Patent Application
20190015734
The present invention relates to gaming machines and rotating reels used for the gaming machines.
Conventionally, it is known that a gaming machine using a rotating reel such as a slot machine, a pachislot or a pachinko with a display indicating an image causes effect of a game to be visually entertained. In particular, it is also known that a gaming machine can be played only with a video reel indicated on a display without using mechanical rotating reels. On the other hand, among pachislot machines, it is known that a gaming machine that performs rendition with a combination of mechanical rotating reels and a display (for example, Patent Literature 1).
As an example of this combination, the Patent Literature 1 discloses a gaming machine in which a display screen is provided on the front side as viewed from the player's point of view, and mechanical rotating reels are provided behind the display.
Also, as for rotating reels of a gaming machine, there is contrivance as a conventional technique. That is, since symbols are placed on rotating reels of a gaming machine, a player visually recognizes them without distraction. Consequently, devising display of these symbols can improve attractiveness of a gaming machine. For example, Patent Literature 2 discloses rotating reels which make symbols characteristically visible by three-dimensionally projecting symbols on outer circumferential surface of the rotating reels.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-183379
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-125163
However, in the gaming machine of Patent Literature 1, when mechanical rotating reels are visually recognized, since there is a display in front of the rotating reels, it is sometimes difficult for a player to visually recognize the symbols on the rotating reels. For example, in the cases where the rendered image is displayed on the entire display, the brightness of the display is high and the scene behind the display can not be seen through, it becomes difficult for a player to visually recognize the rotating reels clearly.
Further, in Patent Literature 1, the surface of the screen indicating the image of the display is flat. Therefore, although the video reel can be indicated on this display, since the curvatures of the mechanical rotating reels and the video reels shown on the display are different, when these are used in combination, it is impossible to view the reels together, a sense of incongruity may occur in some cases. As a result, there is room for improvement in playing a game with a combination of mechanical rotating reels and video reels indicated on the display. In addition, in Patent Literature 1, it is also difficult to construct one symbol with combining one symbol of the mechanical rotating reel and one symbol on the video reel indicated on the display.
Additionally, in Patent Literature 2, one symbol itself is stereoscopically rendered, and only a stereoscopic effect is produced on the symbol. For this reason, for example, it is impossible to produce a stereoscopic effect of a symbol by superimposing symbols on a plurality of layers such as a foreground and a background and by superimposing a plurality of layers when viewed from the player.
The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and to provide a gaming machine with further improved attractiveness by providing rotating reels or a reel unit having a structure that has not been provided in the past for rendering effect which visually entertains a player at a gaming machine.
A first aspect in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of transparent mechanical reels, a motor disposed on each of the transparent mechanical reels for rotating and stopping the transparent mechanical reels, a display arranged inside the circumference of the transparent mechanical reels and visually recognized through the transparent mechanical reels from the viewpoint of the player, and a processor causing to:
(a) in response to an operation by a player, generate a start signal,
(b) receive the generated start signal and determine symbols to be stopped and displayed in accordance with random selection,
(c) display rotation of combination of the transparent mechanical reels rotated by the motor and video reels indicated on the display, and
(d) stop the rotating display at the determined symbols and provide an award to the player. Therefore, it is possible to provide a gaming machine combining the transparent mechanical reels and the video reels with a structure that is not conventionally available.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect of the present invention, a player can see representation on a display located behind the transparent mechanical reels through at least either of the symbols placed on the surface of the mechanical reels or periphery thereof since the entirety of the transparent mechanical reels or surfaces of the transparent mechanical reels on which symbols are placed are composed of transparent materials.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of symbols are placed uniformly at a predetermined distance on each of the transparent mechanical reels of which prescribed number of frames are in a transparent state without any symbol, and the transparent mechanical reel has non-symbol transparent portion through which a player can visually recognize the display behind the transparent mechanical reel.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, based on a first aspect of the present invention, the processor causes the non-symbol transparent portion to be stopped in front of a player from the viewpoint of the player and causes the video reel symbols to be shown on the display in such state, and thereby a symbol column longer than the symbol column on the transparent mechanical reel can be displayed.
