GB2243237A

GB2243237A - Coin or card feed machine providing video amusement game with prizes

Info

Publication number: GB2243237A
Application number: GB9008667A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Lerwill; Graham Handley
Original assignee: CONIMASTER Manufacturing Ltd
Current assignee: CONIMASTER Manufacturing Ltd
Priority date: 1990-04-18
Filing date: 1990-04-18
Publication date: 1991-10-23
Also published as: GB9008667D0

Abstract

In a coin, token or credit card-freed machine, a VDU displays an image of an environment, eg a race track, and an image of a vehicle, eg a car, bike space ship or plane, moving relative to the environment. The machine incorporates means, eg a drive wheel 8, gear change 9, brake 10, and accelerator 11, to control the movement of the vehicle and to cause the environment to "advance" to provide a simulation of a vehicle being driven along a track. Points may be awarded to a person operating the machine in response to the speed at which the vehicle is driven and/or in response to the number of times the vehicle leaves the track or crashes into other vehicles. The machine incorporates a pay-out mechanism to provide a prize in hopper 14 when the number of points scored by a player exceeds a predetermined level. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION "Improvements in or relating to a coin or token or credit-freed machine" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a coin or token or credit-freed machine.

Various coin, token and credit-freed machines have been provided before for the sake of amusement and entertainment, such as amusement-with-prizes or gaming machines and, in recent years, so-called "Quiz" machines. Such machines are activated by inserting a coin or token, or some other form of credit, and a "game" is then played by the person using the machine. In certain circumstances the machine will award a monetary or token prize to a person who "wins" a game.

The present invention seeks to provide a novel coin or token-freed machine of this general type which will provide entertainment.

According to this invention there is provided a coin or token-freed machine, said machine comprising means to generate and display an image representing an environment in which a vehicle is to move, the machine being provided with means to control the movement of the vehicle relative to the environment, means being provided to determine a score of points, depending upon the manner in which the vehicle is controlled, a pay-out mechanism being provided adapted to provide a prize when the number of points scored by a player exceeds a predetermined level.

Preferably the display displays the environment together with a representation of the vehicle.

Conveniently the display displays a road or track to be followed by the vehicle.

Advantageously the display also displays obstacles to be avoided by the vehicle.

Conveniently the means provided to control the vehicle comprise a joy-stick.

Alternatively the means to control the vehicle comprise a pair of handle-bars.

Advantageously the handle-bars incorporate a throttle control and brake controls.

Preferably the means to control the vehicle comprise a steering wheel, and an accelerator and a brake.

Advantageously a gear-lever is also provided to assist in controlling the vehicle.

Preferably a speedometer is provided to provide an instantanious indication of the speed of the vehicle.

Conveniently a points meter is provided to indicate the number of points obtained at any instant of time.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a machine in accordance with the invention, and FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of a machine of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings a machine in accordance with the present invention is contained within a housing 1, the front face of which can be seen in Figure 1.

The machine is provided with a coin and token slot 2, forming part of a coin and token handling unit 3. Whilst the presently described embodiment of the invention is adapted to be freed by means of a coin or token it is to be appreciated that the machine may be freed by other forms of credit, such as a card carrying a magnetic stripe or other magnetic information representative of credit.

The coin and token handling unit 3 is associated with a micro-processor 4 which is activated when a coin or token is inserted into the machine. The micro-processor is associated with a display 5 in the form of a cathode ray display 5. The cathode ray display is adapted to display an image representative of an environment, relative to which an item is to be notionally moved by a player operating controls provided on the game. In this particular example of the invention, therefore, the cathode ray display 5 displays an image representing a road 6 along which a car is to be driven by the person playing the game. The car being driven along the road is illustrated at 7, forming part of the display.

The game includes various controls by means of which the car may be manoeuvred. These controls comprise a steering wheel 8, a gear change mechanism 9, a brake 10 and an accelerator 11.

A speedometer 12 is provided to indicate the instantaneous speed of the car and a points meter 13 is provided indicating the number of points scored by the person playing the game. The micro-processor is adapted to award points, and to subtract points, depending on the skill of the person using the machine.

The coin and token handling unit includes a pay-out hopper 14. The pay-out mechanism associated with this pay-out hopper is activated when the points awarded at the end of a game exceed a predetermined value.

The game is initially in an "attract" mode with appropriate images being displayed upon the display screen 5. When the game is activated by inserting a coin or token through the appropriate slot 2, an image is displayed of the vehicle 7 in a stationary position on the road 6. The person may then utilise the controls provided to cause the representation of the vehicle 7 to proceed along the road 6. The road 6 need not be straight, and various obstacles may be illustrated either to the sides of the road or even on the road itself. The person operating the game must cause the vehicle 7 to proceed along the road without colliding with any of these obstacles by judicially using the accelerator and brake, by controlling the steering wheel and by utilising the appropriate gears.The object of the game is to cause the vehicle 7 to proceed as far along the road as possible within the time period permitted for playing of the game. Points are awarded for the distance covered by the vehicle, but points are subtracted for each obstacle with which the vehicle 7 collides. The points obtained at any time are displayed on the points meter 13.

At the end of the allotted period of time, or when the vehicle has notionally covered a predetermined distance, the game is terminated and if the points achieved by the player exceed a predetermined target, then a monetary or token prize is awarded by the coin and token handling unit, the appropriate coins or tokens being passed to the pay-out hopper 14.

Whilst a simple embodiment of the game has been described it is to be appreciated that the game may incorporate various other features.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a game in which a representation of a motor car is caused to move along a track, under the control of a steering wheel, the game may be modified so that the vehicle moving along the track is motor bicycle which is controlled by means of handle-bars, with the controls as conventionally found on a motor bicycle.

Thus a twist throttle may be provided and finger-operated brakes may be present. Alternatively again, the vehicle may comprise a space-ship or aeroplane, which may be controlled by means of a joy-stick. In this case, the display would illustrate various obstacles to be avoided by the space-ship or aircraft as it travels at a relatively high speed.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A coin or token-freed machine, said machine comprising means to generate and display an image representing an environment in which a vehicle is to move, the machine being provided with means to control the movement of the vehicle relative to the environment, means being provided to determine a score of points, depending upon the manner in which the vehicle is controlled, a pay-out mechanism being provided adapted to provide a prize when the number of points scored by a player exceeds a predetermined level.

2. A game according to Claim 1 wherein the display displays the environment together with a representation of the vehicle.

3. A game according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the display displays a road or track to be followed by the vehicle.

A A game according to Claim 3 wherein the display also displays obstacles to be avoided by the vehicle.

5. A game according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the means provided to control the vehicle comprise a joy-stick.

6. A game according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the means to control the vehicle comprise a pair of handle-bars.

7. A game according to Claim 6 wherein the handle-bars incorporate a throttle control and brake controls.

8. A game according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the means to control the vehicle comprise a steering wheel, and an accelerator and a brake.

9. A game according to Claim 8 wherein a gear-lever is also provided to assist in controlling the vehicle.

10. A game according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein a speedometer is provided to provide an instantanious indication of the speed of the vehicle.

11. A game according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein a points meter is provided to indicate the number of points obtained at any instant of time.

12. A game substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

13. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.