Abstract:
This invention is directed to an amusement device consisting of a vertically oriented hollow wheel that is rotated at a constant rate and that has a series of cavities provided along the inner surface of the outer wheel rim. The wheel has front and rear enclosures that prevent game pieces, such as elastic balls, from falling out of the wheel. A player attempts to time the release of game pieces from a holding area located within the wheel to try to have the pieces come to rest in preselected adjoining cavities. If the pieces are detected within the cavities in a winning orientation, a signal is transmitted to a central processing unit which then activates a ticket dispenser.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to a skill-based amusement game and more particularly a skill based game that is implemented in a redemption game. A redemption game is a game wherein a player is awarded tickets for the successful play of a game. The game involves providing a plurality of balls to a player that can control the timing of the release inside a vertically oriented rotating wheel. The rotating wheel has a plurality of cavities or pockets provided around the entire inside rim. The position of the balls in the pockets of the rim are located by passing the balls past a detector which includes a light source and photo-detector. If a ball is located within a pocket or cavity in the wheel, light will not pass from the light source to the detector and impinge on the detector at predetermined times. The absence of a signal at such times reflects that a ball was positioned in the cavity or pocket. A detector also detects a home position on the wheel. All of the signals from the detectors are transmitted to a central processing unit which correlates the positions of balls with the home position and the location of those balls that are resting in the cavities at predetermined winning locations. 
         [0002]    The object of the game is to time the activation of a ball release so that a plurality of balls will fall from a ball guide to the periphery of the vertically oriented rotating wheel and so they come to rest in player selected target locations. The ball release is activated by a solenoid. A plurality of high energy balls are dropped onto the rotating wheel and the balls will bounce and roll until they are trapped in the depressions or cavities provided at angular positions on the rim of the wheel. If the balls come to rest in the winning target locations, an award is distributed to the player. The winning target locations on the wheel are associated with a symbol, number and/or color. 
         [0003]    In a preferred embodiment the object of the game is to have five balls come to rest in pre-selected winning target positions that are adjacent to one another. If the player successfully times his or her drop so that the result is having five balls in a row in the designated a bonus score is provide to the payer. In addition, any ball that comes to rest in one of the pre-selected winning target cavities is awarded a score. 
         [0004]    In the preferred embodiment of the game, the score of a player is correlated with an award of redeemable tickets that are then distributed to a player by a ticket distributor. If no player wins a game, a bonus award will continue to increase until a player successfully plays the game so that the five ball come to rest in five adjacent pre-selected cavities. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    There is persistent demand for new games in both gaming establishments and general amusement centers such as arcades or family fun centers. It is generally accepted that customers are more likely to repeat visits to game centers if the game attractions provided by the operator are new and different. New games may also generate publicity resulting in increased traffic and increased play at such locations. In general, games that are popular are those having a game concept that is quickly and easily understood by a prospective player. In addition, the possibility for a large bonus or award adds to the popularity of games. The more popular a game, the more it is played and accordingly it may generate more revenue for the game operator. 
         [0006]    Over the years there have been many games that incorporate a rotating wheel into the game concept. The motion of the wheel servers as an attraction and the wheel provides for a manner in which to provide a number of targets that a player can exercise his or her skill to successfully execute the targets. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    This present invention relates to new a coin operated amusement device wherein, upon activation of the device, a player is provided with a predetermined number of balls to set into play. The balls are preferably made of an elastic material, commonly referred to as “super balls,” that enable the balls to bounce off surfaces of the game. The object of the game is to time the activation of a solenoid that releases all of the balls simultaneously into the rotating wheel. The balls will then free fall from an upper guide toward the lower surface of a rotating wheel and bounce around in the wheel until they eventually come to rest in a cavity that is slightly larger than the dimensions of the balls. If the player successfully times the release drop, the balls may fall and cluster in such a manner wherein all of the balls, occupy a location next to another ball (expect the first and last ball in the sequence). As the wheel rotates at a constant speed apertures that are provided through each of the cavities transverse to the orientation of the wheel and which allow light to pass between a light source and a photodetector. If no ball is in the cavity, the photodetector will detect the presence of light, proving a signal that can be interpreted by the CPU that no ball is present. If a ball is present in the cavity, the absence of the signal at designated times is be interpreted by the CPU as reflecting that a ball is retained in the cavity. Using a home position on the wheel, the CPU can correlate the location of each of the with the designated winning target positions. If five balls are clustered together, adjacent to one another, the CPU will grant a bonus award according to pre-selected award criteria. 
