WO1996021914A1

WO1996021914A1 - Gaming machine

Info

Publication number: WO1996021914A1
Application number: PCT/DE1996/000038
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Buchholz; Michael Jones
Original assignee: Nsm Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1995-01-10
Filing date: 1996-01-05
Publication date: 1996-07-18
Also published as: EP0803112A1; ES2123333T3; DE19500458A1; EP0803112B1; DE59600511D1; ATE170650T1

Abstract

The invention concerns a gaming machine with at least one mobile body (1, 2, 3) which is free to move within a viewable field and whose surface carries an identification element intended to determine whether the player wins or loses. The mobile body has a coloured surface (6). The machine has an optical scanner (17) fitted with a light source (4, 12) which illuminates the mobile body and with a sensor (5). The light source (4, 12) transmits light of various wavelengths and the sensor (5) detects the light reflected by the mobile body at a given wavelength, the light detected by the sensor being processed to determined the identification element concerned. Alternatively, the gaming machine can have at least one mobile body (1, 2, 3) which is free to move within a viewable field and whose surface carries a patterned identification element. Used as the identification element is a permanent magnetic, acoustic, electromagnetic (transponder) and/or optical (fluorescence) field transmitted by the mobile body. Used as the sensor is a magnetic, acoustic, radio and/or optical device (28).

Description

GAME MACHINE

description

The invention relates to a gaming machine with at least one body that can move freely in a viewable playing field, the surface of which is provided with an identifier that is provided for determining a possible game win.

In the case of a slot machine of the type mentioned at the outset, known from DE-C-37 17 593, with game bodies which carry a visible combination of numbers and / or symbols, this identifier is scanned without contact. A corresponding additional identification is provided for the contactless scanning, for example in the form of miniature oscillating circuits which can be scanned contactlessly by an induction sensor or magnets which can be scanned by a magnetic field sensor or areas of different heat capacity which can be scanned by a thermo sensor. The sensor signals are fed to a control unit, which evaluates the signals and evaluates them according to the rules of the game.

Alternatively, the bodies can, for example, contain built-in LC bodies, the change in voltage of an assigned gene rators for detection (DE-C-28 03 894). Other known slot machines use optical identification scanning.

The known scanning methods are either susceptible to contamination, abrasion or other changes in the body against wear and corrosion. In the optical methods, manipulation of the gaming operation of the machine, e.g. glare from the outside is possible, and so undisturbed operation is not guaranteed.

The invention has for its object to provide a game machine, the structure and mode of operation of which ensures a high level of security against manipulation from the outside and is low in wear.

This object is achieved in a slot machine with the features of claim 1 or 9. Advantageous developments of the gaming machine according to the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

The object of the invention is thus a slot machine with at least one body which can move freely in a viewable playing field, the surface of which is provided with an identifier which is provided for determining a possible game win. The body has a colored surface. An optical scanning device with a light source illuminating the body and a sensor device is provided. The light source emits light of different wavelengths, and the sensor device detects that reflected by the body. te light with a defined wavelength, which is then processed to determine the identifier.

Alternatively, a slot machine is also provided with at least one body which can move freely in a viewable playing field, the surface of which is provided with an identifier which is provided for determining a possible game win. The body has a label with a pattern. A permanent magnetic, acoustic, electromagnetic (transponder) and / or optical (fluorescence) field, which the body emits, is provided as identification. A magnetic, acoustic, radio and / or optical sensor is provided as the sensor.

In the slot machine according to the invention, a plurality of different identification areas are provided on the surface of a freely movable body, which can be recognized by the player through a viewing window. Each visible symbol of this type can be assigned an identification area which is located on an invisible area of the surface of the body. Such an identification area can be arranged, for example, on the point on the surface of the body diametrically opposite the optical symbol. It is thereby achieved that the process of scanning the identifier takes place in a spatial area which is covered by the body itself for the player, is therefore not visible and cannot be manipulated by the player. The free body is advantageously embodied as a single ball or as a horizontally lying roller, it being possible for both the movement and the rotation of the body to be generated by magnetic fields and / or by air currents.

