JP4803766B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to display control of a gaming machine that performs effect display with multicolored light emission according to the gaming situation.

  A gaming machine such as a pachinko machine has various display lamps composed of LEDs or the like. When an event such as a “hit” win occurs during the game, the gaming machine performs various displays using these display lamps in order to notify the player of each event. Events such as lottery results are the center of interest for players. Gaming machines draw attention to the players, and are focused on the display contents in order to enhance the fun as gaming machines. For example, not only simply displaying the lottery result but also displaying the lottery result after changing the display content, thereby producing an effect of increasing the player's expectation for the lottery result.

  In order to further enhance the effect of the game machine, the display contents are also multicolored. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gaming machine that improves the effect by using a backlight capable of emitting three primary colors. Patent Document 2 discloses a gaming machine that realizes multicolor display by using a combination of RGB three-color LEDs or using full-color LEDs in a so-called 7-segment display device.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-248205 JP 2004-321258 A

  When performing multi-color display, it is preferable to use a warm color system such as red that has a psychological action to increase excitement for events with a high degree of attention of the player, such as a “big hit” display, among the events being played. On the contrary, in the case of hitting with a relatively low combination, it is preferable to use a cold color system such as blue. In this way, by utilizing the psychological effect that the color works on the player to properly use the color used in the gaming machine, it is possible to further improve the effect in the game and make the gaming machine more interesting.

  However, the effect display of the gaming machine does not necessarily give the player the psychological effect as intended. First, the sensitivity to human eye color is not uniform across all colors. In general, it is said that the relative visibility to yellow-green (light having a wavelength of about 555 nm) is the highest. Accordingly, even if the effect display of the gaming machine is designed in accordance with the above-described intention, the display using the cool color may be more clearly felt for the player.

  Second, the sensitivity to color also changes depending on the surrounding lighting environment. For example, as known as the Purkinje phenomenon, when the surroundings become dark, the wavelength at which the relative luminous sensitivity becomes highest shifts from 555 nm to the short wavelength side, and is around 510 nm. Experience has shown that not only this effect, but also under the reddish lighting such as incandescent lamps and under the bluish lighting such as fluorescent lamps, even in the same color, the psychological effects received from there are different. Are known.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to bring a psychological effect that a display gives to a player in a gaming machine that performs multi-color display closer to the intention at the time of design.

  The present invention is directed to a gaming machine capable of performing presentation display with multicolored light emission according to the gaming situation. This gaming machine has two or more light emitting portions having different emission colors. As the light emitting unit, for example, a lamp using a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode, an incandescent bulb, a fluorescent tube, or a neon tube can be used. The light emitting unit may be arranged alone on the game board surface or the frame of the gaming machine, or constitutes a part of an image display device such as a liquid crystal panel, a dot matrix display device, a so-called 7-segment display device, or the like. You may do it. The light emitting unit may not necessarily be able to display full color, and may include only two colors such as red (R) and green (G).

  Display control of the light emitting unit is performed by distributed processing of the main control board and the sub control board. The main control board outputs an instruction display instruction according to the game situation. The main control board, for example, performs a lottery at the time of winning a prize, and outputs a command for instructing to display an effect for that to the sub-control board when a “hit” is achieved. The sub-control board receives this command, determines a symbol to be displayed based on a preset rule, and controls the display states of the plurality of light emitting units so as to draw this symbol.

  In the gaming machine of the present invention, the sub-control board relatively suppresses the maximum luminance emitted by at least some of the light-emitting portions relative to other colors when performing the effect display. The maximum luminance of some colors may be lower than that of other colors, and the maximum luminance of other colors may be higher than that color. By doing so, it is possible to alleviate the influence due to the difference in the relative visibility with respect to different colors, and it is possible to realize an effect display that gives a psychological effect as intended.

