ROULETTE APPARATUS AND METHOD TO ENSURE UNAMBIGUOUS WHEEL POSITIONS

Abstract

The present inventions concerns method and a roulette apparatus (1) comprising at least one mechanical roulette wheel (2) with a number of pockets (3) to receive a ball (4) and a roulette-display-system (10) with at least one graphical electronic display (11) surrounding the roulette wheel (2), wherein the electronic display (11) comprising a number of display fields (12) to display single betting numbers (N) and wherein a sensor unit (20), a drive unit (30) and a control system (40) are provided and wherein the control system (40) is adapted to receive status information from the sensor unit (20) about the roulette wheel (2) and/or the ball (4) rested in one of the pockets (3) and the control system (40) may cause the roulette wheel (2) based on the received status information to be adjusted in a unambiguous final position in relation to the display (11), wherein the pocket (3) with the ball (4) lies completely in congruence with the directly adjacent respective display field (11).

Claims

1. A roulette apparatus (1) comprising at least one mechanical roulette wheel (2) with a number of pockets (3) to receive a ball (4) and an electrical roulette-display-system (10) with at least one graphical electronic display (11) surrounding the roulette wheel (2), wherein the electronic display (11) comprising a number of display fields (12) to display single betting numbers (N) and wherein a sensor unit (20), a drive unit (30) and a control system (40) are provided and wherein the control system (40) is adapted to receive status information from the sensor unit (20) about the roulette wheel (2) and/or the ball (4) rested in one of the pockets (3) and the control system (40) may cause the roulette wheel (2) based on the received status information to be adjusted in an unambiguous final position in relation to the display (11), wherein the packet (3) with the ball (4) lies completely in congruence with the directly adjacent respective display field (11).

2. A roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit (20) is provided to detect physical characteristics and/or a status and/or a position or other measurable properties of the roulette wheel (2).

3. A roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit (20) is provided to detect the pocket of the roulette wheel (2) wherein the ball is rested.

4. A roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit (20) comprises a number of sensors (21) and/or a sensor array (22).

5. A roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit (20) is connected via a sensor interface (23) with the control system (40) to receive sensor data from the sensor unit.

6. A roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit (30) is connected via a drive unit interface (31) with the control system (40).

7. A roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit (30) is provided with an adjustment unit, which may cause the roulette wheel to stop in a corrected position.

8. A roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the roulette apparatus (1) is configured that the numbers on the display fields (2) of the display (11) are fixed in relation to the roulette apparatus (1) or spin with the roulette wheel (2) in the same turning direction or in the opposite turning direction.

9. A method to adjust a roulette wheel (2) of a roulette apparatus (1) according to claim 1, with the following steps: a. One or more sensors of the sensor unit (20) detects one or more physical characteristics and/or a status parameter and/or a position related parameter of the roulette wheel (2); b. a sensor of the sensor unit (20) detects the position of the ball (4) which is rested in one of the pockets (3) of the roulette wheel (2); c. the control system (40) receives the information from the sensor unit (2) detected in step a) and b); d. the control system (40) causes the roulette wheel (2) based on the received information to stop the roulette wheel (2) in a unambiguous calculated final position in relation to the display field (11) which shows the result of the roulette bet, wherein the pocket (3) with the ball (4) lies directly adjacent in congruence with the respective display field (11).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control system calculates after step b) the possible unambiguous stop positions of the wheel and/or the positions where the wheel is not allowed to stop because of unambiguousness between the position of the pocket (3) within the ball (4) and the adjacent target display field (12).