An embodiment of the gaming machine according to the invention is advantageous, in which the end positions of the freely floating bodies are so discretely rasterized with the aid of magnets that only a finite number of end positions is possible, with exactly one optical symbol from the player at each end position Viewing window is visible.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of freely floating balls are located in a rotating drum or these balls are whirled by an air flow within a limited space with the aid of an air flow. At the end of the game, one of these balls is randomly sorted out and separated. For this purpose, the discarded ball is dropped into a visible pot, for example, and its end position is then determined.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, identification areas are marked in different colors and are illuminated by colored light sources, the light reflected by the identification areas being detected by a reflecting device and then evaluated. For example, individually switchable light sources that are mapped onto the identification area with the help of suitable lenses. det, preferably with the colors red, green and blue, can be provided. The light reflected by the respective identification area can be measured, for example, by one or more light-sensitive electrical components provided as sensors, such as a phototransistor or a photodiode, and processed digitally following an A / D conversion become. In this embodiment, for example, first a basic brightness value of the identification area is measured without illumination, and then the light sources (preferably two or three) are switched on individually or in combination and the reflected light is measured. Then combinations of the light sources or all light sources are switched on simultaneously and the respective total value is determined. It must be ensured that no light reaches the sensor directly from the colored light sources. The light sources can be switched on one after the other, for example, so that a substantial light intensity is only measured in a light sensor if the color of the colored field designed as an identification area matches the color of the light source. Different colors can then be identified by comparison with empirically defined threshold values.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the gaming machine according to the invention, the identification areas are each marked in different colors and are illuminated by a polychrome light source, the light reflected by the identification areas being detected by up to three sensors, each with different, upstream color filters becomes. For example, photo transistors or photo diodes can be used as photo sensors. These sensors measure the intensity of the respective spectral component of the light reflected by an identification region, this intensity advantageously being processed digitally after an A / D conversion. Different colors can then be identified by comparison with empirically defined threshold values.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the gaming machine according to the invention, an additional UV identifier is provided. A UV light source illuminates the body and the intensity of the UV light reflected from the identification areas is detected and evaluated by a sensor. The second identifier can be placed under a UV filter area, e.g. Fo¬ lie, or be arranged in this, and these are designed for coding with different density or thickness. A sensor sensitive to UV light measures the intensity of the reflected UV light, the amount of which can be processed digitally after an A / D conversion. The different identification areas can be identified by comparison with the empirically determined threshold values of the different coding values.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the identification areas are provided with an absolute value or incremental value coding. This embodiment relates primarily to a freely movable body designed as a horizontally lying roller. On the top or bottom or on the edge of such a roller can a code strip consisting of several tracks is applied, which indicates either absolute values or incremental values. Absolute value coding is advantageous here, since it enables unambiguous value determination even in the idle state. The code strips can, for example, be arranged in a circle, and they can also consist, for example, of material reflecting UV light. For example, reflection light barriers, photo diodes with appropriate lighting or CCD lines (camera arrays) can be used to scan the code strips.

The identification areas are preferably also provided with identification symbols, a CCD line being provided for pattern recognition. The identification symbols can be designed as special optical characters, such as numbers, letters and code stripes. It is expedient to use a permanently installed CCD line which converts an optical code into an electrical pattern which is fed to a downstream microprocessor for the purpose of image pattern recognition. Here, the pattern scanned from the line is compared with the stored patterns and the identification or end position of the body is determined in this way.

The slot machine according to the invention can also be designed such that the freely movable body or bodies are formed from a magnetic metal and are swept or gripped by a magnetic field. The identification areas can be designed as a loose magnetic field in a predetermined manner, interfering inhomogeneities of the body surface, the se disturbances can be used for detection. For example, small, thin slits can be made in the surface of the ball or drum at firmly defined locations. As a result, the magnetic field surrounding the body is divided into individual, separately magnetized fields. This creates a new magnetic field in the area of the slot, which extends to an adjacent slot. This disturbance is recognized by means of a magnetic field sensor and evaluated with a subsequent computing unit. According to a similar preferred embodiment, a second magnetic field sensor is provided, which measures the strength of the undisturbed magnetic field at another point on the surface of the body, which has no inhomogeneities, the difference between this second magnetic field measurement and the magnetic field measurement occurring at one Fault point has been made, the fault in the field is determined. This embodiment also has the advantage that it is possible to determine the direction of rotation and the speed of the body with the aid of the second magnetic sensor in conjunction with the first magnetic sensor.