  When the light emitting portion is provided corresponding to the three primary colors of light, it is preferable that the color that relatively suppresses the maximum luminance is green (G). As described above, green (G) has a higher relative visibility than the other primary colors red (R) and blue (B). Therefore, by suppressing the maximum luminance of green (G), it is possible to balance the luminance among the primary colors. The color for suppressing the maximum luminance need not be limited to one color. For example, one of red (R) and blue (B) may be suppressed in addition to green (G). Further, it is not essential to suppress the maximum luminance of green (G), and the maximum luminance of red (R) or blue (B) may be suppressed depending on the surrounding lighting environment.

  In many cases, the maximum luminance of each color itself is determined based on the color to be expressed by the color mixture of a plurality of light emitting portions. For example, in the case of having light emitting portions of three primary colors, the maximum luminance is set to be almost “red: green: blue = 1: 2.5: 1” based on a request to express white using these. There are many. Suppression of the maximum luminance may be performed including mixing colors with different color light emitting units, but may be performed only when a single color is expressed by each light emitting unit. According to the latter aspect, it is possible to realize a psychological effect due to the difference in color at the time of monochrome display without impairing the balance between colors at the time of color mixing.

  The level for suppressing the maximum luminance may be fixed or variable. If the level is variable, there is an advantage that the brightness of each color can be adjusted relatively easily according to the surrounding lighting environment.

  When the level is variable, for example, a gaming machine can input an adjustment value for relatively adjusting the maximum luminance of the light emitting unit to be suppressed, and the sub control board can input the maximum luminance of each color according to the adjustment value. The method of setting can be taken. As the adjustment value, “adjusted luminance / maximum luminance”, an absolute value of luminance (cd), a ratio to the maximum luminance of other colors, and the like can be used. The maximum luminance may not be continuously adjustable but may be selected from a plurality of step values provided in advance. In this case, the adjustment value may be a step value to be selected or a code that can specify the step value.

  The adjustment value may be input manually by a staff member who maintains the gaming machine, or may be automatically detected by the gaming machine itself. In the former case, a method of directly inputting an adjustment value using a keyboard or the like, or a method of specifying an adjustment value by operating a changeover switch such as a dip switch can be employed. In the latter case, it is possible to provide a sensor for detecting the illumination environment at any part of the board surface or the back surface of the board surface and set the adjustment value based on the detection result of the sensor. The sensor is preferably provided on the game board surface side rather than the back surface. This is because the gaming board surface can most appropriately grasp the lighting state of the part being watched by the player.

  The luminance of the light emitting unit can be suppressed by various methods depending on the configuration for controlling the display of the light emitting unit. For example, the sub-control board 1) sets the display gradation of each light-emitting section based on predetermined symbol data in response to an instruction from the main control board, and 2) each light-emitting section based on the display gradation Consider a case in which display by each light emitting unit is realized in two stages of controlling the light emission state. In this case, the maximum luminance can be suppressed in the first stage. That is, the maximum luminance can be suppressed by making the display gradation setting method for at least some light emitting units different from that for other light emitting units. Specifically, for the color to be suppressed, the gradation value to be set based on the design data is converted by multiplying by a certain coefficient, so that the display gradation can be lowered than the other colors. . Instead of the above-described coefficients, the above-described conversion may be performed using a table representing a correspondence relationship between the gradation value set by the symbol data and the display gradation to be displayed by the light emitting unit.

  The maximum luminance may be suppressed in the second stage described above. In other words, the maximum luminance may be suppressed by controlling the light emission state by converting as if a display gradation having a lower luminance than the designated display gradation is designated. When the display gradation is controlled by changing the duty to turn on the light emitting unit by a method such as pulse width modulation control, the duty is lower than the duty that should be originally achieved for the specified display gradation. What is necessary is just to control a light emission part so that it may become. This control can be realized, for example, by performing conversion that reduces the duty set for the display gradation by multiplying a predetermined coefficient or using a conversion table.

