WO1999006969A1 - Improvements relating to coin dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Coin dispensing apparatus for a gaming or amusement with prizes machine has a single hopper (1) into which different value coins are fed by the players. When a win occurs, the coins are released randomly but pass through an identifier (6) which enables a control unit (4) to keep track. If towards the end of a payout high denomination coins arrive which would exceed the prize, a diverter (7) is operated and returns such coins to the hopper (1). Only coins that will accurately make up the prize pass to the collection pocket (8). For large payouts, small value coins may be diverted back at least until towards the end. A coin identifier (10) at the inlet to the hopper (1) allow its contents to be continuously monitored, and minimum numbers of the different coins to be maintained by use of the diverter (7).

Description

Improvements Relating to Coin Dispensing Apparatus

This invention relates to coin payout apparatus and it is particularly concerned with such apparatus installed in gaming or amusement-with-prizes machines. There are machines which can be played with only one type of coin, in which case all payouts are made in the same denomination, and all the machine has to do is to count the correct number out when a prize is won.

However, there are also more complex machines which accept coins of different denominations, and this of course complicates internal accounting and payout arrangements. Coins fed into the machine have to be sorted and stacked and, when a prize is awarded, suitable numbers of coins have to be taken from the various stacks . The aim of this invention is to simplify this arrangement and in particular to do away with the separate stacking mechanism. It relies on coin recognition and discrimination devices, but these are known and will not be described in detail. According to the present invention there is provided a coin payout system for gaming or amusement-with-prizes machines, the system comprising a hopper for receiving at least some of the input coins, these capable of being of more than one denomination, means responsive to the results of play to cause the hopper to release coins sequentially from its outlet when a win is achieved, means for identifying the released coins, and delivery means for passing coins to the total value of the win to a collection zone accessible to the player before the hopper outlet is shut while diverting back to the hopper coins not compatible with making up the winning total . While all coins fed into the machine should at first fall into the hopper, there could be a point where the hopper reaches overload, for example, if there has been a run without substantial prizes having been paid out. Arrangements can then be made to divert further input coins to a reserve receptacle.

There are various ways of achieving the desired payout within the general terms set out above.

In one, the coins falling into the hopper are not detected, so that it is not known how much the hopper contains. When a win occurs, the hopper releases coins one by one and each is detected and its value ascertained before it passes out to the player. But as the total prize value is approached, there may be some coins which, if paid out, would overshoot the target. When these are detected, they are diverted back to the hopper, while only small value coins are passed. The payout is never reduced to a point so near the target that there is no coin that can reach it exactly.

This may be regarded as a lower cost solution, with the intelligence in the game controller doing all the 'mental' work while the hopper is purely mechanical, with associated coin detection means at the outlet.

If it so happens that the prize is large and that the hopper releases lots of small value coins, the delivery of the prize will take a substantial time and overload the pocket of the winner. Therefore, in a preferred arrangement, when there is a prize above a given value, small denomination coins are diverted back to the hopper and only those of large value are passed, at least until the target is approached, when it may be necessary to add one or two small value coins.

These arrangements have the drawback that the hopper may become depleted of certain coins, particularly of large denomination ones in the second example. In a further preferred arrangement therefore, although probably at higher cost, the hopper system is provided with more intelligence and is made capable of working out for itself the best strategy for satisfying a particular win value. It is ascertained what coins, and how many of each, are in the hopper, and this can be done by monitoring both the input and output, the input of course including coins diverted back from the payout. The totals of all the various coins can be kept in memory, and when it comes to payout, although one type of coin may be more convenient for the player, if there are very few of them in the hopper, but plenty of others which could make up the required total, any such scarce coin will be diverted back if it is released. Thus, a reasonable reservoir of coins of all denominations is always kept in the hopper.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference will now be made, by way of example, to the single figure of the accompanying drawing, which is a diagram of a coin payout system for gaming or amusement-with-prizes machines .

A hopper 1 receives coins of various denominations from a coin-slot mechanism 2 which can signal via line 3 to the machine control unit 4 how many plays to which a user is entitled, this corresponding to the number and value of the coins inserted.

At the bottom of the hopper there is an outlet control device 5 which is triggered into operation by the unit 4 when a win occurs to release coins one by one into a coin detector/discriminator 6. This identifies the type of coin released and signals the control unit 4, whose memory keeps track of how much is being paid out . Each coin then passes through a diverter 7 either to a pocket 8 where the player can collect his win or to a conveyor 9 which returns the coin back up and into the hopper 1.

