ROULETTE GAMING SYSTEM

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a roulette wheel apparatus, and in particular to a ball launcher for use in a gaming system such as a roulette wheel apparatus and roulette wheel apparatus comprising the ball launcher. According to a first aspect, the ball launcher comprises a pair of launch tubes adapted to be connected to the airflow generator and defining different launching directions, wherein the ball gate for gating the ball into one of the launch tubes includes a ball shuttle adapted to be moveable from a ball-receiving station to each one of said pair of launch tubes to transport the ball from the ball-receiving station to one of said launch tubes.

Claims

1. A ball launcher for launching a ball into a playing area, the ball launcher comprising: an airflow generator; a first launch tube connected to the airflow generator; a second launch tube connected to the airflow generator, wherein the second launch tube defines a different launch direction into the playing area than the first launch tube; and a ball gate comprising a ball shuttle moveable from a ball-receiving station to each of the first or second launch tubes.

2. The ball launcher according to claim 1, wherein said ball shuttle comprises a shuttle rotor having at least one ball-receiving seat and being rotatably supported about a shuttle rotor axis, wherein the at least one ball-receiving seat and openings of said first and second launch tubes are positioned on a circular path around the shuttle rotor axis.

3. The ball launcher according to claim 2, wherein the shuttle rotor axis is a substantially horizontal shuttle rotor axis, and wherein the shuttle rotor is configured to stop with the ball-receiving seat at a ball-receiving station positioned at about 12 o'clock (when considering the shuttle rotor as a clock), and to stop with the ball-receiving seat at about 8 to 11 o'clock to register the ball-receiving seat with the first launch tube, and to stop at about 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock to register the ball-receiving seat with the second launch tube.

4. The ball launcher according to claim 1, wherein the ball shuttle forms a valve configured to open and close each of the first and second launch tubes such that when the first launch tube is open the second launch tube is closed.

5. The ball launcher according to claim 1, wherein the first and second launch tubes extend from opposite sides of the ball shuttle to define launching directions opposite to each other.

6. The ball launcher according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second launch tubes has a non-circular cross-sectional contour.

7. The ball launcher according to claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional contour is elliptical with a main cross-sectional axis extending upright.

8. The ball launcher according to claim 1, wherein the airflow generator is configured to provide for variable airflow speed and is controlled by an airflow controller in communication with at least one ball speed detection device.

9. The ball launcher according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ball speed detection device comprises at least two ball sensors spaced apart from each other.

10. The ball launcher according to claim 8, wherein the airflow controller is configured to cause the airflow generator to generate airflow in a direction opposite to a ball moving direction when a detected ball speed is higher than a desired ball speed.

11. The ball launcher according to claim 8, wherein the airflow controller is configured to control the position of the ball shuttle and the power of the airflow generator in response to a determined ball speed.

12. The ball launcher according to claim 8, wherein the airflow controller includes a calibration component for effecting calibration of airflow in response to a plurality of values of ball speed determined in a plurality of different launching processes.

13. The ball launcher according to claim, further comprising a feeding tube for feeding a ball from the playing area to the ball gate, said feeding tube having an inlet positioned directly beneath the playing area, wherein the feeding tube provides for a substantially vertical ball path from the inlet to the ball gate.

14. A roulette gaming system comprising: a playing area comprising a roulette wheel, wherein at least a portion of the roulette wheel is moveable to form a ball discharge opening; and a ball launcher comprising: an airflow generator; a first launch tube connected to the airflow generator; a second launch tube connected to the airflow generator, wherein the second launch tube defines a different launch direction into the playing area than the first launch tube; and a ball gate comprising a ball shuttle moveable from a ball-receiving station to each of the first or second launch tubes.

15. The roulette gaming system according to claim 14, wherein the ball discharge opening is substantially vertically above a ball gate and is connected with the ball gate via a feeding tube providing for a substantially vertical path from the ball discharge opening to the ball gate.

16. The roulette gaming system according to claim 14, wherein the first and second launch tubes are arranged to have exits extending in substantially opposite directions tangential to a bank path of a roulette bowl.

17. The roulette gaming system according to claim 14, further comprising: a detection device configured to detect a pocket into which a ball has landed; and a position controller configured, in response to an identification of a the pocket into which the ball has landed by the detection device, to move the playing area relative to the ball launcher so that the identified pocket is brought into a position directly above the ball launcher.

18. The roulette gaming system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second launch tubes has a non-circular cross-sectional contour.