  The suppression of the maximum luminance may be achieved by reducing the gradation value used at the stage of the symbol data used by the gaming machine for effect display. The present invention can also be configured as a method of generating symbol data in which tone values are suppressed in this way by a computer. In this data generation method, the computer inputs original symbol data. The original symbol data is data having gradation values to be expressed by the respective colors of the light emitting units, that is, gradation values set without considering the difference in sensitivity depending on colors. Then, for at least some of the colors, input an adjustment value for suppressing the maximum brightness at the time of effect display relative to other colors, and convert the tone value of the original symbol data based on this adjustment value Then, symbol data for the gaming machine is generated. By doing this, it is possible to relatively easily generate symbol data that allows coloring according to the intention at the time of design, while designing the original symbol data without being aware of the difference in sensitivity depending on the color. .

  The present invention does not necessarily have all the various features described above, and some of them may be omitted or applied in appropriate combination. Further, the present invention may be configured as a display control method for a light emitting unit in a gaming machine, in addition to an aspect as a gaming machine. The display control method, a computer program for realizing the above-described symbol data generation, and a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded can also be configured. Examples of the recording medium in this case include various media that can be read by the computer, such as a ROM cartridge, a computer internal storage device (memory such as RAM and ROM), and an external storage device.

It is a block diagram which shows the control circuit structure of the game machine as an Example. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing internal structures of a sub control board 300 and a lamp driving board 350. It is explanatory drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of LED in a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the circuit structure of the lamp drive board | substrate 350 and the design lamp 370. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the method of gradation expression. It is explanatory drawing which shows the output method of frame data. It is a flowchart of the control processing in an Example. It is a flowchart of a frame data generation process. It is a perspective view which shows an effect unit. It is a perspective view which shows a front decoration member. It is a perspective view which shows a symbol display. It is a front view which shows a decoration base | substrate. It is a front view which shows a translucent body. It is a back perspective view which shows a front decoration member. It is a perspective view which shows an LED board. It is a perspective view which shows a front side housing | casing. It is a rear view which shows a front side housing | casing. It is a perspective view which shows a rear side housing | casing. It is a perspective view which shows a division | segmentation light projection member. It is a back perspective view which shows a covering decoration member. It is a perspective view which shows a lens member and a diffusion sheet. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a table which controls the propriety of the gradation conversion of green. It is a flowchart of the symbol schedule setting process as a modification. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a symbol data generation device 10. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. In the present embodiment, a configuration as a pachinko machine is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to various gaming machines such as a spinning-type gaming machine.
A. Control circuit configuration:
B. Lamp drive board and design lamp:
C. Gradation control:
D. Lighting control processing:
E. Production unit composition:
F. Variations:
F1. Variations of maximum brightness suppression processing:
F2. Symbol data generator:

A. Control circuit configuration:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control circuit configuration of a gaming machine as an embodiment. In this embodiment, the operation of the gaming machine is controlled by distributed processing of each control board such as the main control board 1000, the payout control board 200, the sub-control board 300, and the like. Each control board is configured as a one-chip microcomputer having a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like inside, and implements various control processes according to programs recorded in the ROM.

  In the gaming machine of the embodiment, the input from the outside to the main control board 1000 is restricted in order to prevent various frauds. As shown in the figure, the main control board 1000 and the sub control board 300 are connected by a parallel electric signal, and the main control board 1000 and the payout control board 200 are connected by a serial electric signal because of the necessity of control processing. . The payout control board 200 and the sub control board 300 operate in accordance with commands from the main control board 1000, respectively. The command output from the main control board 1000 to the payout control board 200 includes a prize ball command command. Further, the command output to the sub-control board 300 includes the winning of the lottery result, whether or not the probability is changed, and the change time represented in the form of the change pattern number.

  Based on the control of the main control board 1000, the pachinko machine pays out a prize ball when a ball enters a start winning opening provided on the game board surface, and determines whether or not a win / loss based on a random number and is determined to be a win. In the event of a failure, it operates to release the special winning opening provided on the game board surface for a specified period. In order to realize the operation at the time of the game, the main control board 1000 is inputted with the detection result of the winning detector 1001 for detecting the winning of the ball at the starting winning opening. Further, the main control board 1000 outputs a control signal for the special prize opening solenoid 1002 for releasing the special prize opening.

