 , the player can automatically risk all the winnings achieved again without the need for further intervention in the game. The third key 16 can be deactivated at any time by pressing it again, an associated signal lamp extinguishing.

While the above description in the external appearance and the use of the slot machine 1 applied, its electrical function is described below with reference to FIG. 2, the same parts bearing the same reference numerals.

The circulation body 3 and 4 are coupled with a profit scanning device 17 . Here, too, it is believed that a monetary gain of eighty pfennigs was achieved. The profit sampling device 17 therefore switches through a profit plus to the associated profit output 18 , which is connected to a profit-specific input 19 of a step-switching device 20 to be described. This input 19 is also set input S of a profit-specific storage element 21 , so that the latter is occupied, with a signal occurring at its output Q , which reaches through a profit-specific output 22 of the stepping device 20 to the activation input 23 of the display element 8 , so that the profit achieved becomes visible there.

The to gain output 18 of the Gewinnabtasteinrichtung 17 by switched gain signal (gain Plus) also passes through an all winning signals summary OR gate 24 to a control device 25 where it is on the one hand comes into the activation input 26 of a random generator 27 and on the other hand to the clock input of a D flip-flops 28 T , the Q output of which then sends an H signal into a control line 29 . The activated random generator 27 generates at irregular times within a specified time range at its output 30 connected to the erase input C of the D flip-flop 28 a reset pulse which resets the D flip-flop 28 to its initial position, so that its output signal is at the L level falls. With the falling HL flank of the output signal, a timing element 31 is triggered which, after its characteristic time τ, sends an H pulse from its output 32 on the one hand into the clock input T of the D flip-flop 28 and on the other hand into the activation input 26 of the random generator 27 , so that the D flip-flop 29 is set again and the random generator 27 is started again. This process is repeated as long as the D input of the D flip-flop 28 receives an H signal from one of the memory elements, e.g. B. 22 , receives the stepping device 20 , all of which are combined with the exception of the highest profit associated memory elements in OR gates 33 to 35 . If, therefore, the amount of winnings occupied in the stepping device 20 has reached the lowest level (zero) or the highest level (sixty-four special games), the control device 25 is prevented from bringing the control line 29 to the H level. To restart the control device 20 , a winning signal from the Ge scanning device 17 is required in a subsequent game.

The control line 29 is connected to a running release means, not shown, for the circulating body 5 for the risk game; as long as an H signal is present on the control line 29 , the circulating body 5 . After the end of the H signal, the circulating body assumes a latching position in which an arrow pointing upwards or downwards, for. B. 12 or 36 , is visible, and a changeover contact 37 of a changeover switch 38 is brought from its zero position into either a profit-increasing or a profit-reducing position.

The changeover contact 37 indirectly receives an H signal from an occupied memory element, which in the case assumed here comes from the memory element 21 , which is passed through the OR gate 33 and the contact of the credit key 10 which is in the rest position. With the arrow 14 pointing upward, the H signal enters a pulse input 39 of the stepping device 20 labeled + with the effect that the occupancy of the memory element 21 is transferred to the next higher memory element, not shown, so that there after the output 40 the Step switching device 20 is occupied, and the display element 14 lights up.

When occupying the memory element for the profit 1.60 DM, the output signal from the OR gate 33 falls to the L level, so that no signals influencing the profit situation can be directed via the credit key 10 .

One of the credit key 10 assigned lamp 10 ' , which signals the time of the effective key actuation, also no longer lights up, since a lamp-controlling AND gate 10''is prevented by the L signal on its input 41 , the H- Switch through signal on the control line 29 .

The outputs of the memory elements from 1.60 DM upwards - with the exception of the memory element for the highest win of sixty-four special games - are each connected to an input of the OR gate 34 , the output of which is connected to the changeover contact of the risk key 15 and an input 42 of one of these Lamp 15 ' driving AND gate 15''is connected so that now the risk button 15 during the course of the circulation body 5 , in which the other input 43 of the AND gate 15'' receives the H signal from the control line 29 , can be operated effectively.

An effective key actuation is assumed below, in which a flip-flop 44 is set, the Q output of which applies a sustained H signal to the changeover contact 37 of the changeover switch 38 . The flip-flop 44 is reset by the result signal emitted by the changeover switch 38 , which passes through an OR gate 45 into the reset input R of the flip-flop 44 .

