The present invention relates to game apparatus more particularly to queuing system for use with a game apparatus. BACKGROUND

In many establishments where gaming apparatus is installed, a queue ma develop for priority of position in playing on a particular apparatus. For example, in billiards salon, a chalk board may be provided for perspective players to enter their name in sequence. This system is not entirely reliable and it is difficult for the manager of th establishment in question to ensure that extra games are not being played at the expense o subsequent players or that where appropriate the establishment is being paid for all game that are played. SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a queuing system for a game apparatus having a game ending condition, comprising: game end sensor means for generating a game end signal in respons to detection of the game ending condition; data entry and recording means for receiving player identification data identifying each of a plurality of players and recording the player identification data in a sequence; display means for displaying a single player identification datum; and player identification data indexing means operatively connected to the data entry and recording means, the display means and the game end sensor means for causing the display means to display the next player identification datum in said sequence in response to a game end signal.

The system may be coin operated so that a player's name can be entered sequence on a list of names after currency in the appropriate amount has been entered in the apparatus.

For greater security, the queuing system may be arranged to disable t game apparatus at the end of a game until the next player in the sequence enters a securi identifier, for example a ticket with a unique bar code printed on it. The tickets may dispensed when names are entered.

To disable a game such as billiards, all of the balls may be captured in locked ball collector that is unlocked when the next player up enters the security identifi that he received when entering his name.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided, in game apparatus comprising a playing area, game pieces movable on the playing are receptacle means for receiving game pieces from the playing area and game pie collecting means for collecting game pieces received by the receptacle, the improveme comprising: sensor means for detecting the collection by the collecting means of selected one of the game pieces; and display means for producing a display representing the end of a ga in response to the detection by the sensor means of the selected one of the game pieces.

According to this aspect of the invention, the game end condition is t collection of a particular game piece, which may be the last piece to be played, f example the black ball in a snooker game. The end of the game may be signaled

changing the names of the players on a display above the apparatus, for example a billia table.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided game apparatus having a playing component with lock means for inhibiting play with t playing component, a control component remote from the playing component f controlling the lock means and communication means for communicating between t playing component and the control component, the communication means comprisi radiation transmission means and radiation reception means associated with each unit f communicating between the units.

The communication between the playing component of the apparatus, e.g., billiard table, and the control component, e.g., a consol where coins and the players nam are entered, is by radiation such as infra red radiation rather than through wiring whi may be difficult to locate without causing access problems. For example, running wires a billiard table would require under floor wiring to avoid interfering with access to t table or with footing around the table. In respect of a billiard table, it is preferred that t radiation be directed upwardly from the table towards the ceiling, where it may be receiv directly by an appropriate receiver or reflected to a receiver. This yields minimu interference with the signal being transmitted. To ensure that a signal is received, t system will repeat the signal until it has been received and acknowledged by a receivi station.

The queuing apparatus may include an appropriate subsystem allowing f tournament play. The players may be paired off and, on completion of a game, the ga result may be entered at the remote control unit. This results in the losing player bei transferred to a "B" sequence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodime of the present invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present inventi using a billiard table as the game apparatus;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a remote consol;

Figure 3 is a schematic of the queuing system;

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the queuing system;

Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the queuing system in tournament mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and especially Figures 1 and there is illustrated a game system 10. The system includes a playing component 12 in t form of a billiard table, a wall mounted control component 16 and a ceiling mount display component 18 above the billiard table.

The billiard table is generally of a conventional sort having a table top surrounded by four cushions 22. Six pockets 24 are found at the corners of the table a midway along the long sides to serve in the usual way as receptacles for billiard ball Beneath the table top 20 is a ball return system 26 including a series of ball transpo troughs 28 leading from the respective pockets 24 to a common ball transport trough leading to a ball collector 32. The collector has a hinged cover 34 that is held closed by lock 36.

In equipping the table with a queuing system, a sensor 38 is associated wi the ball transport trough 30 to detect the passage of a black ball, which is the last b

played in snooker and a number of other games. The sensor is a colour sensitive devi that responds only to the passage of the black ball and generates an electric signal that passed by a wire under the table to a table control device 40 set into one of the end bolste of the table. The control device monitors different percentages of colour that make up t colour of a ball passing the sensor in order to determine if the sensor ball is the 8 (blac ball. The table control includes an infra red radiation transceiver 42. The transceiv transmits and radiation to and receives radiation from a transceiver 46 on the ceili mounted display 18. The transceiver 46 is wired to the wall mounted consol 48. T transceivers are known devices, commercially available and require no further description

The table control is based on a low power computed powered, like all oth table-mounted electronics, by a gel cell battery 44 mounted in the table. The tab electronics are inactive until energized by an appropriate infrared signal to the transceiv 42.

