Gaming machine with comparison of randomly determined and player preselected symbols

Claim 2

A gaming machine comprising display means which displays a combination of symbols to a player and which operates to change the displayed combination in a random manner and to produce a final randomly selected combination during each game; sensing means operatively associated with said display means; a plurality of signalling circuits through which the sensing means are connected to prize signalling circuits; pre-selection means comprising a plurality of manually operable devices each corresponding to a respective one of said symbols and operation of which activates said display means; circuit means associated with said manually operated devices and said prize signalling circuits so that correspondence between a manually operated device and displayed symbols creates win signals which increase dependent upon the number of correspondences therebetween, the win signal being further increased when all of the displayed symbols correspond to the manually operated device, and prize awarding means responsive to corresponding win signals.

Claim 3

The machine of claim 1 including one of said prize signalling circuits connected to said sensing means producing a different win signal when the final coMbination of symbols produced by said display means have correspondence to each other but not to said manually operated device.

Claim 4

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said display means comprises reels which carry said symbols around their periphery and which are spun to change the display, and in which said sensing means comprises separate rotary switches which rotate with each reel and which have output switch contacts connected individually to said signalling circuits.

Claim 5

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 3 in which said prize-signalling circuits are logic gating circuits which include first logic gates with input connections from said signalling circuits.

Claim 6

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 4 in which each of said manually operable devices controls application of an output signal to one or more of the inputs of said first logic gates of corresponding prize-signalling circuits.

Claim 7

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 5 in which said preselection means includes a shift register and each of said manually operable devices controls operation of different stages of the shift register and when operated triggers this stage to produce said output signal therefrom to the first logic gates.

Claim 8

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 6 which further includes clock means which is connected to said shift register and which triggers all of the stages thereof to make all of the corresponding prize-signalling circuits operative if a manually operable device is operated at a preset time as determined by said clock means.

Claim 9

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 which includes an electronic control unit comprising a pulse generator and a digital counter which counts pulses from the pulse generator and which in predetermined counting states produces control pulses to control operation of said display means, said sensing means and said prize awarding means.

Claim 10

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 8 further comprising starter means which is operated by a player to begin a game on the machine and which controls said digital counter so that it is restricted to count over only a limited first part of its range when the starter means is in its inoperative state and does so in a cyclic manner by reverting to zero each time that it reaches the end of its limited range, and is free to count over the whole of its range when the starter means is operated by a player; and a number of output gates which are connected to the counter so that they each pass a control signal to said display means, said sensing means and said prize awarding means when the counter is in a respective counting state outside the said limited range.

Claim 11

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 9 in which the digital counter is a binary counter comprising a series of bistable circuits which are divided into first and second groups, the first group corresponding to the said limited range, and the second group being controlled by stop means which is in turn controlled by the starter means.

Claim 12

A gaming machine as claimed in claim 10 in which the stop means comprises means which serves to apply an inhibit voltage to the second group of bistable circuits so that they are held in their zero counting state.

Claim 13

A gaming machine comprising display means which displays a combination of symbols to a player and which operates to change the displayed combination in a random manner and to produce a final randomly selected combination during each game; sensing means including switch means which is operatively associated with said display means and a plurality of prize signalling circuits to which the switch means is connected so that when the display means displays each of a predetermined number of final combinations of symbols the switch means causes a corresponding prize signalling circuit to produce a corresponding signal; prize awarding means which responds to said signals and awards corresponding prizes; pre-selection means comprising a plurality of manually operable devices each corresponDing to a respective one of said symbols and operable by a player before the display means operates to activate the same, two of said prize signalling circuits associated with each symbol being such as to produce a win signal in response to the same final winning combination of that symbol means responsive to the win signal of one of the two circuits for operating said prize awarding means to the exclusion of the win signal of the other of the two circuits to award a prize of one value when said same final combination includes the symbol of the device which has been operated; means responsive to the win signal of the other of the two circuits for operating said prize awarding means to the exclusion of the win signal of the first of the two circuits to award a prize of another value when said same final winning combination does not include the symbol of the device which has been operated, each of the other signalling circuits associated with each symbol producing a win signal in response to a final combination of symbols different from said winning combination but which includes the symbol of the device which has been operated; and means which allows only a set number of said manually operated devices to be operated.