In accordance with a fifth invention of the present invention, based on a first invention, the processor is configured to display one composite winning symbol by combining the symbols placed on the transparent mechanical reel with the symbols in the video reel shown on the display.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, based on a first aspect of the present invention, spinning of the transparent mechanical reel is conducted by engagement of a gear provided at a front end portion of the transparent mechanical reel and a gear of the motor, and an auxiliary body provided on the outer peripheral side of the transparent mechanical reel which fixes the spinning position of the transparent mechanical reel causes the transparent mechanical reel to spin at a fixed position. Therefore, since the mechanical reel is not structured like the conventional mechanical reel wherein a shaft is provided at the center of the mechanical reel and the rotation shaft of the motor is connected to the central shaft for spinning the reel, a display can be disposed inside the reel and the reel can be spinned.
In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention, a plurality of transparent mechanical reels, a motor disposed on each of the transparent mechanical reels for spinning and stopping the transparent mechanical reel, a display disposed inside a circumference of the transparent mechanical reels which can be visually recognized through the transparent mechanical reels from a viewpoint of a player, a stop switch for stopping the rotation of the transparent mechanical reel; and a processor to:
(a) generate a start signal in response to an operation by a player,
(b) receive the generated start signal and determine a combination of symbols to be stopped and displayed in accordance with random selection,
(c) spin and display the transparent mechanical reel by the motor, and
(d) stop the rotating display of the transparent mechanical reel in accordance with the operation of the stop switch and a combination of the determined symbols and provide an award to the player,
are provided.
The present invention provides a gaming machine with further improved amusement by offering rotating reels and a reel unit having a structure which has not been seen in the conventional art for rendering visual entertainment to a player.
The present invention is described below more specifically with reference to preferred embodiments, provided, however, that the embodiments below are just samples which embody the present invention and not limited to these embodiments.
The gaming machine 1 in accordance with a first embodiment is explained with reference to drawings. The slot machine 1 in accordance with the present embodiment has a display capable of showing images and physical transparent mechanical reels.
The gaming machine 1 is a slot machine that performs games by combining image view (symbols and image rendition) by the display and symbols placed on the transparent mechanical reels.
The gaming machine 1 receives a prepaid card, a credit card, a medal, and the like as credits from a player from a credit storage unit 42 and starts reception of the game. When the player operates the start switch 40 and the BET switch 41, the transparent mechanical reel 51 spins and the result of the game is shown on the symbol display area 111. In this example, the gaming machine 1 has a mechanical video reel unit 5 with a symbol display area 111 inside the front upper part of the front of the cabinet.
The symbol display area 111 is a display area on which symbols are stopped and displayed as a result of a game with the rotation of the five transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e, and in this example, is composed of vertical three frames and horizontal five frames as a matrix. In other words, while the number of vertical symbols of the matrix displayed on the display 20 is five, the number of vertical symbols of the symbol display area 111 is three. Details are described later. However, unlike this example, the number of symbols displayed on the symbol display area 111 may indicate equal to or less than the number of symbols of the matrix displayed on the display 20. A winning is determined in accordance with the symbols stopped at the symbol display area 111.
In
The transparent mechanical reels 51 are circular mechanical reels, wherein a plurality of symbols are placed on the entire reels or the reel surface composed of a transparent material so that the scene behind the reels can be visually recognized. The transparent mechanical reels 51 are plurally arranged in the lateral direction (five in the present embodiment), so that the transparent mechanical reels 51 have cylindrical shape as if a drum is laid as a whole. In the following description, while the number of the transparent mechanical reels 51 are described by five, this number may be any number as long as it is two or more.