  A symbol display LED 1003 is also connected to the main control board 1000. The symbol display LED 1003 is composed of 16 LEDs, and performs display called normal symbol, special symbol, normal symbol hold, and special symbol hold according to the winning state during the game. The main control board 1000 directly controls the lighting state of the symbol display LED 1003.

  Control of each operation during other games is performed via the payout control board 200 and the sub control board 300. The payout control board 200 controls the launching and payout of the ball being played in the following procedure. The launch of the sphere is controlled directly by the launch control board 202. That is, when the player operates the launch handle 201, the launch control board 202 controls the launch motor 203 to launch a ball. The payout control board 200 indirectly controls the launch of the sphere by sending a launch control signal to the launch control board 202.

  When receiving a command indicating that a prize has been won during the game from the main control board 1000, the payout control board 200 controls the payout motor 220 to pay out a prescribed number of prize balls while counting the number of balls. The payout control board 200 detects whether or not the balls stored for payout are insufficient by the ball break switch 210, and outputs a ball shortage detection signal to the sub control board 300 via the main control board 1000 when there is a shortage. The sub-control board 300 receives this detection signal and lights a predetermined part of the frame decoration lamp 330.

  The sub control board 300 controls effects such as voice, display, and lamp lighting during the game. These effects vary according to the status during the game, such as during normal times, when winning a prize, or when winning a big hit. When an effect command corresponding to each status is transmitted from the main control board 1000, the sub control board 300 activates a program corresponding to each command to realize the effect instructed from the main control board 1000. . A display example for production will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, the sub-control board 300 directly controls the speaker 310 as shown in the figure. A plurality of speakers 310 may be connected. As the display, a frame decoration lamp 330, a design lamp 370, and a panel decoration lamp 390 are provided. In this example, LEDs were used for these lamps. The frame decoration lamp 330, the design lamp 370, and the panel decoration lamp 390 each represent a set of a plurality of LEDs arranged on the substrate.

  The frame decoration lamp 330 is connected to the sub-control board 300 via the lamp relay board 320 and is controlled to be lit statically in accordance with a control signal from the sub-control board 300. As will be described later, the symbol lamp 370 is a display unit composed of a plurality of segments, and is used to display a decorative symbol associated with the symbol display LED 1003. The symbol lamp 370 is connected to the sub-control board 300 via the lamp driving board 350, and each LED is controlled to be dynamically lit according to a signal from the sub-control board 300.

  The panel decoration lamp 390 is a display for decorating the periphery of the symbol lamp 370. The panel decoration lamp 390 is connected to the sub-control board 300 via the lamp driving board 350, and each LED is statically controlled to light according to a signal from the sub-control board 300. A unit including the design lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390 is referred to as an effect unit.

  The sub control board 300 is provided with a dip switch 308. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the brightness of the frame decoration lamp 330, the design lamp 370, and the panel decoration lamp 390 can be relatively adjusted between colors. The dip switch 308 is a switch used for this adjustment. When the clerk changes the setting of the dip switch 308, the brightness is adjusted according to any of a plurality of brightness adjustment modes prepared in advance. A method for adjusting the luminance will be described later.

  The control circuit configuration described above is an example of a gaming machine. The connection destination of each hardware module is not limited to the illustrated example, and various configurations can be adopted. Further, a configuration in which a part of the illustrated hardware module is omitted or a configuration in which a separate hardware module is added may be employed depending on the function required for the gaming machine.

B. Lamp drive board and design lamp:
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal structure of the sub-control board 300 and the lamp driving board 350. Only the portion related to the connection of the design lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390 is shown. The frame decoration lamp 330 is connected to the CPU 302 by a circuit different from that shown (see FIG. 1).