Claim 14

A gaming machine comprising display means which displays a combination of symbols to a player and which operates to change the displayed combination in a random manner and to produce a final randomly selected combination during each game; sensing means including switch means which is operatively associated with said display means and a plurality of prize signalling circuits to which the switch means is connected so that when the display means displays each of a predetermined number of final combinations of symbols the switch means causes a corresponding prize signalling circuit to produce a corresponding signal; prize awarding means which responds to said signals and awards corresponding prizes; pre-selection means comprising a plurality of manually operable devices each corresponDing to a respective one of said symbols and operable by a player before the display means operates to activate the same, two of said prize signalling circuits associated with each symbol being such as to produce a win signal in response to the same final winning combination of that symbol means responsive to the win signal of one of the two circuits for operating said prize awarding means to the exclusion of the win signal of the other of the two circuits to award a prize of one value when said same final combination includes the symbol of the device which has been operated; means responsive to the win signal of the other of the two circuits for operating said prize awarding means to the exclusion of the win signal of the first of the two circuits to award a prize of another value when said same final winning combination does not include the symbol of the device which has been operated, each of the other signalling circuits associated with each symbol producing a win signal in response to a final combination of symbols different from said winning combination but which includes the symbol of the device which has been operated; and means which allows only a set number of said manually operated devices to be operated.

Claim 15

A gaming machine comprising display means which displays a combination of symbols to a player and which operates to change the displayed combinaton in a random manner and to produce a final randomly selected combination during each game; sensing means including switch means which is operatively associated with said display means; a plurality of pairs of prize-signalling circuits each pair being associated with a respective symbol, to which the switch means is connected so that when the display means displays each of a predetermined number of final combinations of similar symbols the switch means causes the associated pair of prize signalling circuits to produce a pair of corresponding win signals pre-selection means comprising a plurality of manually operable devices each corresponding to a respective one of said symbols and operable by a player before said display means operates to activate the same and to render effective the win signal of one of the circuits of a pair while rendering ineffective the win signal of the other circuit of said pair when said win signals correspond to the symbol of the device which has been operated; means for rendering the win signal of said other circuit effective while rendering the win signal of said one circuit ineffective when the win signal does not correspond to the symbol of the device which has been operated; prize awarding means which responds to an effective win signal from said one prize signalling circuit of each pair by awarding a corresponding prize, and which responds to an effective win signal from the other prize signalling circuit of each pair by awarding a corresponding prize lower than the first mentioned prize; and means which allow only a set number of said manually operable devices to be operated before said display means operates.

Claim 16

A gaming machine comprising display means which displays a combination of symbols to a player and which operates to change the displayed combinaton in a random manner and to produce a final randomly selected combination during each game; sensing means including switch means which is operatively associated with said display means; a plurality of pairs of prize-signalling circuits each pair being associated with a respective symbol, to which the switch means is connected so that when the display means displays each of a predetermined number of final combinations of similar symbols the switch means causes the associated pair of prize signalling circuits to produce a pair of corresponding win signals pre-selection means comprising a plurality of manually operable devices each corresponding to a respective one of said symbols and operable by a player before said display means operates to activate the same and to render effective the win signal of one of the circuits of a pair while rendering ineffective the win signal of the other circuit of said pair when said win signals correspond to the symbol of the device which has been operated; means for rendering the win signal of said other circuit effective while rendering the win signal of said one circuit ineffective when the win signal does not correspond to the symbol of the device which has been operated; prize awarding means which responds to an effective win signal from said one prize signalling circuit of each pair by awarding a corresponding prize, and which responds to an effective win signal from the other prize signalling circuit of each pair by awarding a corresponding prize lower than the first mentioned prize; and means which allow only a set number of said manually operable devices to be operated before said display means operates.