The display 20 is a display device for indicating images such as various still images and moving images, and may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, a plasma display or the like. The image showing surface of the display 20 is not a flat surface but a curved surface that draws an arc bulging in the vertical direction of the display 20. It is desirable that the curvature of this curved surface is substantially the same as the curvature of the transparent mechanical reel 51.
As shown in
As shown in
The display 20 is fixed by the display fixing plate 22 located in the back of the display 20. The display fixing plate 22 is fixed to the mechanical video reel unit 5 by side fixing plates 4a and 4b located on the side thereof.
The motors 60 are disposed at the lower part behind the display 20 and inside the transparent mechanical reels 51. In
The motors 60 may be so-called stepping motors, and are composed of motor gears 61a to 61e for spinning the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e and motor main bodies 62a to 62e which rotate according to instructions from the motor driving circuit 56. As shown in
The reel spinning auxiliary bodies 7 are members for fixing the transparent mechanical reels 51 in a fixed position without interrupting the spinning of the transparent mechanical reels 51, and in the present embodiment, the reel spinning auxiliary body 7A is provided at the upper front portion of the display 20, the reel spinning auxiliary body 7C is provided at a position on the opposite side of the motor 60 across the transparent mechanical reels 51 at the lower rear part of the display 20 and a reel spinning auxiliary body 7B is provided at the rear of the display 20. In this example, the reel spinning auxiliary bodies 7 fix the transparent mechanical reels 51 with three members, but it may be fixed with more numbers of members. In the case of three members, it is desirable that each of the reel spinning auxiliary bodies 7 can be disposed at a position of 120 degree angle from the center of the transparent mechanical reels 51. That is, the reel spinning auxiliary bodies 7 are provided on the outer peripheral side of the transparent mechanical reels 51 and fix the rotational position of the transparent mechanical reels 51, causing the transparent mechanical reels 51 to spin to a fixed position.
The reel spinning auxiliary body 7A is composed of a reel spinning auxiliary body fixture 7AA to be fixed to the side surface fixing plate 4a and the side surface fixing plate 4b, a reel spinning auxiliary body 7A1 fixed to the side surface fixing plate 4a and the side surface fixing plate 4b and the reel spinning auxiliary body 7A2. The reel spinning auxiliary body 7A1 may be provided with reel spinning auxiliary gears 7A1a to 7A1e for assisting the spinning of each of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e. Here, the reel spinning auxiliary body 7A2 may also be provided with a reel spinning auxiliary gear for assisting the rotation of each of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e. The reel spinning auxiliary gears 7A1a to 7A1e and 7A2a to 7A2e (not shown) come in contact with the outer diameter of the geared reel frames 511a to 511e to assist spinning.
Like the reel spinning auxiliary body 7A, the reel spinning auxiliary body 7B is composed of a reel spinning auxiliary body fixture 7BB fixed with the side surface fixing plate 4a and the side surface fixing plate 4b, a reel spinning auxiliary body 7B1 fixed with the side surface fixing plate 4a and the side surface fixing plate 4b as well, and the reel spinning auxiliary body 7B2. The reel spinning auxiliary body 7B1 may be provided with the reel spinning auxiliary gears 7B1a to 7B1e (not shown) for assisting the rotation of each of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e. The reel rotation auxiliary gears 7B1a to 7B1e may be arranged as necessary. The reel spinning auxiliary gears 7B1a to 7B1e (not shown) and 7B2a to 7B2e (not shown) come into contact with the outer diameters of the geared reel frames 511a to 511e to assist rotation.