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control system (40) manipulate the roulette wheel (2) in order to be adjusted to the calculated stop position, if the calculated stop position is deviated from the desired respective unambiguous stop position by a correction measure in order to bring the packet (3) with the ball (4) clearly in accordance with a display field (12), which has been calculated as the target display field (12) of those display fields (12) adjacent to the final position of the packet (3) with the ball (2), whereby the correction measure corrects the final stop position in regard to the respective display field (12) not more than the calculated deviation from this target display field.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the correction measure will be performed by an adjustment unit, in particular by a respective deceleration or acceleration measure with a respective calculated deceleration or acceleration value.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein the apparatus (1) is provides with different selectable game modes and wherein a game controller is provided and the game controller comprises means to select a game mode and to display the respective game information on at least one display field (12) of the graphical roulette-display-system (10).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a final position of a roulette wheel wherein the position of the pocket within the ball is not in accordance with the display field of the result number;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a final position of a roulette wheel wherein the position of the pocket within the ball is in accordance with the display field of the result number;

[0025] FIG. 3 is one explanatory embodiment of a mechanical roulette wheel connected to a wheel control system and

[0026] FIG. 4 shows the basic configuration of an embodiment of a control system to adjust the final position of the mechanical wheel.

[0027] It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a final position of an explanatory segment of a roulette wheel 2 surrounded by an electronic display 11. Preferably the number and/or the size and/or the form of the display fields 12 of the display 11 is adaptable and/or changeable according the proceeding of the game or a possible game modification of the running game.

[0029] The detail shown in FIG. 1 is part of a roulette apparatus 1 according to FIG. 3. The roulette apparatus 1 comprising a graphical roulette-display-system 10 with a graphical display 11 to display numbers or changeable dynamic content relating to game information on at least one display field 12. The display 11 is divided in a number N of display fields 12, which are provided next to the ball track of the roulette wheel 2. In the present embodiment the size of the display fields shown on the 360 degree display surrounding the wheel 2 depends on the possible bet numbers of the game. According to this embodiment of a roulette apparatus, a game may be provided wherein a certain number is knocked out after each spin. Since the total numbers may be reduced hereby, the size has to be fitted to the remaining numbers. Nevertheless the pocket may stop at a position between two remaining numbers as long as no correction measure according to the present invention has been performed.

[0030] The roulette apparatus 1 includes the graphical display 11 whose contents may be digitally changed, unlike a static printed graphic. The display 11 may be implemented using any suitable technology such as LCD, LED, OLED, projection, deflection, laser, or any other method of dynamically displaying an image.

[0031] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the size of the display fields 12 is larger as the size of the pockets 3. Depending on the remaining numbers (e.g. 30 in the present example) of display fields the size of the display fields 12 is increased, since less remaining numbers may remain available after a game has been performed.

[0032] However, according to FIG. 2, the definition of the correct and unambiguous position of the pocket 3 of the roulette wheel 2 according to this invention means that the final position of the pocket 3 with the rested ball 4 (shown here in transparency) lies in relation to the display 11 completely in congruence with the directly adjacent respective display field 11, such that both side borders 3a, 3b in the circumferential direction of the pocket 3 lies (in their extension in the radial direction—shown as dotted lines) between the both side borders 12a, 12b defining the boarders of the display field 12. As long as one of the side borders 3a or 3b of a pocket 3 is in alignment with one of the correspondent side boarders 12a or 12b the position can be defined as “unambiguous” (see example in FIG. 2 for pocket no. 3 and 4).

[0033] The pockets with the numbers 1 and 6 in FIG. 1 are also unambiguous positions in regard to the correspondent directly adjacent display fields 12 with the display field numbers 1 and 5. However, the pockets with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 are not correctly positioned in congruence with the respectively adjacent display fields 12. At least one part of the pockets 3 with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 does not overlap (in extension radially) with the directly adjacent display field 12. Would the ball 4 be rested in any of these pockets 3, the position would not be unambiguous and the came would therefore be invalid.

[0034] As described above, the present invention provides a control system, connected with the drive unit and the sensor unit to adjust the final position of the wheel depending on the pocket 3 in which the ball 4 is rested and the deviation which would occur without a correction measure.

[0035] Therefore the provided method to adjust the roulette wheel 2 of a roulette apparatus 1 comprises inter alias the following steps: [0036] a. a sensor of the sensor unit 20 detects one or more physical characteristics and/or a status parameter and/or a position related parameter of the roulette wheel 2; [0037] b. a sensor of the sensor unit 20 detects the position of the ball 4 (in the present example the pocket with the number 3) of the roulette wheel (2); [0038] c. the control system 40 receives the information from the sensor unit 2 detected in step a) and b); [0039] d. the control system 40 causes the roulette wheel 2 based on the received information to stop the roulette wheel 2 in a unambiguous calculated final position (see position of FIG. 2) in relation to the display field 11, which shows the result of the roulette bet (target display field), wherein the pocket with number 3 lies now adjacent in congruence with the respective target display field with the number 2.