The wall mounted consol 48 includes a CRT display 56 for displaying least a segment of the sequence or list of players scheduled to play on the associat billiard table 14. Below the display 56 is a five key keypad 58. The keys include alphabetic up key 60, an alphabetic down key 62 and an enter key 64. The two remaini keys are a tournament "A" key 66 and a tournament "B" key 68. These are used f selecting one of the two sets of players involved in a tournament.

The consol is also equipped with a coin receiver 70 with the usual co verifying mechanism and coin return 72. The coin receiver acts to enable the keypad 58 receive player identification data in the form of player names.

The consol also contains a ticket dispenser or "spitter" 74 for dispensi tickets 76 each marked with a unique set of punched holes 78. The punched holes serve

an identifier code identifying the player identification datum most recently entered. ticket reader 80 includes a scanner for scanning the punched holes 78 and verifying th correspondence between the code and the player identification datum.

The game apparatus is completed with a set of balls 82 and the usual cue and auxiliary equipment.

The interrelation amongst the various components of the apparatus i illustrated most particularly in Figure 3. The coin receiver 70 enables the keypad 58 whic produces a new line on the CRT display. This display is a twelve line display with twenty four characters per line. The enabling of the keypad allows entry of information at the las line. The player can select a letter to be placed in the first character position of the lin using the alphabet up and down keys 60 and 62. When the correct character appears, th enter key 64 will save that character. The next letter can be entered in the same way an ultimately the complete name can be saved into the memory of a processor 84 using th entry key 64. On saving the name, the processor causes the ticket printer and dispenser 7 to print a unique bar code on the ticket 76 and dispense the ticket for retention by th player.

During play, the processor activates the display 18 to show the name o names of the player or players to whom the table is for the moment assigned. The name of waiting players and their positions in the list of players are displayed in a repeatin sequence as play progresses. The processor 84 is in communication with the processor 8 associated with the table. When the black ball sensor 38 detects the black ball in the bal return, it signals the table processor 86 which in turn transmits an infra red signal to th processor 84. This signal continues to be transmitted until the processor 84 returns verification signal verifying receipt of the signal from the table processor. Upon receipt o

the table processor signal, the processor 84 indexes the display 18 to show the first in lin name or names in the sequence of names recorded in the consol memory. When a appropriate ticket bearing a bar code corresponding to the newly displayed play identification data is entered in the ticket reader 80, the processor communicates to th table processor 86 a signal causing the lock 36 to disengage, opening the cover 34 of th ball collector 32. The balls may then be withdrawn and a game played in the usual wa until the sensor 38 detects the black ball in the ball return.

Figure 4 is a flow chart depicting the sequence of operations in normal us of the apparatus. Initially, a coin is entered into the consol, a player's name is entered an recorded in the last position in a sequence of names. A ticket is printed using a uniqu identifier corresponding to the player name entry and the ticket is dispensed to the playe In the meantime, the apparatus displays the first name or names in the sequence of name recorded by the apparatus. When the ticket representing the displayed datum is entered i the ticket meter, the ball collector is opened to release the balls. Play may then procee until the black ball is detected in the ball return. This causes the apparatus to index th sequence of names so the next name or names appearing in the sequence appear on th display. The ball collector is at this time locked and will not unlock until the correct tick has been read.

If desired, a countdown timer can be added to the system, with the tim initiated by the indexing of the name sequence. If the timer times out without the corre ticket having been entered into the ticket scanner, the system will index the name sequenc once more and call for the next player or players in the sequence.

In the tournament mode of play, the operation sequence is similar but n tickets are dispensed and the name sequence is indexed by pressing either tournament "A

key 66 or tournament "B" key 68. Following the play of a game, the key 60, 62 and 6 are used to identify the winner of a particular game. The loser is automatically transferre to a second sequence of names (the "B" list) for the tournament. The sequence of events i summarized in the flow chart in Figure 5.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in th foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope o the invention. It is to be understood that the invention is to be construed as limited solel by the scope of the appended claims.