Ratio encoder for slot machine reels.

摘要

A ratio encoder encodes the instantaneous angular position of one or more spinning reels (10) in a microprocessor controlled amusement game such as a fruit machine. The ratio encoder provides substantially instantaneous angular position data to the microprocessor by measuring the ratio of two voltages generated by electrical resistance (11) on the reel's periphery. One of the voltages may be a reference voltage, the other may be substantially proportional to the displacement of a point on the reel's periphery from a spatially fixed reference point (15). The ratio may be obtained as a voltage, converted to digital form by an analogue/digital converter (23) and then supplied to the microprocessor as input data.