According to another embodiment of the gaming machine according to the invention, the identification areas each reflect sound waves to different extents, and one or more acoustic sensors are provided which evaluate the reflected sound in order to detect the end position of the body. According to a similar embodiment, the body can also be provided with an acoustic signal transmitter which emits sound waves with, for example, a fixed frequency or frequency pattern. According to a further preferred embodiment of the gaming machine according to the invention, each identification area is provided with a transponder having a predetermined identification, an exciter or receiver for detecting the body evaluating the identification of the transponder opposite it. In the event that the body is designed as a horizontally lying roller, the transponders are lined up one behind the other along the circumference of the roller. Alternatively, it can also be provided that the transponder absorbs field energy in a corresponding electromagnetic field and sends a predetermined identifier, which is selected individually for the body.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the gaming machine according to the invention, each identification area is provided with a radiating substance (liquid) which is made to glow in a predetermined manner, a radiation detector being provided for detecting the end position of the body, which is the radiation evaluates.

The invention is explained below on the basis of advantageous exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the figures of the drawing and are not to be interpreted as restricting the invention.

Show it:

1A and 1B possible arrangements for free-floating bodies designed as horizontally lying rollers in a gaming machine;

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the gaming machine in which the identification areas of colored light sources are illuminated;

3 shows a further embodiment of the gaming machine, in which the identification areas are illuminated by colored light;

4 shows an embodiment of the gaming machine in which the identification areas are each marked in different colors and the light reflected by them is evaluated by photo sensors which are preceded by color filters;

Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the gaming machine similar to that shown in Figure 4;

6A shows a cross section through a free-floating body which is provided with a UV film;

6B shows an enlarged section of the cross section shown in FIG. 6A;

7A shows a free-floating body provided with an identification symbol according to the invention; 7B shows the reception signals of a CCD camera

Detection of the symbol shown in Fig. 7A;

8 shows a freely floating body, the treated surface of which disturbs the magnetic field surrounding the body in a predetermined manner;

9 shows a free-floating body which is provided with an acoustic signal generator;

10 shows a free-floating body which is provided with transponders;

11 shows a further free-floating body which is provided with a transponder; and

Fig. 12 shows a free-floating body which has a Kennungsbe rich provided with the help of a radiating substance.

1A and IB show a freely floating body designed as a horizontally lying roller 1. In the case of FIG. 1A, it is arranged in a guide 11 with a round cross section and in the case of FIG. IB in a guide 10 with a rectangular cross section. The drive of the horizontally lying roller 1 can in each case be effected either magnetically or by an air stream tangentially grazing the roller. In the free-floating body shown in FIG. 2, which in turn is designed as a horizontally lying roller 1, colored fields 6 are arranged along the outer circumference of the roller. These fields are visible to the player in the front area of the roller 1 through a viewing window 8. A sensor device for detecting an end position of the roller 1 is provided in the rear region of the roller 1. This sensor device consists of three light sources 4, 4 'and 4''and a light sensor 5. The light source 4 emits red light, the light source 4' green light and the light source 4 ¹ 'blue light. The light generated by these light sources is focused on an area on the surface of the roller 1 that is no larger than a colored field 6. The light reflected by this illuminated area falls on the light sensor 5. The light sources 4, 4 ¹ and 4 '' are each switched on one after the other, so that a significant intensity of incident light is only detected in the light sensor when the color of the identifier ¬ richly colored field matches the color of the light source. A similar arrangement is shown in FIG. 3 for the case of a free-floating body designed as a ball. Since the reference symbols are identical in each case, reference is made to the sensor process described above.