A member of the controller 25 AND gate 46 having an inverting input and a clock input responsive to falling flanks HL, for reasons of greater simplicity, separately from the previously be overwritten parts 26 to 33 of the control device shown 25th The inverting input is connected to the Q output of the flip-flop 44 and the clock input to the control line 29 . This ensures that the Q output of the flip-flop 44, which leads to the L level due to the risk button 15 not being actuated, the AND gate 46 is prepared to generate a pulse at its output 47 when the H signal of the control line 29 drops to the L level. which enters the activation input 48 of an input circuit 49 , the inputs of which are connected to the outputs of the storage elements for higher profits. The input circuit 49 thus activated writes the profit to which the occupied memory element of the step switch device 20 is assigned, in the credit counter 11 '' and then generates a reset signal which is transmitted via a decoupling element 50 through a clearing input L of the step switch device 20 to all reset inputs R of the memory elements got.

It should be noted that the restoration of the low Ge gains in the same way by an input circuit 49 ' in the credit counter 11' , the delete signal from the input circuit 49 ' through a decoupling member 50' to the delete input L of the stepping device 20 .

If the circulating body 5 is stopped by the random generator 27 at such a time when a downward-pointing arrow 36 is visible, then the changeover contact 37 of the changeover switch 38 places the occupancy signal received from the stepping device 20 at a loss associated with the stepping device 20 line 51 .

In the case shown in FIG. 2, the loss line 51 is connected to the extinguishing input L of the step switching device 20 , so that there is a complete loss of the previously achieved profit. In the risk situation, a doubling of the profit is offset by the loss of profit with the same probability of being hit, so that the statistical payout ratio of the slot machine depends solely on the distribution of profit in the payline game.

The loss line 51 can be connected by switching a solder bridge 52 to a pulse input 53 of the step switching device 20 , so that in the event of a loss hit, the assignment is restored to the memory element which is one step below the one previously occupied. If the value of ten pfennigs was assigned to the previously occupied storage element, then the profit is also completely lost if the value falls short.

In order to keep the statistical payout ratio unchanged during gradual downshifting, twice as many loss hits are to be achieved as profit hits in the long run. The number of arrows pointing down z. B. 36 , is therefore twice as high as that of the upward, z. B. 12 .

The memory and the display elements forming the band 9 are assigned profit levels which form a sequence with geometric progression; the next higher gain results from the previous one by multiplying by a factor p . While a factor of p = 2 was used as the basis for the previous description, other values are also conceivable.

If the changeover switch 38 can switch the step switching device 20 forward or backward by one step, whereby the profit level is multiplied by the factor p or divided by p , a profit decision p loss decisions have to be made indirectly to maintain the payout ratio.

If the occupancy level of the stepping device 20 is reset to zero for each loss decision, a profit decision (p -1) must be made to maintain the payout ratio.

After pressing a third button 15 closes a self-holding contact 55 , which puts a continuous H signal on the one hand to the changeover contact 37 of the changeover switch 38 and on the other hand to a button 54 assigned lamp 54 ' , so that the player automatically risks the winnings achieved , without the need for further intervention in the game. The third button 54 can be deactivated at any time by pressing it again, the associated lamp 54 ' being extinguished.

Claims (2)

1. A slot machine with circulation symbols carrying profit symbols which are put into circulation at the start of the game and, after their shutdown, display a symbol combination which is decisive for a profit or loss and which are coupled with a profit scanning device, the profit signals of which attest to the profit-specific storage and display elements of a risk gaming device and the associated profit heights form a sequence with essentially geometric progression, and the storage and display elements being organized into a step switching device which can be changed by a random generator in the direction of higher or lower profits, with the player being able to change the stored and displayed profit to one To transfer the credit counter to the profit, characterized in that the storage and display elements of the risk game device ( 5, 8 to 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 25, 33 to 40 ) that can be occupied by the profit scanning device ( 17 ) exclusively to a contiguous area of the sequence with low winnings include that a control device ( 25 ) determining the game duration of the current game is provided, which can be activated depending on the occurrence of a win, the control device ( 25 ) starting the random number generator ( 27 ) as often as necessary until the profit has exceeded an upper limit of the contiguous area or has fallen below a lower limit, after which it controls the transfer of the last occupancy achieved from the stepping device ( 20 ) into the credit counter ( 11, 11 ', 11'' ), and that a Risk button ( 15 ) is provided, when actuated, the control device ( 25 ) is prevented from transferring the risk game profit above the upper limit for the duration of a new risk game. 2. slot machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage and display elements (z. B. 8, 14 ) of the contiguous area of the sequence with low profits are associated with winnings and that the other storage and display elements associated with the former are assembled into a band ( 9 ), special game winnings are assigned.