Illuminated rotatable reels for entertainment machines

Abstract

A rotatable reel 100 for an entertainment machine comprises a circumferential lateral surface 101 and an internal frame structure 102. The reel 100 is provided with illumination means 110. The illumination means 110 are provided in a circumferentially mounted row, the row aligned with the direction of rotation about the central axis X. The illumination means 110 are activated by an illumination control unit at frequencies related to the rotation frequency of the rotatable reel 100 about central axis X.

Claims

1. A rotatable reel for an entertainment machine, characterized in that the reel is provided with at least one row of circumferentially mounted illumination means, the row aligned with the direction of rotation, wherein the illumination means are operable to be activated at intervals related to the reel rotation frequency; wherein, the activation of the illumination means is controlled by an illumination control unit and wherein, the illumination control unit varies an activation duration of the illumination means in response to the reel rotation frequency or the rate of change of the reel rotation frequency.

2. A reel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reel comprises an internal framework and a circumferential lateral surface.

3. A reel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the illumination means are mounted to the framework of the reel.

4. A reel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the illumination means are mounted to or over the lateral surface of the reel.

5. A reel as claimed in claim 4, wherein there is a single row of illumination means present upon a reel.

6. A reel as claimed in claim 4, wherein there are two or more rows of illumination means present upon a reel.

7. A reel as claimed in claim 5, wherein each row is provided on opposing peripheral edges of the reel.

8. A reel as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the illumination control unit activates the illumination means at: a frequency equal to a determined reel rotation frequency; a frequency greater than a determined reel rotation frequency; or at a frequency lesser than a determined reel rotation frequency.

9. A reel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illumination means are separated into groups and the illumination control unit is operable to activate each group independently.

10. A reel as claimed in claim 9, wherein each illumination means in a group is activated simultaneously.

11. A reel as claimed in claim 1, wherein power is delivered to the reel from a power supply external to the reel via a power transfer means.

12. A reel as claimed in claim 11, wherein illumination control signals are transferred through the power transfer means.

13. A reel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the power supply output is varied in response to the illumination control unit or the output light intensity of the illumination means is varied in response to the illumination control unit.

14. A reel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the illumination control unit is operable to determine the reel rotation frequency.

15. A reel as claimed in claim 14, wherein the reel is provided with one or more rotation sensors operable to detect reel rotation.

16. A reel as claimed in claim 14, wherein the illumination control unit drives the illumination means in response to the reel motor drive frequency.

17. An entertainment machine comprising one or more rotatable reels characterized in that the reel is provided with at least one row of circumferentially mounted illumination means, the row aligned with a direction of rotation, wherein the illumination means are operable to be activated at intervals related to the reel rotation frequency; wherein, the activation of the illumination means is controlled by an illumination control unit and wherein, the illumination control unit varies an activation duration of the illumination means in response to the reel rotation frequency or the rate of change of the reel rotation frequency.

18. An entertainment machine as claimed in claim 17, wherein there are multiple reels and each reel displays different visual effects.

19. An entertainment machine as claimed in claim 17, wherein there are multiple reels and the illumination control for the reels is coordinated by a central entertainment control unit.

20. A method of operating a rotatable reel provided with at least one row of circumferentially mounted illumination means, the row aligned with a direction of rotation, the method comprising the steps of: determining a rotation frequency of the rotatable reel; and activating the illumination means at intervals related to the rotation frequency of the rotatable reel; wherein, the activation of the illumination means is controlled by an illumination control unit and wherein, the illumination control unit varies an activation duration of the illumination means in response to the reel rotation frequency or the rate of change of the reel rotation frequency.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the method involves determining the reel rotation frequency.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the method involves processing data from said rotation sensors to determine the rotation frequency of the spinning reel.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the method involves the illumination control unit driving the illumination means in response to the reel motor drive frequency.

24. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the method involves activating the illumination means at: a frequency equal to the determined reel rotation frequency; a frequency greater than the determined reel rotation frequency; or a frequency lesser than the determined reel rotation frequency.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the method involves varying the activation duration of the illumination means in response to the reel rotation frequency or the rate of change of the reel rotation frequency.

26. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the illumination means are separated into groups and each group is activated independently.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein each illumination means in a group is activated simultaneously.

28. A method of operating a rotatable reel comprising one or more rotatable reels characterized in that the reel is provided with at least one row of circumferentially mounted illumination means, the row aligned with a direction of rotation, the method comprising the steps of: determining a rotation frequency of the rotatable reels; and activating the illumination means at intervals related to the rotation frequency of the rotatable reels; wherein, the activation of the illumination means is controlled by an illumination control unit and wherein, the illumination control unit varies an activation duration of the illumination means in response to the reel rotation frequency or the rate of change of the reel rotation frequency.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the illumination means create visual effects that are different on each rotatable reel.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the illumination means create the same visual effects across adjacent reels.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one or more embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a reel according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the reel of FIG. 1, showing light traces;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the reel of FIG. 1, showing differing light trace lengths;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the reel of FIG. 1, showing counter rotating light traces;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the reel of FIG. 1, showing how groups of illumination means may be activated for certain regions of reel rotation;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of multiple reels, according to the present invention, arranged as in an entertainment machine;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the pairing of effects across multiple reels as seen in FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8 is a logic diagram showing control of illumination means to output trace effects using varying frequency and pulse lengths;

(10) FIG. 9 is a block circuit diagram showing the systems used to control illumination means on an individual reel, as seen in FIG. 1;

(11) FIG. 10 is a block circuit diagram showing the systems used to control illumination means across multiple reels, as seen in FIG. 7.