         [0008]    As the game is played, a player attempts to time the release of the balls so that they will cluster together and bounce off one another and to eventually settle into the cavities located on the periphery of the wheel. The object of the game is to cause the balls to come tot rest next to one another in five pre-designated target cavities. If the players timing is off or based upon the random motion of the moving wheel and balls, the balls will bounce around on the rotating wheel until their energy dissipates and eventually fall into one of the cavities on the rotating wheel. In a preferred embodiment, an award is granted to player for each ball that is retained in one of the pre-designated target cavities. 
         [0009]    In a first embodiment of the invention five balls are released and the object is to get all five balls to occupy the accident target cavities. In an alternative embodiment, six balls are dropped from the holding area and the object is to have all six balls fall not adjacent pre-designated not the target cavities. After balls come to rest in the cavity, they are slowly rotated. The balls then will then bounce and roll until each ball is captured within one of the holes. As discussed above a sensor detects the location of the balls in the depressions or cavities and sends a signal to a controller reflecting the particular location which the balls he balls have come to rest. 
         [0010]    The controller then and correlates the location with the pre-designated location that may also be indicated to the player by color or a symbol. If the balls are correlated with the wining target locations a predetermined bonus award is granted to the player. After the balls come to rest in a cavity, the balls continue to rotate around the wheel and are kept in place by a guide member. An angular position that is sufficiently inverted, the balls will drop out of the cavities an into a collection area. 
         [0011]    In alternative contemplated embodiments the cavities can be provided with other graphical designations including numbers, colors, suits (such as those used on playing cards) and other symbols. In such alternative contemplated embodiments the award can be based upon the successful play depending on the location of the balls in the pre-designated cavities. The play of the game may be altered by increasing or decreasing the number of balls, the number of cavities, the scoring criteria and the speed that the wheel turns. In yet a further contemplated alternative, the player can selected the target cavity by entering its designated symbol or number and the player is provided an award if the balls come to rest in the pre-selected cavities. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a first embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a front plan view of the wheels attached to the support member  104  along with bonus score displays  200  and  207 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a close-up view of the ball guide and release mechanism. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a front plan view of one of the wheels illustrating the ball drop path. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is side plan view of one of the wheels. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the wheels. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing of the input and output to the controller or main central processing unit. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the game. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Now referring to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of the invention includes two rotating wheel  100  and rotating wheel  102  oriented in vertical position that are driven by a motors (not shown), and enclosed by a transparent case  102 . The wheels are mounted on rear support member  104  which extends from cabinet  106 . On the front surface of cabinet  106  there is provided a coin or token acceptor  108  on the front of the cabinet  108  that will detect accept genuine coins or tokens and send signal to a central proceeding unit reflecting a credit has been earned. On the top surface of cabinet  106  are activation buttons  109  and  110  that correspond to each respective wheel and control the ball release solenoid. Upon the detection of a genuine coin, credit switch  115  is activated by the game controller or central processor. Activation of the credit switch allows the activation buttons  109  and  110  to be operable. On the lateral sides of cabinet are support members  115  and  116 . Support members  115  and  116  support a sign  120  that advertises and identifies the game. 
         [0021]    Now referring to  FIG. 2 , a side view of the game device reveals the lateral sides of a rim  200  on which printed matter is provided and which surrounds the wheel. As seen in  FIG. 3 , the wheels are attached to support member  104  to allow for rotation. The wheel is rotated at a constant rate. At the top bonus dispels  200  and  207  provide information to player relating to the size of the award. The bonus may be incrementally increased based upon the number of times the game is played without a player successfully hitting a jackpot. As described above, in the preferred embodiment a jackpot is achieved when all the balls fall into a series of pre-designated cavities located adjacent to one another. 