19. The roulette gaming system according to claim 14, wherein the airflow generator is configured to provide for variable airflow speed and is controlled by an airflow controller in communication with at least one ball speed detection device.

20. The roulette gaming system according to claim 19, wherein the airflow controller is configured to cause the airflow generator to generate airflow in a direction opposite to a ball moving direction when a detected ball speed is higher than a desired ball speed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0071] In the following, the present disclosure is described in further detail on the basis of preferred embodiments in connection with corresponding drawings. In the drawings show:

[0072] FIG. 1: a schematic view of a roulette gaming system comprising a ball in which a rotatable roulette wheel is provided, wherein two ball launch tubes for launching the ball into the bowl into opposite directions are shown,

[0073] FIG. 2: a perspective, partially cross-sectional view of the roulette gaming system of FIG. 1, wherein the ball launcher positioned beneath the roulette wheel is shown,

[0074] FIG. 3: a top view onto the roulette gaming system of FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0075] FIG. 4: a perspective view onto the roulette gaming system similar to FIG. 1, wherein the center of the roulette wheel is shown transparent to allow a view onto the ball launcher beneath the roulette wheel and the positioning thereof,

[0076] FIG. 5: a schematic side view of the ball launcher of the gaming system, wherein the blower and the combined ball gate and valve shuttle with the launch tubes connected thereto are shown,

[0077] FIG. 6: a schematic, perspective view of the ball launcher of FIG. 5, wherein one half of the ball gate a way valve housing is cut away to show the valve's rotor plate which is shown in a position where the ball-receiving seat is registered with one of the launch tubes,

[0078] FIG. 7: a perspective view of the ball launcher similar to FIG. 6, where the valve's rotor plate is shown in another rotatory position where the ball-receiving seat is registered with the other launch tube, and

[0079] FIG. 8: a schematic perspective view of the ball launcher of FIGS. 1 to 7, wherein the valve's rotor plate is shown in a further rotatory position where the ball-receiving seat is in between the two launch tubes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0080] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4, a ball game device 1 may be adapted to play the game of roulette. A gaming area 10 of the ball game device 1 may include a spinning wheel 30 which may be provided with a ring of pockets 31 or landings in which a ball launched into the gaming area 10 may stop. As well-known from roulette games, such pockets 31 or landings may be associated with numbers so that the number of the pocket 31 where the ball stops is the winning number.

[0081] The spinning wheel 30 is received in a bowl 32 having a rolling area 33 (cylinder) in which a ball 4 rolls in a random number determination phase and a support rack (not illustrated) that supports the bowl 32 of the roulette game device. The spinning wheel 30 and the surrounding rolling area 33 together form the roulette wheel 38 which is the playing area 10. Preferably the roulette wheel 38 is placed horizontally, where the roulette wheel axis is plumb.

[0082] The roulette wheel 38 includes a frame body that is fixed at the support rack, wherein said spinning wheel 30 is rotatably held and supported, by one or more bearings, inside a frame body. The spinning wheel 30 may be caused to rotate in a predetermined direction with respect to the frame body (for example, in a clockwise direction) and at a predetermined speed by a drive motor (not illustrated) provided inside the roulette device. The drive motor, and where present, a drive mechanism or transmission, operate under the control of a control system 35 to rotate the spinning wheel 30 in a selected direction at a selected speed.

[0083] The rolling area 33 where the ball 4 actually rolls on the roulette wheel may comprise a single inclined face with a predetermined angle (for example, 15 degrees) formed by a first inclined face that is formed at an outer circumferential edge side of the frame body. The inclined face is inclined upward along the direction from the center to the circumference of the roulette wheel 38.

[0084] A bank path 36 is provided at an outer circumferential edge portion of the bowl 32. A first launch tube 6 is arranged to let the ball 4 launch to the bank path 36 in a first launch direction. A second launch tube 7 is arranged to let the ball 4 launch to the bank path 36 in a second launch direction, opposite to the first launch direction. The bank path 36 guides the ball 4 against centrifugal force of the ball 4 rolling on the roulette wheel 38 and is a path that causes the ball 4 to roll so as to follow a circular track. In addition, the bank path 36 is formed in an endless fashion with respect to the roulette wheel 38 by way of a guiding wall 37 which is installed upright in a vertical direction. An upper wall portion may be formed to be continuous with the bank path at an upper edge, which is an outer circumferential portion thereof. The upper wall portion is a member that biases the ball revolving on the bank path inwardly so as not to jump to the outside of the roulette wheel.