(12) FIG. 1 shows a rotatable reel 100 for an entertainment machine. The rotatable reel 100 comprises a circumferential lateral surface 101 and an internal frame structure 102 known in the art as the basket. The internal frame structure 102 provides support for the lateral surface 101, allowing the reel 100 to rotate about a central axis X.

(13) The reel 100 is provided with illumination means 110. The illumination means 110 are provided in a circumferentially mounted row, the row aligned with the direction of rotation about the central axis X. Typically, the illumination means 110 are mounted on or over lateral surface 101. Alternatively, the illumination means could be mounted to the frame 102.

(14) The illumination means 110 are activated by an illumination control unit (not shown in FIG. 1). The illumination control unit activates the illumination means 110 at frequencies related to the rotation frequency of the rotatable reel 100 about central axis X. Shown in FIG. 1 is the light trace resultant of an activation frequency of the illumination means 110 set to the rotation frequency of the rotatable reel 100 about central axis X. Shown in FIG. 1 is a stationary point light trace. The illumination control unit may activate the illumination means 110 for a greater duration at the same frequency. This would result in an elongated stationary trace.

(15) The rotation frequency may be determined by processing the data received from an array of rotation sensors, or by processing the reel's 100 motor drive frequency.

(16) FIG. 2 shows light trace 220. The illumination control unit activates the illumination means 110 at a frequency slightly greater than the rotation frequency of the spinning reel 100 about the central axis X. The resultant light trace 220 appears to rotate slowly in the direction opposing the rotation of the spinning reel 100 about the central axis X.

(17) FIG. 3 shows light trace 220, identical to that shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 also shows light trace 320. The illumination control unit activates illumination means 110 on the right hand side of the lateral surface 101 of the spinning reel 100 at a slightly greater pulse length than that of the illumination means 110 on the left hand side of the lateral surface 101. The resultant light trace 320 appears to be longer, relative to the left hand side trace 220. FIG. 3 shows the activation of illumination means 110 at different pulse lengths.

(18) FIG. 4 shows light trace 320, identical to that shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 also shows light trace 420. The illumination control unit activates illumination means 110 on the left hand side of the lateral surface 101 of the spinning reel 100 at slightly lesser frequency than that of the rotation frequency of the spinning reel 100 about central axis X. The resultant light trace 420 appears to rotate slowly in the direction of the rotation of the spinning reel 100 about central axis X. The direction, speed and lengths of light traces 320 and 420 appear different due to the difference in magnitude of their respective differences to the spinning reel 100 rotation frequency and pulse durations. FIG. 4 shows the activation of illumination means 110 on different sides of the lateral surface 101 at different frequencies both lesser and greater than the spinning reel 100 rotation frequency as well as at different pulse durations.

(19) FIG. 5 shows an example of how groups of coloured illumination means 110 may be activated to produce light traces for certain portions of the spinning reel 100 rotation about central axis X. The coloured illumination means 110 may comprise RGB LEDs. With RGB LEDs a large selection of colours can be produced in response a signal driving each red, green and blue LED. In this example, the upper zone is zone 1, middle zone is zone 2 and lower zone is zone 3. Each zone is represented by a different colour of illumination means activation, as indicated in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 illustrates zone 1 to be illuminated red, zone 3 as green and zone 3 as blue. The skilled person would appreciate that this is not a limitation but merely an example illumination pattern. With RGB LEDs a wide variety of illumination patterns are possible, not limited to the constituent LED colours: red, green and blue. The illumination control unit activates groups of illumination means 110 at frequencies equal to the rotation frequency of the spinning reel 100 about the central axis X for duration appropriate to illuminate only the corresponding zone for each group. This is advantageous as the users attention can be drawn to easily to the central win line.

(20) The illumination control unit may activate the illumination means 110 at a frequency slightly lesser or greater than that of the spinning reel rotation frequency in order to produce the visual effect of the zones being cycled, counter rotating or rotating with the rotation of the spinning reel 100 respectively.

(21) The duration of illumination means 110 activation may be increased to produce an overlap in zones, or reduced to produce an absence of illumination means 110 activation between zones. The illumination control means may also vary frequency of illumination means 110 activation simultaneously with activation duration in order to reduce or increase the number of zones visible to the user.