In the case of a free-floating body shown in FIG. 4, which in turn is designed as a horizontally lying roller 1, compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. ne other sensor device provided on the rear side of the roller 1, which otherwise corresponds to that of Fig. 2. The sensor device has a polychrome light source 12, the light of which is concentrated on an area of the surface of the roller 1 which is no larger than an identification area formed as a colored field on the surface of the roller. The light reflected by this area falls on three light sensors 5, 5 'and 5 ¹ ', each of which is preceded by optical filters 13, 13 'and 13''. The filter 13 allows red light to pass through, the filter 13 'green light and the filter 13''blue light. If an identification area is marked, for example, as a red field, the light beam that is focused onto the field by the light source 12 is reflected as red light from the field, this light being transmitted through the filter 13 and striking the sensor 5 while it is being hit by the filters 13 'and 13''is blocked, so that the light sensors 5' and 5 ' ^{1 register} no incident light. The same applies to the colors green and blue for the sensors 5 'and 5''. In this way, the color of a marked field is unambiguously assigned to one of the light sensors 5, 5 'and 5'', and the identification areas marked as colored fields are thus clearly identified.

5 relates to a configuration of the invention similar to that of FIG. 4, with the difference that the free-floating body is designed as a sphere on which the identification areas marked as colored fields 6 are provided. The reference symbols are identical to those in FIG. 4 illustrated embodiment, so that reference is made to the statements there.

6A is a cross section through a free-floating body, which can be designed either as a horizontally lying roller or as a single ball. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 6B, which shows an enlarged partial section of the body shown in FIG. 6A, it consists of either a spherical or cylindrical base material 14, which is covered with a printing film 15 provided with identification areas, for example colored fields or has predetermined optical identification symbols. Arranged on this printing film 15 is a UV reflection film which is transparent to visible light and which has different densities in different areas. Such a free-floating body is preferably illuminated on its back with UN light, and the reflected light is measured by a UV light sensor. When the floating body is in its final position, the strength of the measured reflected UV light is then used to draw conclusions about a specific region of predetermined density in the reflective film 16. Since the areas of different density in the reflective film 16 have a firm and unambiguous relationship to the colored fields or the optical symbols which are formed on the printing film 15, it is possible for the end position of the freely floating body to be in one place (behind the free-floating body) is detected, which is not visible to the player. In the free-floating body shown in FIG. 7A, which in turn is designed as a horizontally lying roller 1, an optical identification symbol 18 in the form of a "1" is provided on the outer surface. A CCD camera 17 is used to detect the optical symbol 18 when it moves past the camera 17 when the roller 1 rotates. The signals received in this case by the channels of the CCD camera are shown in FIG. 7B, the abscissa of which indicates the time and the ordinate of which indicates the number of channels. According to the specific two-dimensional design of the symbol 18, channels 1 and 9 first, then channels 1, 9 and 10, then all channels 1 to 10 and then all channels 1 to 11 receive inputs, followed by two inputs in channel 1. This identifier is stored digitally and serves as a reference for recognizing a pattern with the shape of the symbol 18. This also makes it possible to carry out a pattern recognition on the back of the roller, which the player cannot see and therefore cannot manipulate is. In this case, the player can see another identification area, which, however, has a local relationship with the symbol 18, so that the presence of this identification area can be deduced from the viewing window visible to the player.

In the case of the free-floating body shown as a ball 2 in FIG. 8, a plurality of small, thin slits 20 are made in the surface of the ball 2, which is made of a metal. As a result, a homogeneous magnetic field surrounding the sphere is disturbed in a targeted manner, and interference fields 21 are formed. The interference fields 21 are detected by magnetic field sensors 19. For this purpose, a plurality of magnetic field sensors 19 are arranged around the body 2. Due to the predetermined arrangement of the slots 20 and the interference fields 21 generated thereby, an empirically determinable intensity of the magnetic field is measured in each magnetic field sensor 19 with a predetermined position of the body 2. The values of the local magnetic field intensity measured by each magnetic field sensor 19 form a value scale which specifies predetermined values for a specific position of the body 2. Here, in turn, there is a clear, fixed assignment between such empirically determined values of the value scale and associated end positions of the body 2 corresponding spatial orientations. This arrangement enables the end position of the free-floating body 2 to be determined with this arrangement.