  The lamp driving board 350 is provided with eight latches 352 [1] to 352 [8] in parallel. Each latch can hold 8-bit data. The latch 352 [8] is connected to the panel decoration lamp 390, and the latch group 354 including the other latches 352 [1] to 352 [7] is connected to the symbol lamp 370 as a whole. Signals connected to the symbol lamp 370 include a common signal 376 and individual signal lines 377 used for dynamic lighting control of the symbol lamp 370. Details of these signals will be described later.

  The connection between the latch 352 and the design lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, a part of the data lines of one latch 352 may be connected to the panel decoration lamp 390 and the rest may be connected to the symbol lamp 370.

  The lamp driving board 350 is connected to an output port from the CPU 302 of the sub control board 300. This output port includes eight data lines and a signal line 356 including a select signal for switching the latches 352 [1] to 352 [8]. Data transfer to the latch is not necessarily performed in 8 bits, and can be arbitrarily set to 4 bits. However, the number of bits for data transfer is preferably matched with the number of bits held in the latch. Even if the number of transfer bits is reduced, all data required for control can be transferred by increasing the number of data transfers.

  In the RAM provided in the sub-control board 300, two work areas, buffer memories 304 [1] and 304 [2], are provided for data output. It is output alternately. Each buffer memory 304 is connected to the CPU 302 by a data line 306 or the like.

  Data output from the CPU 302 to the symbol lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390 is performed in the following procedure. The CPU 302 writes control data for controlling display of the symbol lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390 in any of the buffer memories 304. The data written in the buffer memory 304 is transferred to the lamp driving board 350 in 8 steps while switching the select signal, and is sequentially held in the latches 352. When the accumulation of data in all the latches 352 is completed, these data are transmitted from the lamp driving board 350 to the design lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390. Thus, the lamp drive substrate 350 apparently has a function of increasing the number of data lines from the sub-control substrate 300. In this embodiment, the number of data lines can be used up to a maximum of 64 by using eight latches.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of LEDs in the present embodiment. These are the LEDs constituting the interior of the effect unit, that is, the symbol lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390. In this embodiment, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) single-color LEDs and LEDs capable of full-color display by incorporating these three colors are mixedly used. Here, for convenience of describing the following control processing, the internal configuration of the rendering unit will be described first, and the configuration of the entire unit when attached to the gaming machine will be described in detail at the end.

  Frames F1 to F3 surrounded by broken lines are panel decoration lamps 390. Each of the panel decoration lamps 390 is a red (R) single color LED. Frames A to E are symbol lamps 370. A full color LED is used for the frame A. In the frames B and C, red (R) and blue (B) single color LEDs are mixedly used. The LEDs in the frames A to C are incorporated in each of the seven segments that can display the shape of “8”. Red (R) monochromatic LEDs are used in the frames D and E. As described above, the design lamp 370 is dynamically lit. This lighting control is performed by treating the LEDs in each of the frames A to E as one group. Hereinafter, the LEDs in each frame are collectively referred to as groups A, B.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a circuit configuration of the lamp driving substrate 350 and the symbol lamp 370. Four common signals C12, C11, C22, and C21 are output from the lamp driving board 350, and the LEDs of the group B, group C, group A, group D, and E are connected to each other. The common signals C11 and C12 are provided with individual signal lines S1-1 to S1-14. The blue LEDs Bb1 to Bb7 and the red LEDs Br1 to Br7 in the group B are connected to the individual signal lines S1-1 to S1 to 14, respectively, as illustrated. Similarly, the blue LEDs Cb1 to Cb7 and the red LEDs Cr1 to Cr7 in the group C are connected to the individual signal lines S1-1 to S1 to 14, respectively. The reason why the red LEDs are used in pairs while the blue LEDs are used alone is to match the luminance between the two. Moreover, although illustration was abbreviate | omitted in order to avoid complication of a figure, the resistance for brightness | luminance adjustment is connected to each LED.

