U.S. patent number 3,799,553 [Application Number 05/060,890] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-26 for player activated electrical random selection device.
Invention is credited to Frederick A. Hurley.
United States Patent |
3,799,553 |
Hurley |
March 26, 1974 |
PLAYER ACTIVATED ELECTRICAL RANDOM SELECTION DEVICE
Abstract
An amusement device for duplicating the random selection
inherent in a game of chance and visually displaying the same. A
capacitive timing circuit is charged by the momentary depression of
a player actuated switch. The level of charge placed upon the
capacitive timing circuit is randomly varied according to the
random variation in the player actuation time which in turn is
translated into a variable running time interval for a motor
coupled to actuate interlocked switches to achieve a random
display.
Inventors: |
Hurley; Frederick A. (Opa
Locka, FL) |
Family
ID: |
22032377 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/060,890 |
Filed: |
August 4, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/141A;
307/141.4; 273/138.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07C
15/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G07C
15/00 (20060101); A63f 005/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/138A,141A,142A,142B,142H,142HA,144B,139,1E,52 ;40/13R
;307/141.4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Kramer; Arnold W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Morgan, Finnegan, Durham &
Pine
Claims
I claim:
1. A random selection circuit comprising:
a. a source of dc potential;
b. a switch adapted for momentary manual actuation;
c. means for advancing incrementally when electrically
energized;
d. circuit means interconnecting said source, said switch and said
advancing means; and
e. said circuit means comprising a combination charging and
discharging circuit including a resistance in series with a
capacitance and a unidirectional conducting means bypassing said
resistance so that on manual actuation of said switch the advancing
means is energized, the capacitance is charged from said source to
a state dependent upon the duration of the manual actuation of said
switch, and on deactuation of said switch the low impedance
discharge path provided by said unidirectional conducting means
between said capacitance and said advancing means keeps said
advancing means energized to advance incrementally until said
capacitance is substantially discharged.
2. An electrical dice game for randomly selecting and displaying
dice combinations comprising;
a. a display panel disposed for view by the players for displaying
the individual faces of at least one die through selective
illumination;
b. five pairs of stationary switch contacts each associated with a
respective movable contact, said contacts being connected to said
display panel to control illumination of selected ones of said
individual faces, all of said contacts being interconnected so that
any combination of closed contacts results in illumination of one
and only one of said individual faces at a time;
c. player actuation means providing an electrical signal related to
the random lengths of time of actuation by the players; and
d. random selection means responsive to said signal and connected
to said plurality of switch contacts to select an individual die
face at random upon each actuation of said player actuation means,
said selection means being operated for each such actuation over a
time interval unequal to the length of time of actuation by a
player.
3. An electrical dice game according to claim 2, wherein said
random selection means includes a cam and a motor energized by said
electrical signal for driving said cam, said cam being mechanically
coupled to said movable switch contacts.
4. An electrical dice game according to claim 3, further
comprising:
a second and like-connected set of movable and stationary contacts
associated with an illuminable display of the faces of a second
die; and
a second motor and a cam driven thereby, said second motor being
mechanically independent of the first motor and connected for
simultaneous energization by said electrical signal.
5. A random selection circuit for electric games and the like,
comprising:
a. a source of direct current potential;
b. player-operated manual actuation means for activating the
selection circuit by the source for a random period of time;
c. first and second charge accumulating means capable of being
charged by said source and having significantly unequal charging
time constants associated therewith so that the first charge
accumulating means is partially charged and the second charge
accumulating means is charged when the circuit is activated upon
the normal actuation by the player;
d. means for interconnecting said source and said first and second
charging accumulating means upon manual actuation of the activating
means thereby to charge the first accumulating means to a degree
related to the duration of a normal actuation by the player and to
charge the second accumulating means at least to said predetermined
potential;
e. electrically activable incrementing means providing an output
function related to the game; and
f. means providing a path through said incrementing means for the
discharge in different times of each of said first and second
charge accumulating means upon deactuation of the actuating means,
the incrementing means being operative in response to such
discharges to increment by a random amount.