This diverter 7 is normally in the mode in which coins pass to the pocket 8, but it is switched to the coin return mode when the control unit 4 (which knows the total win to be paid out) calculates that the last identified coin would make the payout exceed that total, or that it would be so close to it that there would be no coin or combination of coins of small enough denomination to reach it exactly. In that case the high value coin is diverted back to the hopper. If the next coin is also too high, that is returned also, and this continues until a sufficiently small value coin is released by the device 5. When the exact win has been paid out, the control unit 4 shuts down the outlet control device 5.

To avoid prolonged payouts of small coins if there is a big win, large value coins can be directed to the pocket 8, at least until the total payout is approached, while small value coins are diverted back to the hopper. It may be necessary to complete the payout with one or two small coins if the balance does not suit any large one.

In the above described arrangements, the amount of coins m the hopper, denomination by denomination, is not recorded. The hopper simply delivers coins when a win occurs, and what types of com are paid out is mostly random. However, this can lead to an imbalance, with the hopper having plenty of certain coins and very few of others. If the preferential payout of large value coins for large wins is programmed into the control unit, the hopper could lose all such coins and small coins might then be continuously diverted back to the hopper without the total win ever being paid out . It might be necessary to build a safety feature whereby, after a certain number of diversions, the diverter 7 will cease to send back coins.

It is therefore desirable to keep a reasonable amount of every type of com in the hopper so that all wins of different values can easily be made up and so that, if there is a big win, the preferential large co payout will work satisfactorily. To achieve this a second com detector and discriminator 10 is added to the system and this tells the control unit 4 what coins are delivered to the hopper. The unit 4 now knows from what goes m and what goes out exactly how many of each type of com there are the hopper, and it can govern the diverter 7 accordingly. If one type of com is below a given number, or below a certain proportion of the total number of coins m the hopper, when such a com is identified by the detector/discriminator 6, the control unit 4 operates the diverter 7 to send that co back to the hopper 1. It will pass the detector/discriminator 10 on the way, so that an accurate count of coins m the hopper is maintained. Thus only coins m plentiful supply are paid out. However, if reaching the exact win total demands paying out one or two small value coins which are scarce, there will be an over-ride and these coins will be further depleted. It would be possible for the returned coins to bypass the detector/discriminator 10, since the control unit 4 will know from the detector/discriminator 6 and the actuation of the diverter 7 what coins will be returned, but the first method is simpler. If there is a long spell of few and low prizes, the hopper may become overloaded. With two detector/discriminators 6 and 10, the control unit 4 will know when a safe limit has been reached. A diverter 11 to a reserve receptacle 12 can then be operated by the control unit to direct any further inserted coins away from the hopper 1 until that has been depleted again.

If the simpler version without the detector/discriminator 10 is adopted, there would have to be other measures to determine hopper overload, such as an optical sensor at its upper end, or a load transducer.

The detector/discriminator 10 could be discarded for the more sophisticated version by using the output of the coin-slot mechanism 2. However, the control unit 4 will then have to put into the equation giving the coin count in the hopper 1 each operation of the diverter 11 and what type of coin just passed by the mechanism 2 was assumed to have been diverted to the receptacle 12. Also, of course, the control unit would have to rely on the actuation of the diverter 7.

Claims

1. A co payout system for gaming or amusement -with- pπzes machines, the system comprising a hopper for receiving at least some of the input coins, these capable of being of more than one denomination, means responsive to the results of play to cause the hopper to release coins sequentially from its outlet when a wm is achieved, means for identifying the released coins, and delivery means for passing coins to the total value of the wm to a collection zone accessible to the player before the hopper outlet is shut while diverting back to the hopper coins not compatible with making up the winning total .

2. A com payout system as claimed in Claim 1, and further comprising means for diverting input coins to a reserve receptacle when the hopper has filled to a predetermined degree.

3. A com payout system as claimed m Claim 1 or 2 , wherein the wm responsive means interacts with the identifying means and the delivery means so that, when there is a prize above a given value, small denomination coins are diverted back to the hopper and only those of large value are passed, at least until the target is approached and if the balance then requires one or more small value coins.

4. A com payout system as claimed m Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the hopper also has coin identifying means at its inlet, the two identifying means having an associated memory to keep track of how many coins of each denomination are in the hopper, and wherein when a w is achieved the delivery means is governed by the memory to divert back to the hopper coins of a denomination whose numbers in the hopper are less than a predetermined total or less than a predetermined portion of the total number of coins in the hopper, and to release to the player only coins whose numbers are equal to or greater than the predetermined totals or portions, at least until the target is approached and if the balance then requires one or more small value coins hitherto prevented by scarcity from being paid out.

5. A com payout system substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

6. A gaming or amusement with prizes machine having a com payout system as claimed m any preceding claim.