Slot machine that can superimpose on a display screen images from different storage locations

A slot machine comprising display means having a continuous display screen provided on a plane facing a player, said display screen having three display windows, a display control means for controlling said display means such that said display windows each display one of a respective plurality of symbols in a still mode during a first time period, and each display said respective plurality of symbols in a simulated-rotation mode during a second time period, and game control means for controlling game progress, wherein the improvement comprises:

• storage means for storing symbol display data that corresponds to a plurality of symbol patterns;
• background storage means for storing line display data that corresponds to betting lines that the player selects to place a bet and that correspond to predetermined winning game-play combinations of symbol positions within the display windows, each of the winning combinations including one symbol position from each of said display windows;
• said display control means issuing an output instruction to said storage means and to said background storage means in order to control said display means, said display control means giving priority to said background storage means over said storage means for portions of said display screen where both said symbol display data and said line display data are coincident;
• selection means for enabling the player to select, other than by inserting a game play media, at least one of the betting lines along which a winning combination of symbols may occur;
• said display control means for controlling said display screen to display said selected betting line such that said selected betting line is continuous and extends through all of the symbol positions of the selected winning combination of symbol positions;
• display order storage means for defining a display order of said symbol patterns for display on each display window of said display means among said plurality of symbol patterns stored in said storage means and storing a start address of each of said plurality of symbol patterns stored in said storage means;
• hold means for holding display data representing the current display state on said display means for each display window;
• display position storage means for storing information on read start and end positions of said storage means for symbols that are displayed on each display window of said display means among said plurality of symbol patterns stored in said storage means in relation to game progress, wherein said display control means comprises address generation means for referencing said display order storage means according to the information representing the current display state held in said hold means in relation to the game progress, extracting a start address of a next symbol pattern based on the display order defined in said display order storage means, referencing said display position storage means for generating addresses from the display start position to the display end position based on the extracted start address for each symbol on the display screen of each display window, and giving the generated addresses to said storage means;
• and
• means for determining a win when a winning combination of symbols occupies said selected winning combination of symbol positions.

A slot-type machine, comprising:

• a continuous display screen that defines three display windows and that displays, within each of said display windows, one of a respective plurality of symbols in a still mode during a first time period and said respective plurality of symbols in a simulated-rotation mode during a second time period;
• a game-progress controller;
• a symbol storage circuit that stores display data that corresponds to said symbols;
• a background storage circuit that stores display data that corresponds to betting lines that highlight respective winning combinations of symbol positions within said display windows during a portion of said first time period, said winning combinations each including one symbol position from each of said display windows;
• a selector coupled to said game progress controller that enables a player to select, other than by inserting a game play media, at least one of the betting lines along which a winning combination of symbols may occur;
• allows a player to select a pattern of at least one of the betting lines along which one of the winning combinations may occur;
• a display controller that is coupled to said display screen, said game-progress controller, and said symbol and background storage circuits, said display controller for controlling said display screen such that during said portion of said first time period, said display screen simultaneously displays one of said symbols and said selected betting line such that at a location of said display screen where a portion of a symbol coincides with a portion of said selected betting line, said display controller gives priority to said background storage means over said symbol storage means such that at said location, said display screen displays said portion of said selected betting line instead of said portion of said symbol, said selected betting line being continuous and extending through each symbol position of the selected winning combination of symbol positions;
• and
• said game progress controller for determining a win when a winning combination of symbols occupies said selected winning combination of symbol positions.

A slot machine having a continuous display provided on a plane, the display including three display windows, a display control means coupled to the display for controlling the display to display within each of the display windows one of a respective plurality of symbols and game control means coupled to the display for controlling game progress, the improvement comprising:

• storage means coupled to the display control means for storing display data that correspond to the symbols;
• background storage means coupled to the display control means for storing display data that correspond to a betting line that, when displayed on the display, shows a selected combination of symbol positions within the display windows, the selected combination of symbol positions including one symbol position from each of the display windows;
• and
• selection means for enabling the player to select, other than by inserting a game play media, at least one of the betting lines along with a winning combination of symbols may occur;
• wherein said display control means controls the display to display one of the symbols in each display window and the at least one of selected betting line on the display.