6. A random selection circuit comprising:
a. a source of dc potential;
b. first and second charge accumulating means capable of being
charged by said source;
c. manual actuation means for activating the selection circuit for
a random period of time;
d. means interconnecting said source and said first and second
charge accumulating means upon actuation of the activating means
such that the first charge accumulating means is charged to a
degree related to the duration of actuation and the second charge
accumulating means also is charged;
e. incrementing means providing a path for the discharge of said
first and second charge accumulating means upon deactuation of the
activating means, and being operative in response to such discharge
to increment by a random amount; and
f. unidirectional conducting means connected to be biased by the
potential acquired by at least one of said charge accumulating
means and providing a connection btween said first charge
accumulating means and the discharge path when the second charge
accumulating means has become at least partially discharged.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus which is capable
of making a random selection and displaying the results of such
selection. Although the invention has applications in a variety of
games of chance, the invention will be described within the context
of a game of dice.
In using dice, a player rolls one or more dice onto a surface and
observes them come to rest. Each surface of a die has the same
mathematical probability of turning up as the surface facing the
player and the numbers which can be obtained by rolling a pair of
dice have a well known statistical distribution. A variety of games
are based on the random selection achieved by rolling dice.
It is an object of this invention to provide an electrically
operated display for duplicating the rolling of dice with the same
degree of randomness that exists with actual dice.
Another object of this invention is to provide a random selection
device that is truely random in its selection operation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a random selection
device that provides a visual display of its selection
operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a new and improved amusement
device which electrically duplicates the randomness of selection
inherent in the rolling of dice.
In accordance with the invention, a visual display is provided
wherein there is depicted the various face outlines for each face
of a pair of dice. The outlines are capable of being illuminated so
as to indicate the results of a simulated roll in response to a
player switch actuation, the circuitry for the illumination of the
dice outlines being such that the various outlines appear to
randomly blink on and off for a short period of time ending with
two of the face outlines remaining lit. A switching interlock
arrangement is incorporated within the display circuitry such that
one and only one die face of each die is illuminated at a time.
When a player actuates a momentary contact switch, the actuation
time will be different for each successive actuation. This random
variation in the player actuation time is used to achieve an
ultimate random selection. The player actuated switch is coupled to
control the charging time of a capacitor which in turn controls the
running time interval of an incremental device which advances a
number of steps depending upon the capacitor discharge time. Since
the player actuation time varies in a random fashion, the state of
charge on the capacitor, the discharge time and the number of steps
advanced will likewise vary in a random fashion. Variations in
temperature, line voltage and other parameters also contribute to
the randomness of the selection. The incremental device, such as a
stepping switch or motor driven cam, is connected to control the
visable display.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The manner in which the foregoing and other objects are achieved
according to the invention is described in the following detailed
specification which sets forth an illustrative embodiment. The
specification includes the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an amusement device embodying the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is an electrical schematic of the circuitry utilized within
the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a partial bottom view of the amusement device portrayed
in FIG. 1 illustrating the motor driven cams and the related
microswitches.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the invention
shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention is illustrated in
FIG. 1 in the form of a coffee table. The surface of the table is a
sheet of translucent material that has a permanent design placed on
its backside by means of a suitable process such as silk screening.
Twelve die face outlines are arranged around the edge of table 7,
with two outlines 8 and 9 showing one dot, two outlines 10 and 11
showing two dots, two outlines 12 and 13 showing three dots, two
outlines 14 and 15 showing four dots, two outlines 16 and 17
showing five dots and two outlines 18 and 19 showing six dots.
The cant of the faces as well as their numerical sequence can be
varied so as not to have the faces appear in symmetrical or
numerical order around the edge of the table. As represented in
FIG. 1, the numerical sequence of the die face outlines going
clockwise about the table is 1, 6, 4, 2, 5, 1, 6, 3, 5, 4, 2, 3. As
will be more fully discussed in the paragraphs to follow, the
sequence of illumination of the die face outlines is selected to
give the appearance that the lit outlines bounce around the table
top so as to add an air of randomness to the resulting dice
selection.
The push button of a player actuated switch 25 extends from the
side of table 7 and activates the electrical circuitry housed
within the table to simulate the roll of the dice.
In FIG. 2 there is illustrated the electrical schematic of the
embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 1. Basically, FIG. 2
illustrates a random selection circuit 6 comprising a step down
transformer 21, a bridge rectifier 24, player actuating switch 25,
capacitors 26 and 28, electromagnetic relay 27 and its related
winding 31 and contacts 31a and 31b, diode 29 and resistor 30. The
output from random selection circuit 6 in turn regulates the
energization of motors 32 and 39 which in turn cause the rotation
of cams 33 and 40. Microswitches 34-38 and 41-45 are repeatedly
sequentially actuated by rotating cams 33 and 40 respectively to
cause related die face outlines 46-57 to become momentarily
illuminated by means of light bulbs located within a compartmented
structure beneath the translucent surface of the table. When the
motors come to rest, each cam causes the light bulb associated with
a particular die face outline to remain coupled to the source of
power thus completing an electrical simulation of the rolling of a
pair of dice.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, transformer 21, comprising primary
winding 22 and secondary winding 23, has its primary winding 22
coupled via plug 20 to an external source of AC power, as for
example, an ordinary 60 cycle, 115 volt household line.