Like the reel spinning auxiliary bodies 7A and 7B, the reel spinning auxiliary body 7C is composed of a reel spinning auxiliary body fixture 7CC fixed with the side surface fixing plate 4a and the side surface fixing plate 4b, the reel spinning auxiliary body 7C1 fixed with the side fixing plate 4a and the side fixing plate 4b as well and the reel spinning auxiliary body 7C2. The reel spinning auxiliary body 7C1 may be provided with the reel spinning auxiliary gears 7C1a to 7C1e for assisting the rotation of each of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e. The reel spinning auxiliary body 7C2 in
Here, while
In the example of
In the ROM 31 of the computer, a table used for determination of random number sampling performed each time the start switch 40 is operated, various control commands for transmitting to the sub control board 75 and the like are stored. In the electric circuit shown in
Further, a motor driving circuit 56 for controlling the driving of motors 60a to 60e is connected to the output portion of the CPU 30. These driving circuits receive control signals such as drive commands output from the CPU 30 respectively and control the operation of each peripheral device.
The start switch 40 receives a start operation from a player and generates a start signal instructing the start of the game by operation thereof, and transmits a start signal to the random number generator 35 and the CPU 30. The credit sensor 43 detects credits such as prepaid cards, credit cards, medals and the like inserted into the credit storage unit 42. The rotating reel position detection circuit 57 receives a pulse signal from the reel rotation sensor and transmits a signal for detecting the rotational position of each of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e to the CPU 30. The random number generator 35 generates random numbers within a certain range in accordance with the operation of the start switch 40, and the CPU 30 determines symbols to be stopped and displayed based on a table or the like stored in the ROM 31. It should be noted that the random number generator 35 may generate a random number value by executing the lottery program stored in the RAM 32, that is, the random number is generated by software.
After commencement of spinning of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e, the number of pulses supplied to each of the motors 60a to 60e is counted, and the counted value is written in a predetermined area of the RAM 32. Reset pulses are obtained from the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e at every spin, and these pulses are entered into the CPU 30 via the rotating reel position detection circuit 57. A symbol arrangement table is stored in the ROM 31 in order to associate the spinning positions of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e with the symbols drawn on the outer circumferential surface of the reel as described above. In this symbol table, as reference to the spinning position at which the aforementioned reset pulse is generated, a code number given every constant spinning pitch of each of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e, a symbol position code provided corresponding to each code number and the symbol row are associated with each other. The motors 60a to 60e cause the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e to spin a predetermined number of times, and then to stop the spinning. If the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e stop with indication of winning, the CPU 30 transmits the credit payout instruction signal and stores credits added to the RAM 32.
First, the CPU 30 performs a start reception process of waiting for a player to operate the start switch 40 (Step S01). At this time, the start reception process accepts coin insertion and betting operation (designation of a line to bet) using the BET switch 41 from a player.
Next, the CPU 30 determines whether or not the start switch 40 has been pressed (Step S02). This determination is conducted based on a start signal entered into the CPU 30 in response to depression of the start switch 40. Here, when the start switch is not pressed (“NO” in Step S02), the process returns to the start acceptance process (Step S01). As a result, operations such as number of betting and line correction, etc. may be allowed. On the other hand, when the start switch 40 is pressed (“YES” in Step S02: receipt of the start signal), the number of betting set based on the above betting operation is subtracted from the number of credits currently owned by the player, and stores it in the RAM 32 as betting information.
Then, the CPU 30 performs a lottery process (Step S03). Specifically, the random number generator 35 of the CPU 30 samples the random number value from the predetermined random value range, and determines the symbol to be stopped in the symbol display area 111 based on the sampled random number value and the table. That is, the spinning of each of the five transparent mechanical reels a to e is stopped, and the symbols to be stopped and displayed on the symbol display area 111 are determined. Further, the symbol row to be used in the game may be determined by the lottery process. In this example, while either of normal reel symbol row or jackpot symbol row are used (usage of either one of two or more symbol rows may be determined) for the symbol rows arranged on the transparent mechanical reels 51, this lottery process determines which rows are used.