In the embodiment of a free-floating body shown in FIG. 9, a single ball 3 is provided with an acoustic signal transmitter 23 which emits acoustic signals, ie sound waves, in a predetermined direction. On the basis of corresponding sensors, not shown, which are arranged around this single ball 3 and receive the corresponding acoustic signals when the signal transmitter 13 is compared, a determination of the spatial orientation or the end position of the ball 3 is made possible. A free-floating body shown in cross section in FIG. 10 and designed as a horizontally lying roller 1 is provided with transponders 24 along its circumference. These transponders 24 each issue predetermined identifiers, which are measured by a receiver 25 and then evaluated. Due to the fixed installation of the transponders 24 along the surface of the roller 1 and the predetermined identifier of each transponder by the identifier received by the receiver 25 from the transponder 24 opposite the receiver 25, the end position of the roller 1 is on receipt a predetermined identifier and can therefore be evaluated by an evaluation unit, not shown. The same applies to the single ball 3 shown in FIG. 11, the end position of which lies within the viewing area 9 of the player. Here too, the identification of a transponder 24 of a plurality of transponders creates a clear association between a specific ball 3 and its position with respect to the receiver 25.

In the embodiment of a free-floating body shown in FIG. 12, a single ball 3 is arranged in a separating container 27, which is arranged so that it is visible to the player. The ball 3 is provided with a luminous excitable medium 26 over a predetermined identification area, which medium is excited by an exciter 29, so that it starts to light up, and the light of which is measured by a sensor. With different orientations of the identification area 26, which go hand in hand with corresponding changes in the end position of the ball 3, changes with the Sensor 28 measured light intensity connected, so that here too, a relationship between the end position of the ball 3 and the intensity measured with the sensor 28 can be established empirically. The intensity measurement values assigned to the various spatial orientations are stored in an evaluation unit (not shown), with each measurement value being assigned a specific spatial orientation of the sphere 3. In this way, the end position of the ball 3 can be determined on the basis of an intensity value measured by the sensor 28.

Claims

Expectations

Slot machine with at least one body that can move freely in a viewable playing field (1,

2,

3), the surface of which is provided with an identifier which is provided for determining a possible game win, the body having a colored surface (6) and an optical scanning device (17) with a light illuminating the body (4, 12) and one Sensor device (5) is provided, characterized in that the light source (4) emits light of different wavelengths and the sensor device (5) detects the light reflected by the body at a defined wavelength, which is then processed to determine the identifier is tested.

Slot machine according to claim 1, in which the body is multi-colored, characterized in that a plurality of colored light sources (4) are provided for illuminating the body, the light sources being switched on individually and / or in selected combinations, and a reflector device for Detection of the reflected light is provided.

Slot machine according to claim 1, in which the body is multi-colored, characterized in that a polychrome light source is provided for illuminating the body and three sensors (5), each with upstream, un- Different color filters (13) or a sensor (5) with three switchable color filters (13) are provided for detecting the reflected light.

4. Slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the body has a second invisible identifier (16), characterized ge indicates that the second identifier is a UN identifier

(16), a UV light source is provided for illuminating the body and a sensor is provided for detecting the reflected UV light.

5. Slot machine according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that amplitude reference values are provided for the color detection of the sensor.

6. Slot machine according to claim 5, characterized gekennzeich¬ net that an identifier of UV light reflecting material (16) is provided.

7. Slot machine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that two code strips with absolute or incremental value coding are provided as the identifier.

8. Slot machine according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a sensor is a photo transistor and / or a photo diode and / or a CCD array is provided.

9. slot machine with at least one freely moveable body (1, 2, 3), the surface of which is provided with an identifier which is provided for determining a possible game win, the body having a pattern-provided identifier, characterized in that a permanent magnetic, acoustic, electromagnetic (transponder) and / or optical (fluorescence) field, which the body emits, is provided as the identifier, and that a magnetic, acoustic, radio and / or optical sensor is used as the sensor (28) is provided.

10. Slot machine according to claim 9, with a magnetic body, characterized in that the body surface Schlit¬ ze (20) has as an identifier coding, which is detected by the sensor (19) and the identification is detected in an evaluation device, or a reference sensor is provided which detects the magnetic field without slits.

11. Slot machine according to claim 9, characterized gekennzeich¬ net that the body with a radiating liquid

(26) is filled as the identifier substance.