A bridge rectifier 24, having input terminals 24a and 24b and
output terminals 24c and 24d, rectifies the AC power supplied by
secondary winding 23.
Capacitors 26 and 28 and winding 31 of electromagnetic relay 27 are
coupled in parallel across output terminals 24d and 24c of bridge
rectifier 24. A resistor 30 is coupled in series with capacitor 28
and a diode 29 is coupled across the resistor and poled so as to
provide a low impedance discharge path for capacitor 28.
Winding 31 is initially energized when player actuated switch 25 is
closed. Thereafter, when player actuated switch 25 is opened,
winding 31 remains energized as a result of the discharge current
from capacitors 26 and 28.
In accordance with the invention, when player actuated switch 25 is
actuated, capacitor 26 is charged to its rated value almost
instantaneously since the resistance in the charging circuit of
capacitor 26 is minimal. Capacitor 28 charges more slowly due to
the presence of resistor 30 within its charging circuit. Resistor
30 is sufficiently large so that capacitor 28 only reaches a
partial state of charge during the time player actuated switch 25
is closed. It can thus be seen that the current supplied during a
cycle of operation from the fully charged capacitor 26 can be
considered a constant that occurs in every cycle of operation and
which provides a minimum running time for motors 32 and 39 thus to
insure some degree of rotation of cams 33 and 40 for every player
actuated cycle of operation no matter how briefly a player
depresses player actuation switch 25. This is due to the fact that
the electrical time constant associated with the capacitor 26 and
its discharging circuit, which includes the resistance of the relay
coil 31 controlling the motors 32 and 39, exceeds the electrical
time constant associated with that same capacitor and the charging
circuit. The quantity of current supplied by capacitor 28 during
each cycle of operation, however, is directly related to the length
of time player actuated switch 25 is closed and will vary from one
cycle of operation to the next to thus provide a randomly varied
running time interval applicable to motors 32 and 39.
As previously stated, during each cycle of operation, capacitor 26
is fully charged and capacitor 28 is only partially charged. As a
result, the potential at junction A (FIG. 2) is initially higher
than the potential at junction B. Unidirectional conducting diode
29 is therefore initially back-biased and capacitor 28 does not
begin to discharge until the potential at junction A drops below
the potential at junction B. Typical value for the components in
the capacitive timing circuit are as follows:
capacitor 26 -- 250 .mu.f
capacitor 28 -- 500 .mu.f
resistor 30 -- 2,200 .OMEGA.
The energization of winding 31 by the discharging of capacitors 26
and 28 causes contact 31a to open and 31b to be closed thus
energizing motors 32 and 39. Motors 32 and 39 remain energized
until capacitors 26 and 28 have substantially discharged whereupon
contact 31b is opened and contact 31a is closed thus decoupling
motors 32 and 39 from a source of power supplied via plug 20.
Deenergization of motors 32 and 39 cause cams 33 and 40 to cease
their rotation and to randomly set the switches such that a
particular pair of die faces remain lit.
Reference is now made to FIG. 3 wherein there is illustrated rotary
cams 33 and 40 and their related microswitches 34-38 and 41-45
respectively. The rotary cams 33 and 40 and microswitches 34-38 and
41-45 are interrelated such that one and only one die face is
illuminated at any one time by a particular set of
microswitches.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, cams 33 and 40 are rotated about axes 58
and 59 by motors 32 and 39 respectively. Microswitches 34-38 and
41-45 have actuators 62-71 that are radially positioned in
60.degree. intervals about axes 58 and 59 respectively. Since only
five microswitches are utilized to actuate six die faces, a
rotational area exists through which cams 33 and 40 will rotate
wherein no microswitch actuators are contacted.
Radially extended surfaces 60 and 61 of cams 33 and 40 each actuate
microswitches 34-38 and 41-45 respectively with each surface
forming an arc whose length defines an angle with the center of the
cams which is slightly greater than 60.degree.. By being of such a
length, surfaces 60 and 61 are assured of actuating at least one of
the microswitches while rotating through the area wherein there is
radially positioned the microswitch actuators.