The normal reel symbol rows are shown in
The reel symbol row in the jackpot is shown in
Returning to the explanation of
Step 1: First, the transparent mechanical reel 51a indicates symbols at the upper row (T-REX: DINO 1), the middle row (J) and the lower row (Triceratops: DINO 2), and the video reel is blank and does not display anything. Therefore, the composite symbol comprises the upper row (DINO 1), the middle row (J) and the lower row (DINO 2).
Step 2: Next, a single frame symbol shifts downward by spinning, and the symbols of the transparent mechanical reel 51a is composed of the upper row (10), the middle row (DINO 1) and the lower row (J). Video reels are blank and do not display anything. Therefore, the composite symbol includes the upper row (10), the middle row (DINO 1) and the lower row (J).
Step 3: Further, when the reel is shifted by one frame, the transparent mechanical reel 51a rotates and displays the non-symbol transparent portion. Namely, it is the part “without symbol” of the upper row. At this time, by displaying (T-REX: DINO 1) on the upper row of the video reel, it is possible to display T-REX: DINO 1 on the upper row of the composite symbol. At this time, by preliminarily displaying T-REX: DINO 1 on the display 20 outside the frame above the upper row in Step 2, when transitioning to Step 3, the composite symbol DINO 1 can be rotated and displayed in synchronization with any strange feeling.
Step 4: Further, when the reel is shifted by one frame, the transparent mechanical reel 51a displays 2 non-symbol transparent portions. That is, the portion “without symbol” of the upper and middle rows becomes two frames. At this time, T-REX: DINO 1 can be displayed on the upper and middle rows of the composite symbol by displaying two frames of T-REX: DINO 1 on the upper and middle rows of the video reel.
Step 5: Further, when the reel is shifted by one frame, the transparent mechanical reel 51a displays 3 non-symbol transparent portions. That is, the portion “without symbol” on upper, middle an lower rows becomes three frames. At this time, T-REX: DINO 1 can be displayed on the upper, middle and lower rows of the composite symbols by displaying T-REX: DINO 1 on the upper, middle and lower rows of the video reel in three frames.
Step 6 to 10: At these steps, the transparent mechanical reel 51a is stopped. As shown in
Step 11 and 12: With the spinning of DINO 1 of 5 vertical frames, when the transparent mechanical reel 51a rotates synchronously at the timing when the outside of the upper frame of the upper row becomes empty, the upper row “9” is rotated and displayed out of the frame, and “9” is displayed on the upper row of the transparent mechanical reel 51a in Step 12, and the upper row “9”, the middle row “DINO 1” and the lower row “DINO 1” are displayed as composite symbols.
Step 13 to 15: Thereafter, when the transparent mechanical reel 51a is rotated and displayed every one frame at a time, the symbol of the video reel transitions from “DINO 1” to the white one frame at a time.
In the above description, the case where the transparent mechanical reel 51a is temporarily stopped is explained by “DINO 1” (positions 1 to 5), but even in the cases of DINO 2 to 4 (positions 25 to 29 etc.), temporary stop and rotation are similarly performed.
It should be noted that one symbol on the transparent mechanical reel 51a and one symbol on the video reel may simply be synchronized to constitute one symbol and rotationally displayed. That is, as shown in
Returning to
Next, the CPU 30 determines whether or not there is a special feature in the symbols stopped and displayed (Step S06). Here, the special feature is a symbol of a jackpot (DINO 1 to 4), a special winning symbol such as WILD, TRIGGER or the like. In this embodiment, the symbol to be stopped and displayed is a group of symbols consisting of 3 vertical frames and 5 horizontal frames, and hereinafter referred to as the symbol group stopped and displayed. If one or more predetermined symbols (the above-mentioned DINO 1 to 4, WILD, TRIGGER) are displayed somewhere in the symbol group stopped and displayed, the CPU 30 may judge that a special feature exists (scatter) or if a plurality of predetermined symbols are displayed horizontally or diagonally to form a line in the matrix, the CPU 30 may judge that a special feature exists.
