Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 94/25127 2 1 6 ~ 4 4 7 PCT/Nog~/00039
COIN ACTIVATED MACHINE FOR PLAYING BINGO.
Bingo is a game that throught quite a while appearently has
appealed to players. The shape and rules of the game are
mostly the same among players and in the different countries.
This is essential for the players in order to be able to
identify the numbers that are drawn out.
In ordinary bingo in Europe the numbers 1 to 75 are in use.
Twenty-five of these numbers are placed in a matrix consisting
of five columns and five lines. According to the invention
each of these matrix of numbers are named as a game card. A
player buys a number of game cards, the typical numbers is
from one to five cards,and he keeps an eye on all his cards
when the numbers drawn out are presented one by one. Skilled
players can easily keep an eye on their cards as long as the
game is based on the ordinary rules.
Bingo organizers are dependent on selling sufficient numbers
of cards to get an income corresponding to the prizes that the
players have been expected. The way of disiding the prizes is
usually a matter of experience, but it implies that a round of
the game is not able to start and make profit before the
organizer has sold a certain number of cards. Bingo is for
that reason not a game of impulse in the same way as slot
machines, pa~azzo or the like.
Games of bingo are arranged where the players buys a number of
cards where the number matrix is suitably covered and where a
number of prizes are drawn in advance. These games primarily
represent an alternative to other lotteries that are drawn in
advance and they require a link of sale, a net of distributors
and adminlstration of income as well as payment of the prizes.
It is thus one of the objectives of the present invention to
produce a game of bingo which appeals to the impulse playing
in the same way the pajazzos do. Further, it is an aim to
attract t~.e attentlon ol ordinary bingo players by transfering
WO94/25127 PCT~091/00039
the game's original appeal. At the same tlme it is one o_ the
purposes of the invention to provide a game with a reduced
need for expensive manual service as well as payment of .he
prizes.
The idea behind this invention is based on the use of an
automaton where a microprocessor controls the selection of the
numbers that are to be included in a certain bingo piece's 25
squares. The actual piece is fetched from a great number of
different pieces generated by a certain algorithm. The
selection of pleces consists of a sufficient amount that the
generation of single pieces is sufficient to ensure a random
generation. At the same time the range of the prizes of .his
round of game is drawn out. In this way single games or rounds
of games with only a few pieces can be played with the same
probability for profit as in ordinary bingo halls, but now
with the att~inm~nt of the impulse player~s playing appeal.
The pieces are shown at the front of a game machine that as
for as construction is concerned are very similar to slot
machines, pajazzos and the like. And they are placed at spots
with a corresponding supply of players. The front of the
automaton gives direct recogniztion of the bingo game because
of a transfer of the shape of an ordinary bingo piece to the
design which is shown on the front of the automaton.
These automatons need just a minimum of maintenance and
debugging which therefor saticfy the claims profitable
operation. In the shape preferred the basic idea of the
invention is realized in the form of a bingo game. The basic
idea of the invention can also be realized through designs
that by the players immediately will be recognized as lotto
game, keeno or the like.
These aims are attained by the description presented the
enclosed clalms. The invention will be explained more closely
wlth reference ~o the drawing which shows the front pane~ of a
WO94/25127 2 1 61 ~ 4 7 PCT~094/00039
machine wlth the preferred shape.
Reference number 1 in the figu~e refers to a un-t for the
display of prize possibility in addition to instruction rules
for potential players and players who during the game have to
do certain actions as to make a choice of certain game pieces.
The shown prefered shape of the invention uses a front panel
containing five game pieces, but the invention is not
connected to the number of game pieces in the panel. Reference
number 2 shows a ligthing area indicating the chosen bingo
piece no. 3. In a central place inside the automaton a
microprocessor is placed for the watching and controlling of
all the functions. The most important functions are logged in
the mlcroprocessor and they are fetched according to the needs
by means of a printer.
This could be information as for instance total result on
account according to current laws. Unit 6 is also used i the
player chooses to receive possible prizes as gift tokens.
These formulars are stored in a store 5 for gift tokens.
Reference no. 7 shows a payment bowl for delivery of coins,
game tickets or gift token. The profit of the automaton is
stored in a cash register box no. 8, while coins and game
tickets are placed in slore no. 9.
The switch panel 10 consists of units for choosing one or more
pieces, for the starting of new game rounds, including the
display of the round's of list of prizes, it also consists of
units for making the choice of transfering a prize to new
games in addition to a unit for payment of the prizes.
The list of prizes 11 shows the numbers drawn out in the
slngle round of the game. In a preferred shape using the
numbers 1 to 75 on the pieces, the lis~ of prizes will contain
twenty numbers. The unit 12 is used for the dlsplay of game
information such as the total number of bought pieces, total
prize, last prize and so on.
.
WO9~/25127 ~, PCT~09~/00039
In the same way as for other coin activated automatons the
present shape of the invention has a coin or game ticket
reade- 13 for the buying of games in addition to activating of
a new round of the game, The~reader 13 controls the value of
the coin and the game tickets, It also refuses invalied stake
and it classifies coins/ game tickets and distribute them to
the respective stores. The sensed value is reported to the
microprocessor unit 4. In addition there is a bank note reader
14 and a credit card reader 15.
If the stake is fed into the machine through the units 13, 14
or 15 then five game pieces are fetched from the
microprocessor unit 4. The pieces are shown with the given
combination of for instance 25 numbers, The player chooses a
certain piece, or with sufficient stake, more or all the
pieces, The chosen piece is lighted in the present shape by
the light fields 2, Then the player starts the round of the
game by means of the switch panel 10,
The list of prizes are displayed on unit 11 in combination
with a light signal for each displayed number, The order of
the displaying and frequency can easily be varied according to
what is most suitable, The numbers in the list of prizes are
marked at the same time in the pieces where the numbers can be
found, The player soon learn therefor which of the round's
displayed pieces that wins, In the automaton some mechanical
and electronical units which are developed for use in similar
automatic,machines are used, These units cooperate with the
game's front panel and with the algorithms particularly
developed to a unit which in an easy way can be adjusted to
local need and new trends, Central to the idea of this
invention is that the invention has arranged so that bingo can
be played as an impulse game, with a relativly low stake with
full recognition of the bingo rules and with the same game
experlence as in ordlnary bingo arranged by permanent bingo
orgenizers in greater assembly rooms.
W094/25127 ~ 7 PCT~094/00039
.
With simple and well know facilities it is possible to connect
each automaton to greater or smaller chains of automatons that
are situated close by. By using addition as mean of
communication, it is possible to connect several bingo halls
in the same region and even bingo halls in different towns. In
this way it is possible for each bingo automaton to take part
in the payment of jack pot prizes consisting of high payment
because of the great number of automatons that individually
are part of the chain. This additional function which first of
all improves the game's appeal, has been appropriately
advertized on the front panel of the automatons. Other
supplement functions are some of the printers inside the
invented automatons, they are equipted with means for
additional lotteries.