         [0022]    Now referring to  FIG. 4 , the rotating portion of the wheel is comprised of outer annular ring  401  which is attached a main planar disc section  403 . In the center of the wheel a main wheel bearing is provide which received an axel which connect the wheel to the support member  104  and allows for rotation. The wheel is driven by frictional engagement with drive ring  425  which contacts the outer surface  420  of annular ring  404 . Drive ring  425  is powered by a stepper motor  430  that drives the wheel at a constant rate of approximately 10 RPM. On the inner surface of annular ring  404  are a series of adjacent pockets or cavities  409  that are sized to receive the balls that are used to play the game. The cavities are provided around the entire wheel at angular positions. At each cavity or pockets is provided a through hole, such as ball check opto hole  428 , that transverses the main annular disc section  403  of the wheel. As the wheel turns each of the ball check opto holes pass by the ball check opto device  620  which includes a infra red light source  621  and a photodetector  622 . If no balls are retained in the cavity, the light from the infra red light source  621  will travel from the source, through the ball check opto hole and impinge on photodetector  622 . If a ball is trapped in the cavity, the light is blocked and no signal is generated by the photodetector. A transparent panel is provided on the front of the wheel to prevent the balls from exiting the wheel from the front side. The ball guide  675 , the solenoid  685 , and the light source  621  for the ball check opto are mounted on the transparent panel. The rear of the wheel is a solid disk. 
         [0023]    Also provided is a wheel home position optical sensor  650 . A pin or extension  690  is provided on the rear of the wheel which, upon each rotation, will travel between a light source and photodetector which makes up the home position optical sensor  650 . At each instance pin  690  travels through the light beam, the signal from the photodetector to the CPU is interrupted. The CPU interprets this interruption of signal as the home position of the wheel. 
         [0024]    Also shown in  FIG. 6  is the ball guide or reload ramp  675 . If a ball is contained within one of the cavities, as it reaches the ball reload ramp, the cavity begins to invert and the ball will begin to roll from its seated position in the bottom of the cavity toward the bottom of the wheel. The balls are prevented from falling out of the cavity by the guide  675 . When the ball reaches an angular position in the area identified by reference numeral  678 , the guide veers off away from the and at a downward angle. Balls located in the cavities will roll out and down surface  680  until they reach ball drop solenoid  680  which retains the balls in position until the solenoid is activated. Upon activation of solenoid  680  the balls are allowed to be released and roll down surface  680  into the wheel along a ball drop path  690 . 
         [0025]    The wheel is mounted to the support member  104  at the center. A pin that extends from support member  1045  is received in main wheel bearing  702 . 
         [0026]    Now referring to  FIG. 4  a main CPU  400  or controller serves as an operator. Inputs to CPU  400  include signals from the coin switch  401  which provides a credit to the player and consequently activates drop switch  403 . The drop switch  403  controls the ball drop solenoid  685 . A ball check opto  407  remains in a stationary position and provides signals to the CPU  400  which reflect the presence of a ball in the cavities as they pass between the light emitter and photodetector. The signal to the CPU is generated by the photodetector. A wheel home opto device  409  is provided on the support member  104  and also generates a signal that is transmitted to CPU  400  to allow the CPU to correlate the location of the cavity with respect to time in which a ball check opto signal is received. When the home position pin is sensed, a wheel position counter function is reset to zero indicating the staring positin of the wheel. The wheel position counter is incremented when one of two conditions exists (1) a through hole is detected, or (2) a timer (based upon the wheel speed and the relative space between adjacent ball cavity locations) has expired, indicting that sufficient time since the last through hole was detected has passed and the current wheel location therefore contains a ball blocking the ball check opto-sensor. Hen either of the above conditions exists the timer is reset in anticipation of the best ball position, and the wheel position count is incremented. If the thru hole was blocked, the location of the blocked hole is logged so that the result of the game play may be determined. In addition, since the wheel rotates at a constant speed, the location of each ball may be precisely determined. Output from CPU  400  includes instructions to the ticket dispenser  415  to dispense tickets in response to an award that is calculated by CPU  400 . The wheel drive stepper motor  416  is also activated and controlled by the CPU. The CPU  400  also provides a signal to the winner ball count lamp driver  417  which controls the display  419  which the bonus to the player at a particular time. 
         [0027]    In addition, the CPU controls a sound amp which powers speakers which provide a sound track which reflects conditions of the game. For example, if a win is detected the CPU may activate a sound effect consistent with the win. The CPU may also activate sounds in an attract mode. 
         [0028]    While the wheel is enclosed by a transparent panel, other types of enclosures would also work in the invention. For example a series of spokes, screens or other impediment that would prevent the balls from falling out of the lateral sides of the wheel would be sufficient. As recited herein, it is apparent that after a ball or game piece comes to rest in one of the cavities it revolves up and will then come into contact with the ball guide. Continued allows the balls to be released onto surface where the balls are retained until the next play of the game is implemented. 
         [0029]    It will be clear to one skilled in the art that the embodiments described above can be altered in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents.