Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6634944?dq=patent:5881444
Timestamp: 2015-07-31 18:06:15
Document Index: 240969996

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 270601', 'art 29', 'art 29', 'art 29', 'art 10', 'art 14', 'art 28', 'art 29', 'art 30']

Patent US6634944 - Audience terminal game machine for playing a self-contained game in a first ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA game machine provides play of a game wherein a hit is made or lost and including: character storage for storing information about a character which is provided separately from the game; and character raising for growing the character, which has been stored in the character storage, when the result...http://www.google.com/patents/US6634944?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6634944 - Audience terminal game machine for playing a self-contained game in a first mode or, in a second mode wagering on a game conducted by a remote game machineAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6634944 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/960,304Publication dateOct 21, 2003Filing dateSep 24, 2001Priority dateSep 24, 1999Fee statusPaidAlso published asEP1086728A2, EP1086728A3, US6595853, US6599190, US20020049083, US20020065125Publication number09960304, 960304, US 6634944 B2, US 6634944B2, US-B2-6634944, US6634944 B2, US6634944B2InventorsAkira OsawaOriginal AssigneeAruze CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (7), Referenced by (5), Classifications (13), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetAudience terminal game machine for playing a self-contained game in a first mode or, in a second mode wagering on a game conducted by a remote game machine
US 6634944 B2Abstract
What is claimed is: 1. An audience terminal game machine comprising:
a game memory containing a program for playing a non-competition game, in a first operational mode; character raising means for making changes to a character in a manner indicating an increased probability of the character winning as a participant in at least one competition game, when the result of the non-competition game is a predetermined hit; communication means for communicating information, including the changed character, to a remote game machine for play by the remote machine of the at least one competition game in accordance with a program contained in the remote machine; operation means for selecting either said first operational mode for playing said noncompetition game or a second operational mode for betting on the at least one competition game played in the remote machine; expected game results information input means for inputting expected information about the expected result of the at least one competition game which is played by said remote game machine; bet receiving means for receiving a bet on the expected result; information transmitting means for transmitting information about the bet via said communication means; and dividend paying means for receiving said information about the result of the at least one competition game, which has been transmitted by the remote game machine via said communication means, to pay a dividend when said information about the result of the at least one competition game indicates coincidence with expectation. 2. An audience terminal game machine according to claim 1 wherein:
said operation means activates said second operational mode, responsive to an invitation signal from the remote game machine, provided play of said non-competition game in said first operational mode is not in progress. 3. An audience terminal game machine according to claim 1 wherein:
said dividend paying means returns the bet responsive to a refusal signal from the remote game machine indicating a refusal to accept the bet. 4. An audience terminal game machine according to claim 1 wherein:
said operation means switches from said second operational mode to said first operational mode, responsive to said refusal signal. 5. An audience terminal game machine according to claim 1 wherein said operation means has a third operational mode wherein a player's operational input is accepted for participation in the competition game by interaction with the remote game machine.
a central game machine for playing at least one competition game and for receiving bets on an expected result of said at least one competition game, said central game machine comprising a memory containing a program for play of said at least one competition game; and at least one audience terminal game machine comprising: a game memory containing a program for playing a non-competition game, in a first operational mode; character raising means for making changes to a character in a manner indicating an increased probability of the character winning as a participant in the at least one competition game, when the result of the non-competition game is a predetermined hit; communication means for communicating information, including the changed character, to the central game machine for play by the central game machine of the at least one competition game, in which the changed character is a participant, in accordance with a program contained in the central game machine; operation means for selecting either said first operational mode for playing said non-competition game or a second operational mode for betting on the at least one competition game played in the central game machine; expected game results information input means for inputting expected information about the expected result of the at least one competition game which is played by the central game machine; bet receiving means for receiving a bet on the expected result; information transmitting means and transmitting information about the bet via said communication means; and dividend paying means for receiving said information about the result of the at least one competition game, which has been transmitted by the central game machine via said communication means, to pay a dividend when said information about the result of the at least one competition game indicates coincidence with expectation. 7. A game system according to claim 6 further comprising at least a second said audience terminal game machine, said one and second audience terminal game machines respectively containing different game programs to play different non-competition games in said first operational mode.
8. A game system according to claim 6 wherein:
said operation means activates said second operational mode, responsive to an invitation signal from the central game machine, provided play of said non-competition game in said first operational mode is not in progress. 9. A game system according to claim 6 wherein:
said dividend paying means returns the bet responsive to a refusal signal from the central game machine indicating a refusal to accept the bet. 10. A game system according to claim 6 wherein:
said operation means switches from said second operational mode to said first operational mode, responsive to said refusal signal. 11. A game system according to claim 6 wherein said operation means has a third operational mode wherein a player's operational input is accepted for participation in the competition game by interaction with the central game machine.
This application is a division of U.S. Ser. No. 09/658,267 filed Sep. 8, 2000, pending, and claims, under 35 USC 119, priority of Japanese Application No. 270601 filed Sep. 24, 1999.