[0085] As the revolution speed of the ball 4 that has been injected to the bank path 36 decreases gradually and loses centrifugal force, the ball 4 rolls and falls along the inclination of the inclined face toward the inside of the roulette wheel 38 and reaches the spinning wheel 30, which is rotating. Then, the ball 4 falls in any one of the pockets 31 that is formed on the wheel. Thus, a winning number is determined by the roulette device. A number of obstacles or canoes 39 (e.g., with rhombus-shaped base) may be provided and arranged on the inclined face to form barriers on which the ball 4 is deflected in random directions by collision, further enhancing the randomness.

[0086] The period between the roulette ball being launched into the bank path 36 (ball travels around the upper outer edge of the inwardly sloping rolling area) and the roulette ball beginning its descent towards the wheel is commonly referred to as the spin cycle. The point when the roulette ball begins its descent towards the wheel is commonly referred to as the drop.

[0087] The ball game device may be provided with a launching mechanism or ball launcher 3 for launching the ball semi-automatically from outside into the gaming area.

[0088] A ball position sensor may be provided to determine the position of the ball 4 in a pocket of the spinning wheel 30, and to provide signals identifying this position to the control system 35. The control system 35 uses these position signals to determine when the ball 4 has come to rest and to identify which one of the landings 31 the ball 4 has come to rest and been retained in. As is well known, in the game of roulette players place various bets which are based on which of the slot compartments the roulette ball is finally retained in, i.e., which random number has been determined by the random process of ball spin and drop.

[0089] Then, after the pocket 31 in which the ball 4 is retained has been determined, a ball recovery mechanism operates under the control of a control system to remove the ball 4 from the pocket and return it to the ball launching mechanism so that it can be launched again in a later game of roulette.

[0090] As can be seen particularly from FIGS. 2 and 4, the ball launcher 3 may be positioned directly beneath the spinning wheel 30 to receive the ball 4 discharged from the respective pocket 31. The pocket 31 in which the ball 4 has landed, may be identified by means of a respective detection device which may include ball sensors associated with the pockets 31. In response to the identification of the pockets 31, the spinning wheel 30 may be rotated under control of the control system to bring the pocket 31 into which the ball 4 has landed into registration with the ball launcher, more particularly into a position directly above the ball launcher 3. More particularly, the ball launcher 3 may include a feeding tube 21 which substantially extends vertically (parallel to the axis of the roulette wheel 38) and has an inlet 22 formed by the upper end of said feeding tube 21 positioned directly beneath the spinning wheel 30. The feeding tube inlet 22 may have an increased diameter and/or a sort of enlarged collar to allow for some impreciseness of the position of the pocket from which the ball 4 should be discharged, relative to the feeding tube 21. To discharge the ball 4 from the pocket 31 into the feeding tube 21, an inner portion 40 of the roulette wheel 38 may be elevated so that the ball 4 may roll out of the pocket 31. Adjusting said inner portion 40 of the roulette wheel 38 in height may open the inner side of the pockets 31 and thus, a ball discharge opening 23 of gaming area 10.

[0091] As can be seen from FIGS. 5 to 7, the lower end of said vertical feeding tube 21 may lead to and/or may be controlled by a ball gate 8. More particularly, the lower end of said vertical feeding tube 21 is associated with a ball shuttle 9 which has a ball-receiving seat 13 to receive the vertically dropping ball coming from the roulette wheel 38 through the feeding tube 21, cf. FIG. 5 showing the ball shuttle 9 with its ball-receiving seat 13 being positioned at the ball-receiving station 11 where the ball coming from feeding tube 21 may drop into said ball-receiving seat 13.

[0092] The ball-receiving seat 13 may be formed by a cavity in the body of said ball shuttle 9, wherein such cavity may be formed as a through hole 15 having an additional open side to the outer periphery of the body of the ball shuttle 9.

[0093] More particularly, said ball shuttle 9 may be formed as a shuttle rotor 12 that can be rotatory driven by a shuttle motor 41, which can be a stepper motor. More particularly, the shuttle rotor 12 may be formed as a shuttle plate 16 which may be received within a ball launcher housing and/or rotatably supported on a structural part of the ball launcher 3 about a substantially horizontal axis. It nevertheless should be mentioned that the shuttle rotor axis 14 about which the shuttle rotor may pivot may also extend vertically or at inclinations between vertical and horizontal. However, the shown horizontal shuttle rotor axis 14 is advantageous for launching the ball into opposite directions from said shuttle rotor 12.