[0040] The same situation is valid for the pocket with number 4 and the display field with number 3, if the ball would rest in this pocket.

[0041] The control system calculates after step b) the possible unambiguous stop positions of the wheel and/or the positions where the wheel is not allowed to stop because of unambiguousness between the position of the pocket 3 within the ball 4 and the directly adjacent display field.

[0042] The control system 40 manipulate the roulette wheel 2 in order to adjust the calculated stop position as shown in FIG. 1, since the calculated stop position for the pocket with the number 3 is deviated from the desired respective unambiguous stop position. The adjustment is made through a correction measure to bring the pocket with number 3 clearly in accordance with the display field 12 with the number 2, which has been calculated as the display field which is directly adjacent to the final position of the pocket 3, when the ball would rest in this pocket. The correction measure corrects the final stop position in regard to the respective display field however not more than the calculated deviation D from this display field. Thus, the maximal correction is the deviation to the most adjacent display field (max. half of the length of the distance between the left boarder 3a and the right boarder 3b along the outer radial boarder 3c of the respective pocket 3). However, in alternative configurations the control system may also perform the correction measure according to a specific deviation D. It would be possible to define the most overlapped part between the pockets and the adjacent display fields as the display field with the correct stop position or alternatively the deviation in the turning direction. The last option would lead to correction measures always to the next adjacent display field, so that the correction turn of the wheel would not be more than one field width.

[0043] The correction measure will be performed preferably by an adjustment unit, in particular by a respective deceleration or acceleration measure with a respective calculated deceleration or acceleration value. In the present example the wheel should be accelerated with a small correction value to ensure, that the wheel 2 will not stop in the position as shown in FIG. 1, but will stop when achieving the unambiguous position as shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] In the FIGS. 3 and 4, a roulette apparatus 1 is shown comprising a mechanical roulette wheel 2 with a number of pockets 3 to receive a ball 4 and a graphical roulette-display-system 10 with at least one graphical electronic display 11 surrounding the roulette wheel 2, wherein the electronic display 11 comprising a number of display fields 12 to display single betting numbers (N) and wherein a sensor unit 20, a drive unit 30 and a control system 40 are provided. It can also be seen that the roulette wheel 2 has a ball track 2a, a turret 5, a cone 6, a wheel spindle 5a, a transmission 5b and a base plate 9.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a configuration of an embodiment of a control system 40 to adjust the final position of the mechanical wheel. The control system 40 is adapted to receive status information from the sensor unit 20 about the roulette wheel 2 and/or the ball 4 rested in one of the pockets 3. The control system 40 is connected via interfaces with the drive unit 20 and the array of sensors (sensor unit) 30. The sensor unit 20 is connected via a sensor interface 23 with the control system 40 to receive sensor data from the sensor unit 20.

[0046] The control system 40 comprises preferably I/O modules, RAM memory, program memory, static RAM and a processing unit. Moreover, the drive unit is stablished with an adjusting unit to produce the correction measure. A PC-interface 60 is further provided and connected with the control system to connect a PC to the system.

[0047] The sensor unit 20 is formed by a number of sensors which define a sensor array 22 which is installed next to the ball track 2a. The drive unit 30 comprises an adjustment unit 32 which is connected via a drive unite interface 31 with the control system 40. The control system 40 may initiate (based on received and calculated values) the aforesaid correction measure to the roulette wheel 2 via the drive unit 20.

[0048] By extension of the above-mentioned modifications, other aspects of the roulette apparatus may be modified to achieve a more manifold apparatus. While particular embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. A non-limiting example thereof is the a roulette apparatus is configured that the numbers on the display fields 2 of the display 11 are fixed in relation to the roulette apparatus 1 or spin with the roulette wheel 2 in the same turning direction or in the opposite turning direction. Respectively the adjustment values have to be adapted to one of these configurations appropriately.