Here, determination of whether or not there is a special feature of the jackpot (DINO 1 to DINO 4) may be performed by whether non-symbol transparent portions of all five transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e are stopped in all of the symbol display area 111 consisting of three vertical frames.
Then, if the CPU 30 determines that there is a special feature in the symbols stopped and displayed (Step S06: “YES”), the CPU 30 moves the process to Step S07. If the CPU 30 determines that there is no special feature in the symbols stopped and displayed (Step S06: “NO”), the CPU 30 moves the process to Step S08.
If it is determined that there is a special feature, the CPU 30 executes special feature processing (Step S07). One example of the special feature processing is rendition processing at the time of winning a jackpot. For example, as shown in
Furthermore, as an example of the special feature processing, the rendition processing when winning the WILD is explained. “WILD” symbol is physically arranged in the symbol row of the transparent mechanical reels 51 as shown in
Different winnings may be given depending on the type of the symbol of the video reel (double award if it is DOUBLE, triple the prize if it is TRIPLE). Here, after the five transparent mechanical reels 51 are temporarily stopped (after the WILD symbol “dinosaur bone” of the transparent mechanical reels 51 has stopped), only the symbol of the video reel may be changed again (for example, from WILD to DOUBLE).
Changes in the symbol display in this case are shown in
Next, the CPU 30 performs a WIN determination as to whether the symbol displayed on the symbol display area 111 is a winning combination (Step S08). This determination is performed based on the position codes of the transparent mechanical reels 51a to 51e stored in the ROM 31 or the RAM 32 and the information of the symbols displayed on the video reels. The winning combination of symbols may be the same as that of a normal slot machine, which for example, is a case where the same symbols are arranged in a lateral or diagonal manner by more than a predetermined number (two to five). At this time, a winning determination may be made without distinguishing whether a winning combination of symbols are symbols disposed on the transparent mechanical reels 51 or symbols displayed on the video reel.
Then, in the WIN determination, if it is a winning combination of symbols, the CPU 30 transmits a credit payment instruction signal and pays out credits corresponding to winnings (Step S09). Here, credit addition processing may be performed as data in the RAM 32, or medals may be physically paid out by a predetermined apparatus.
The slot machine 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The second embodiment is different from the gaming machine 1 according to a first embodiment in that the present invention is applied to a gaming machine in which a player can stop a reel by operating a stop switch, for example, a pachislot. In other words, the machine video reel unit 5 of the gaming machine 1 is an example applied to a pachislot machine with a stop switch or the like. Since the structure and control are the same as those of the gaming machine 1 according to a first embodiment except for the points described below, descriptions of overlapping parts are omitted.
Here, the sub control board 75 does not transmit commands or data to the main control board 70, and communication may be performed in one direction from the main control board 70 to the sub control board 75. In the ROM 31, an internal lottery table used for determination of random number sampling performed each time the start switch (may be a lever) 40 is operated, a stop mode of the transparent mechanical reel 52 is determined according to the operation of the stop switch 65 and a group of stop tables to be used and the like are stored.
The stop switch 65 generates a stop command signal in response to an operation from a player. The slot machine 2 determines an internal winning combination by a lottery process based on random number sampling, and the CPU 30 stops the transparent mechanical reel 52 by transmitting signals to control stop of the transparent mechanical reels 52 based on the stop command signal sent from the stop switch 65 (each of three) and the determined stop table. This control may be similar to the control of the pachislot machine of the conventional technology.
Therefore, unlike the reel stop processing S05 of the gaming machine 1 according to a first embodiment, the transparent mechanical reel 52 is stopped by the above processing based on the a player's operation of stop switch 65. At the time of winning, like the conventional pachislot, medals may be given via the hopper 46, not in the form of giving credit.
The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the gaming machine 1 of the first embodiment, the present invention may be applied to a gaming machine capable of stopping a spinning reel by a player's operation of a stop switch or the like.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2016/061178 | 4/5/2016 | WO | 00 |