[0094] The aforementioned ball-receiving seat 13 may be formed by a slot-like recess open to the circumferential side of the shuttle plate 16 and also forming a through hole, i.e. open to opposite main surfaces of the shuttle plate 16. The opening to the circumferential side allows for receiving the ball 4 from above through the feeding tube 21 when the shuttle rotor 12 is in the ball-receiving position where the aforementioned recess is positioned at about 12 o'clock below the feeding tube 21. The through hole openings to the main surfaces of the shuttle rotor plate 16 allow for launching the ball for into either one of the launch tubes 6, 7 leading away from opposite sides of the shuttle rotor 12.

[0095] As can be seen from FIGS. 5 to 7, said launch tubes 6, 7 include endings which are positioned at a circle around the shuttle rotor axis 14, wherein such circle corresponds to the circular path of the ball-receiving seat 13 when the shuttle rotor 12 is rotated respectively rotationally placed in certain position. Advantageously, the launch tubes 6, 7 are positioned/arranged on opposite sides of the shuttle rotor 12 at different sectors thereof with the feeding tube 21 or the ball-receiving station 11 being positioned therebetween. For example, the ball-receiving station 11 can be positioned at about 12 o'clock, whereas the first launch tube 6 (i.e. the end of the launch tube into which the ball is blown) may be positioned somewhere between a nine (9) and eleven (11) o'clock position and the second launch tube 7 may be positioned between a one (1) o'clock and three (3) o'clock position. Thus, the rotatory distance from the ball-receiving station 11 to the chosen launch tube 6 or 7 is very short, for instance less than a quarter turn of the shuttle rotor 12, and a fast launching process can be achieved.

[0096] As further shown by FIGS. 5 to 8, the ball launcher 3 further includes an airflow generator 5 which may include a blower that can be driven by a blower motor (not shown) which may operate under control of the control system 35.

[0097] The airflow generator 5 may produce airflow that is preferably directed to respectively through a forked airflow channel 24, a respective channel 24a, 24b leading to a respective one of the launch tubes 6 and 7. However, it also would be possible to provide for two separate airflow generators 5 or separate blowers to produce separate airflows for the respective launch tubes 6 and 7.

[0098] As can be seen from FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the aforementioned airflow channels 24 connecting the airflow generator 5 to the launch tubes 6, 7 extend on the opposite side of the ball shuttle 9 and end on the opposite side of said ball shuttle 9 so that airflow exiting the respective airflow channels 24 go through the ball shuttle 9 before entering into the launch tubes 6 and 7. In other words, the ball shuttle 9 is positioned in between the respective ends of the airflow channels 24a, 24b and the respective ends of the launch tubes 6, 7. The respective end of the launch tubes 6 and 7 is preferably coaxially positioned with the end portion of the respective airflow channel 24a, 24b so that airflow coming from the respective airflow channel 24a, 24b may go directly and straightly into the respective launch tube 6 or 7.

[0099] The aforementioned shuttle rotor 12 may form a valve plate or control device for controlling the airflow through the launch tubes 6 and 7. More particularly, the shuttle rotor 12 may control the flow connection between the airflow channels 24 and the launch tubes 6 and 7, wherein more particularly the flow connection depends on the rotatory position of the through hole 15 forming the ball-receiving seat 13. When the shuttle rotor 12 is in its ball-receiving position, cf. FIG. 5, both launch tubes 6 and 7 may be disconnected from the airflow as the non-perforated portion of the shuttle plate 16 may block airflow coming from the airflow generator 5 via the airflow channels 24a, 24b from entering into the launch tubes 6 and 7. So as to nevertheless allow continuous operation of the airflow generator 5, the shuttle rotor 12 may be provided with a discharge opening 25 which may be in connection with the airflow channels 24 when the shuttle rotor 12 is in a non-launching position, such as the receiving-position shown in FIG. 5, and which is connected to an exhaust 25a through which the air can be discharged to the environment.

[0100] In order to launch a ball through one of the launch tubes 6 or 7, the shuttle rotor 12 is rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise to bring the ball-receiving seat 13 into registration with one of the launch tubes 6 or 7, as it is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In particular FIG. 6 shows the position where the ball-receiving seat 13 has been brought in registration with the second launch tube 7 and the airflow channel 24b, which airflow channel 24b however is not visible entirely since the valve housing is cut away to show the valve's rotor plate.