(A) First Preferred Embodiment
The first preferred embodiment of a game system according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 as a game system 1 including a competition type game machine 2, and a plurality of terminal game machines 3-1 through 3-m and 4-1 through 4-n, which are connected to each other via a wire or radio network 5. Furthermore, if the network 5 is a wire network, its connection type may be any one of bus, mesh and ring types. In addition, a repeating installation and a route switching installation may be suitably provided in the network 5. Moreover, the An plurality of terminal game machines 3-1 through 3=and 4-1 through 4-n may be connected directly to the competition type game machine 2 in the form of a star.
(A-1-2) Schematic Internal Construction of the Character Participating Terminal Game Machine 3 FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the internal construction of the character participating terminal game machine 3 (3-1 through 3-m) which is arranged to function as a terminal unit of the game system 1. That is, the construction for a game independently executed by the character participating terminal game machine 3 itself is omitted from FIG. 3.
The prize paying part 29 is designed to pay a prize under the control of the control part 29 when the character, which has participated in the competition type game carried out by the competition type game machine 2, wins a prize. The prize may be a fixed prize determined in accordance with the ranking of arrival, or may vary in accordance with the number of participating characters and/or the total of bets. When the character participating terminal game machine 3 functions as a unit game machine, coin or paper money corresponding to a hit are paid when the hit is made in the game. Such a device for paying the coin or paper money is also used as the prize paying part 29.
(A-1-3) Schematic Internal Construction of the Audience Terminal Game Machine 4 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the internal construction of an audience terminal game machine 4 (4-1 through 4-n) which is arranged as a terminal unit of the game system. That is, arrangement for independent execution of a game by the audience terminal game machine 4 itself is omitted from FIG. 4.
(A-2-1) Operation of Competition Type Game Machine 2 First, referring to the flow chart of FIG. 5, the operation of the competition type game machine 2 will be described in detail below.
It is herein assumed that the raising of the characters is carried out by adding items. For example, items such as clothes are mounted on the skeleton characters shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 shows examples of such items which include “swimming wear”, “shoes for short-distance race, “camouflaged clothes” and a “power belt”. To each of the items, different parameter values are assigned in accordance with the type of the competition game. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, if the competition type game is “swimming”, a parameter value of “10” is assigned to the swimming wear, and if the competition type game is a “short-distance race , a parameter value of “6” is assigned to the swimming wear. On the other hand, if the competition type game is a “fashion show”, a parameter value of “1” is assigned to the swimming wear, and if the competition type game is a “long-distance race”, a parameter value of “4” is assigned to the swimming wear.
After the invitation is completed, the control part 10 causes the random number generating part 14 to generate random numbers, and also utilizes the generated random numbers to determine the ranking of each of the participating characters in the competition type game (step 210). For example, if the number of the participating characters is 3 and if the first prize receiving probabilities of the respective participating characters are “0.5”, “0.3”, and “0.2”, respectively, three-digit random numbers “500” through “999” are set so as to correspond to a first participating character, three-digit random numbers “200” through “499” are set so as to correspond to a second participating character, and three-digit random numbers “000” through “199” set so as to correspond to a third participating character. In addition, the first prize is determined by the first generated random number, and the second and subsequent prizes are determined by subsequently generated random numbers.
Thereafter, the routine returns to step 200. Thus, a new starting time and the type of new game are determined. Furthermore, the execution of the next game may be started-without delay. In addition, the type of the next game may be determined in accordance with a cyclic order in which the types of a plurality of games capable of being executed are varied, or may be determined by utilizing random numbers. Furthermore, the number of the types of the games capable of being executed by the competition type game machine 2 may be one.
(A-2-2) Operation of Character Participating Terminal Game Machine 3 Referring to the flow chart of FIG. 8, the operation of the character participating terminal game machine 3 as the terminal unit of the game system 1 will be described in detail below.
Furthermore, if no character information has been stored in the character buffer memory 24, the character participating terminal mode may be released to end the routine shown in FIG. 8. In addition; when the character information is read out of the character recording medium 22, if a plurality of items of character information have been stored in the character recording medium 22, selection of the character information may be allowed.
(A-2-3) Operation of Audience Terminal Game Machine 4 Referring to the flow chart of FIG. 9, the operation of the audience terminal game machine 4 as a terminal unit of the game system 1 will be described in detail below.
In addition, on the front face of the slot machine body 101, an operation panel is arranged slightly below center. On the operation panel, there are arranged general components of the slot machine, such as a C/P switch 107, a 1BET switch 108, a spin switch 109, a maximum BET switch 110, a coin slot 111 and a bill insertion port 112, as well as a game machine operation mode switch 115, a character participating terminal mode LED 116, an audience terminal mode LED 117, an IC card receiver 118 and an IC card ejecting button 118B.
The microcomputer 120 comprises a CPU 121 for execution of a preset program, and a RON 122 and ROM (including an EEPROM or the like) 123 serving as memory means. An area within the RAM 123 serves as the character buffer memory 24 which has been described with reference to FIG. 3.