(22) FIG. 6 shows multiple adjacent reels 100 which may freely rotate about common central axis XX. Each reel has a circumferential lateral surface 101 and an internal supporting framework 102, as in FIGS. 1-5. In FIG. 6, the lateral surface 101 has been segmented into sectors 740 to show how symbols are arranged on entertainment machine rotatable reels 100. Typically, there is a single symbol per sector. In entertainment machines, commonly (although not limited to) three symbols per reel 100 are visible to the user through a viewing window in the body of the entertainment machine. FIG. 6 shows the rotatable reels in their rest state, where symbols are aligned to a win line 750. The win line 750 is typically located centrally within the viewing window of the entertainment machine.

(23) Illumination grouping shown in FIG. 5 may be used to draw the user's attention more strongly to the win line 750 as shown in FIG. 6.

(24) FIG. 7 shows a pairing effect across the multiple reels. Reels 100 are rotating in the same direction about common central axis XX. The reels are provided with illumination means 110 located at the edges of each reel 100. Illumination means 100 located on the right hand side of the left most reel 861 are paired with illumination means 100 located on the left hand side of the central reel 862. A central illumination control unit determines the rotation frequency of each reel and sets the activation duration, frequency and intensity of each reels illumination means 100 to result in paired effects across reels, regardless of the individual rotation frequency of each reel 100.

(25) In the simplistic example shown in FIG. 7, rotating 820 and counter rotating 821 light traces paired between spinning reels 100.

(26) FIG. 8 shows a schematic illumination control logic diagram 1070. This logic diagram 1070 may be applied to control the illumination means 110 present upon single or multiple reels 100 so as to provide static, rotating or counter rotating effects as illustrated in FIGS. 2-5.

(27) The illumination control unit queries the desired effect in 10S1, receiving the desired speed, direction and trace length data. The current reel rotation frequency is then read in 10S2. In 10S3 a comparison is made between the desired effect movement speed and the current rotation speed in order to calculate an appropriate activation frequency for the illumination means 100, which is then stored. In 10S4 a comparison between the desired trace length and the current rotation speed is made in order to calculate an appropriate pulse duration, which is then stored. In 10S5 a calculation of the illumination means activation intensity is made in order to produce the desired brightness, this data is then stored. In 10S6 the calculated frequency, duration and intensities are combined and passed from the illumination control unit to the power supply to the illumination means 110 resulting in the visual effect. A feedback loop ensures that the effect remains present upon the reels 100 in the case of a change in reel rotation frequency. In 10S7 the logic diagram allows anew effect to be entered. The logic diagram 1070 terminates when the current effect and no new effect are desired.

(28) Whilst the example of FIG. 8 illustrates the use of a feedback loop, the skilled man will appreciate that this is not compulsory. The feedback loop can be omitted and the frequency and duration of pulses can be set based on an expected rotation rate. In such embodiments, the expected rotation rate may be based on a pre-set desired rotation rate for operation or may be based on the reel motor driving signal. In this way, the signals used to control reel rotation can be used to determine the expected reel rotation speed and hence control the illumination means. In embodiments omitting a feedback loop, during expected variations in reel rotation frequency, for instance as the reels accelerate at the start of a cycle or decelerate at the end of a cycle, the illumination means may be controlled in response to a ramp profile. The ramp profile varies illumination in a stepwise or linear progression based on the expected variation of the reel rotation speed. A suitable present ramp profile can allow illumination activation frequencies and durations to vary at an approximate match to the acceleration/deceleration of a reel. This enables reel effects as described above to be applied to accelerating/decelerating reels without adding reel rotation sensors and a feedback loop. This facilitates the use of the present invention with less sophisticated gaming machine architecture.

(29) FIG. 9 shows an example block circuit diagram used for illumination means 110 control for individual rotatable reels 100, as shown in FIG. 1. The reel rotation data is determined by an array of rotation determining means 1, such as rotation sensors or directly via processing the reel motor drive frequency. This data is then passed to the illumination control unit 2. The desired effect is passed by the entertainment machine system control unit 3 to the illumination control unit 2. The illumination control unit 2 determines the illumination frequency, duration, colour and duty cycle data which is then sent to the illumination drive circuit 4, providing a power supply to the illumination means 110. The illumination drive circuit 4 then provides power, in response to the illumination data received from the illumination control unit 3, to the illumination means 5.

(30) FIG. 10 shows an example block circuit diagram used for the control of illumination means 110 on multiple rotatable reels 100, of which in this example there are three, as shown in FIG. 7. The array of reel rotation determining means of each rotatable reel, 1a, 1b and 1c have corresponding illumination means on each reel 5a, 5b and 5c. The rotation data from rotation determining means 1a, 1b and 1c is passed to the central illumination control unit 2. The entertainment machine system control unit 3 passes the desired effect data to the central illumination control unit 3. The central illumination control unit 2 determines the illumination frequency duration, colour and duty cycle data for each rotatable reel 100. This data is then passed to the illumination drive circuit 4. The illumination drive circuit then provides power, in response to the illumination data received from the illumination control unit 2, to the illumination means 5a, 5b and 5c.

(31) The above embodiments are described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.