[0101] FIG. 7 shows the position where the ball-receiving seat 13 has been brought in registration with the first launch tube 6 and airflow channel 24a.

[0102] Bringing the ball-receiving seat 13 into registration with one of the launch tubes 6 or 7 may, at the same time, open the flow connection between the airflow channels 24 to the respective launch tubes 6 or 7, as airflow may go through hole 15.

[0103] When reaching such one of the launching positions, i.e. the ball-receiving seat 13 into registration with one of the launch tubes 6, 7, preferably the aforementioned discharge opening 25 may be disconnected from the airflow channels 24 so that the entire airflow goes into the respective launch tube 6,7 and thus, launching becomes very effective.

[0104] When a ball 4 is launched through one of the launch tubes 6, 7—which may have an oval or elliptical cross-section as described in more detail above-, a speed detection device 18 may detect ball speed, preferably at the end portion and/or exit of the launch tubes 6 and 7 and/or along the bank path 36 of the roulette bowl. The ball speed detection device 18 may include a plurality of ball sensors 19 positioned preferably in the vicinity of the respective exits of the launch tubes 6, 7 and/or in the launch tubes and/or along the aforementioned bank path 36, wherein the speed sensors may be spaced apart from each other at predetermined distances so that a speed calculator 20 may calculate ball speed from the time difference of the sensor signals. Such speed calculator 20 may be part of the control system 35 to which the ball sensors 19 are connected in a communicative way.

[0105] In response to determined ball speed, the control system 35 may adjust airflow, for example by means of adjusting current and/or voltage supply to the blower motor and/or adjusting the position of the ball shuttle 9, thereby adjusting airflow connection between the airflow channels 24 and the launch tubes 6 and 7. In a preferred embodiment the ball shuttle 9 is positioned such that the through hole 15 of the ball-receiving seat 13 is only partially aligned with the respective launch tube. By this the cross-sectional area for the airflow may be continuously changed/adapted from zero to maximum (i.e. where the ball-receiving seat 13 is in registration with the respective launch tube).

[0106] To adjust the relevant parameters of airflow, the control system 35 may include an airflow controller 17 which may be responsive to ball speed.

[0107] According to an embodiment, the control system 35 may include a calibration and/or self-adaption component, which may calibrate and/or self-adapt the settings of the airflow generator 5 and/or of the ball shuttle 9 and/or of additional airflow components such as valves, so as to achieve a desired ball speed and/or a desired rolling path of the ball 4 in the playing area 10. Such calibration may be effected prior to using the gaming system and/or self-calibration may be effected during gaming operation taking into account the detected parameters such as ball speed of a plurality of gaming rounds or launching processes.

[0108] In an embodiment the control system may provide signals to the betting apparatus indicating, or based upon, the timing of the launching of the ball 4 into the roulette wheel 38. The betting apparatus may use these signals to determine when to stop taking new bets on a game of roulette from users. The stopping of taking new bets on a game of roulette is generally referred to as closing the game. A roulette game may be closed after the roulette ball has been launched into the roulette wheel bowl, during the spin cycle.

[0109] Each gaming terminal may be provided with a display device which may include a monitor, preferably in terms of a touch screen so as to display information relative to the ball game and/or information relative to placing bets and/or making predictions depending on whether the gaming system is playable with money or free of money.

[0110] In an embodiment, a display device may be provided and adapted to display a wagering field, sometimes referred to as the betting layout. Such wagering field may include a template which specifies a grid of numbers and betting options, wherein the numbers in the grid may correspond to the numbers in the pockets of the spinning wheel. Each graphical wagering layout enables a player to select desired numbers and betting combinations for their wagers. For example, a touch screen may allow for identifying a desired amount of credit by means of touching the respective coin symbol and, e.g., in a second step to place such amount of money on a specific number, e.g., by means of touching the respective number in the grid of numbers.

[0111] Furthermore, the display device also may be used so as to display further information such as, e.g., the time frame for placing bets which, e.g., may include the invitation “Game over—place your bet”.

[0112] In addition to such input means, the input device which may be implemented by the aforementioned touch screen, may include start signal input means which may be implemented by a respective display symbol on the aforementioned touch screen. Such start signal input means allows for inputting a start signal at the touch screen of the gaming terminal.

[0113] Although a gaming system in terms of a roulette game has been illustrated, the ball launcher may be used in other gaming systems such as table soccer.