Input signals to the microcomputer 120, are generated by a start switch 1065 for detecting the operation of the start lever 106, the C/P switch 107, the iBET switch 108, the spin switch 109, the maximum BET switch 110, a coin sensor 111S, a paper money sensor 112S, the game machine operation mode switch 115, the print start switch 119S, and an IC card sensor 144S for detecting the loading of an IC card 144.
Input signals are also generated by a reel position detecting circuit 131 for receiving output pulse signals from photo sensors 130L, 130C and 13OR, to detect the position of each of the reels 103L, 103C and 103R; and a payment completion signal circuit 134 for confirming that a payout has been completed.
The microcomputer 120 instructs the motor driving 10 circuit 129 to sequentially stop the reels 103L, 103C and 103R so as to form a combination of the symbols corresponding to the determined prize receiving form. If the determined prize receiving form is not a hit, the microcomputer 120 waits for a new game to start.
Thereafter, the microcomputer 120 determines whether the hit prize receiving form (the combination of the stopped symbols of the reels 103L, 103C and 103R).is a prize receiving form which allows an item to be mounted (step 504). If the hit prize receiving form is a prize receiving form which allows no item to be mounted, the microcomputer 120 ends the current game.
When no item is already mounted on the portion of the character, on which an item is now to be additionally mounted, or when the replacement of the item on that portion of the character is instructed, the microcomputer 120 causes the liquid crystal display 105 to display that an item related to the current hit is mounted on the displayed character image (step 508), and updates character information in the character buffer memory (see reference 23 in FIG. 3) in the RAM 123 (step 509) to end the current game.
In the slot machine shown in this example, as shown 25 at steps 500 and 501 in FIG. 12, the item for mounting displayed on the liquid crystal display 105 is suitably updated so as to rouse the players interest. The determination which item the display item is updated to is carried out by the routine shown in FIG. 15, which is different from the above described routine of FIG. 12.
First, the microcomputer 120 determines whether the signal to start the routine of FIG. 15 results from lapse of a predetermined period of time after the completion of the last execution of the routine shown in FIG. 15 or that the game routine of FIG. 12 about the game has been completed with the result determined to be in the prize receiving form allowing the item to be mounted (step 504 of FIG. 12)(this includes a case where no item is mounted) (step S600).
In addition, even,in the case of the same character, the prizing receiving probability varies in accordance with the kind of the competition type game which is carried out by the competition type game machine. Therefore, the player can select a competition type game in which the character participates, in view of the item with which the character is equipped, so that the player will be further interested in the raising of the character. This is basis for a further expectation of an increase in play of a game in a character participating terminal game machine. Naturally, this also increases the expectation of play of a game in a competition type game machine.
The character raising game machines 3B-1 through 3B-p also correspond to the character participating terminal game machines 3-1 through 3-m in the first preferred embodiment. However, unlike the character participating terminal game machines 3-1 through 3-m, the character raising game machines 3B-1 through 3B-p do not function as terminal units of the game system 1A. That is, each of the character raising game machines 3B-1 through 3B-p functions as a game machine, and further functions to raise a character in accordance with the prize receiving form of the game. The internal construction of each of the character raising game machines 3B-1 through 3B-m is the same as that of the character participating terminal game machine 3 shown in FIG. 3, except for the participation fee receiving part 28, the prize paying part 29 and the communication part 30, although the detailed internal construction thereof is not shown.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5672106 *Sep 12, 1995Sep 30, 1997Totalizator Agency BoardCombined totalizer and fixed odds betting system and methodUS5749785 *Dec 8, 1995May 12, 1998Rossides; Michael T.Communications system using betsUS6152822 *Jan 15, 1998Nov 28, 2000Herbert; Richard A.Wagering system and method of wageringUS6315668 *Apr 13, 1999Nov 13, 2001Midway Games, Inc.System and method for networking video gamesJPH08206360A Title not availableJPH10235016A Title not availableJPH10244071A Title not available* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7892088 *Oct 18, 2001Feb 22, 2011Steve BrandstetterGaming device having a second separate bonusing eventUS8128491Sep 5, 2006Mar 6, 2012IgtServer based gaming system having multiple progressive awardsUS8128492Jul 30, 2007Mar 6, 2012IgtServer based gaming system having multiple progressive awardsUS9047733Nov 8, 2006Jun 2, 2015IgtGaming system and method for providing multiple level progressive awards with increased odds of winning higher level progressive awardsWO2006124393A2 *May 9, 2006Nov 23, 2006Idb LlcSystem and method for providing a virtual multiple ball roulette-style wheel in a gaming device* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification463/25, 463/42International ClassificationA63F13/00, A63F5/04, A63F1/00, G07F17/32Cooperative ClassificationA63F2300/65, A63F2300/636, G07F17/3227, G07F17/3244, A63F2001/008European ClassificationG07F17/32K, G07F17/32E2Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionApr 12, 2007FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Dec 23, 2009ASAssignmentOwner name: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, JAPANFree format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:ARUZE CORPORATION (ARUZE KABUSHIKI KAISHA);REEL/FRAME:023691/0877Effective date: 20091101Apr 15, 2011FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Apr 16, 2015FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services