The five microswitches 34-38 which control illumination of die face
outlines 46-51 each include a movable contact, a normally closed
stationary contact a and a normally open stationary contact b. The
movable contact moves from the normal position to the alternate
position when the switch is actuated by surface 60 of the
associated cam. The normally closed contact sets are all connected
in series with the light bulb for illuminating die face outline 50.
The normally open stationary contacts b of switches 34-37 are
connected to the bulbs for illuminating, respectively, die face
outlines 46-49 and the normally open stationary contact of switch
38 is connected to the bulb for die face outline 51.
If cam 33 is in a position where none of the switches is activated,
a circuit is completed through the normally closed contact sets of
all five switches to illuminate die face outline 50. If one of the
switches is activated the current is diverted to illuminate a
different one of the die face outlines. When switch 38 is actuated
the current is diverted to illuminate die face outline 51; when
switch 37 is actuated the current is diverted to illuminate die
face outline 49; when switch 36 is actuated the current is diverted
to illuminate die face outline 48; when switch 35 is actuated the
current is diverted to illuminate die face 47; and when switch 34
is actuated the current is diverted to illuminate die face 46.
With the interconnection of switches 34-38 one of the die faces is
always illuminated. This is true even if none of the switches is
actuated and, hence, it is not possible for the cam to come to rest
at the end of a simulated roll of the dice and fail to illuminate
one of the die faces.
The interconnection of switches 34-38 eliminates the possibility of
a double display. For example, if two switches such as 36 and 37
are actuated at the same time, switch 36 would divert the current
from the series string of normally closed contacts to illuminate
die face outline 48 and therefore actuation of switch 37 has no
effect.
The switch interconnection is used to advantage to eliminate the
need for a highly precise alignment of the switches and cam
surfaces as would otherwise be required to prevent a no image
display or a double image display. The cam actuating surface 60
covers an arc area slightly greater than 60.degree. to
intentionally provide a slight overlap in the switch actuations to
thereby allow for some misalignment of the switches. This
arrangement eliminates the possibility of no switch being actuated
as the cam moves between adjacent switches which would otherwise
result in an improper illumination of die face 50. The slight
overlap has no adverse effect since the switch interconnection
precludes double image displays.
Switches 41-45 are similarly connected to illuminate die face
outlines 52-57 and are actuated by the actuating surface 61 of cam
40. The switches are similarly interconnected to illuminate one and
only one of the die face outlines at a time.
In actual operation, player actuated switch 25 is momentarily
depressed. Current is thus permitted to flow from the output of
bridge rectifier 24 to charge capacitors 26 and 28. Capacitor 26
rapidly charges to its full value. Capacitor 28, however, due to
the presence of resistor 30 within its charging circuit, is charged
at a much slower rate and will be charged to a value dependent upon
the length of time player actuated switch 25 is depressed.
Upon actuation of player actuated switch 25, coil 31 is also
energized causing contact 31b to close thus energizing motors 32
and 39. Upon release of player actuated switch 25, winding 31
remains energized until capacitors 26 and 28 are substantially
discharged. As stated previously, the total charge available for
energizing winding 31 is dependent upon the length of time player
actuated switch 25 is depressed and will vary from one cycle of
operation to another thus varying the period of time during which
motors 32 and 39 are energized.
While motors 32 and 39 are energized, cams 33 and 40 are caused to
rotate. Rotation of cams 33 and 40 cause the selective switching of
microswitches 34-38 and 41-45, each set of microswitches coupled to
form an interlock among themselves such that one and only one
switch at a time from each set is capable of supplying a current to
related die faces 46-51 and 52-57.
When winding 31 is no longer energized by capacitors 26 and 28,
contact 31b is opened and motors 32 and 39 are deenergized causing
cams 33 and 40 to come to rest thus causing the microswitches to be
randomly set such that one die face for each die is randomly
selected to remain illuminated.
In accordance with the invention, randomness may be enhanced by
having motors 32 and 39 rotate at different rates of rotation, as
for example, 90 revolutions per minute and 101 revolutions per
minute respectively.
The preceding description and accompanying drawings relate
primarily to an electrically operated amusement device for
simulating the rolling of dice. However, it should be understood
that the present invention is not limited to such usage, but is
equally applicable for use in any situation wherein a random
selection circuit is desired. Thus, the invention in its broader
aspects is not limited to the specific embodiments herein shown and
described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of
the accompanying claims, without departing from the principles of
the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.
* * * * *