  The common signals C21 and C22 are provided with individual signal lines S2-1 to S2-21. The three color LEDs incorporated in Ac1 to Ac7 of full color LEDs in group A are connected to individual signal lines S2-1 to S2-21, respectively. Dr1 to Dr14 of red LEDs of groups D and E are connected to individual signal lines S2-1 to S2-14, respectively. In the groups D and E, the individual signal lines S2-15 to S2-21 are not used. Although not shown, the LEDs for groups A, D, and E are also connected to resistors for brightness adjustment. The maximum luminance of each color can be set with reference to a state in which white can be expressed at the time of color mixing. In this example, the setting was “red: green: blue = 1: 2.5: 1”. The maximum brightness is not limited to this example, and various settings are possible.

  In this circuit configuration, in this embodiment, the common signals C12 and C22 and C11 and C21 are turned on in synchronization with each other. When the common signals C12 and C22 are on, the LEDs of the group B (red LED and blue LED) and the group A (full color LED) are turned on according to the on / off of each individual signal line. . When the common signals C11 and C21 are on, the LEDs of the group C (red LED and blue LED) and the groups D and E (red LED) are turned on.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, lighting is controlled so that groups having different combinations of LED colors connected to the common signal are simultaneously turned on. By doing this, there is an advantage that it is easy to ensure a color balance between groups that are simultaneously turned on. In the present embodiment, by alternately turning on the groups B and C using LEDs of the same color (red LED and blue LED), these colors (hereinafter referred to as “common colors”) It is possible to realize a state in which the light is always lit at any part. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the time variation of the brightness of the common color as a whole.

  In the present embodiment, by turning on two common signals at the same time, the LEDs of each group can be lit at a relatively short period in the dynamic lighting control. If only one common signal is used, each group is turned on in the order of group B → group C → group A → groups D and E, which is three times as long as the lighted period. There will be a blank period. Accordingly, each group can secure a lighting period only for a maximum of 25% of the total period.

  On the other hand, when two common signals are used, each group is lit in the order of group B → group C and group A → groups D and E. The blank period can be made equal. Therefore, it is possible to ensure a lighting period of up to 50% of the entire period. As described above, in this embodiment, since the blank period can be shortened, the brightness of the LED can be secured and the flicker at the time of display can be suppressed.

  The gaming machine displays various effects using the above-described symbol lamp 370 and panel decoration lamp 390 during the game. Among these effect displays, the one that attracts the player's interest is the display of the result of the lottery at the time of winning a prize, and particularly the display in the reach state that is expected to be a big hit. The gaming machine of the present embodiment is a seven-segment display provided on the symbol lamp 370, for example, the central segment (group A in FIG. 3) shines in white, or shines in seven colors like a rainbow. As a result, it is possible to display various reach states. In these effects, warm colors such as red are used for displaying the reach state that should raise the player's expectation and the part that the player should be interested in. For other parts, a cold color such as blue is used. Each color is expressed by lighting LEDs of RGB primary colors at various gradations.

C. Gradation control:
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a gradation expression method. The lighting control of the LED “Bb2” connected to the common signal C12 is shown as an example. On the left side of the figure, output signals of individual signals S1-3 connected to the common signals C12 and Bb2 are shown. As described above, in this embodiment, the common signals C12 and C11 are alternately turned on / off. A period t1 during which each common signal is turned on is 1 ms. Accordingly, each of the common signals C12 and C11 is turned on / off at a cycle t2 of 2 ms which is twice this. Hereinafter, a section of the period t2 in which the common signals C12 and C11 are turned on / off is referred to as a frame. In this embodiment, each LED is duty-controlled in units of 8 frames, that is, a period of 16 ms. This period of 8 frames is hereinafter referred to as a “cycle”.

  The Bb2 lighting state is shown below the common signal C12 according to the gradation value. When the gradation value is “0”, Bb2 is turned off in all frames during one cycle. In the case of the gradation value “1”, the signal is on (hatched portion in the figure) at one frame. Hereinafter, as the gradation value increases, the number of frames that are turned on increases, and the lightest gradation value “8” is turned on in all frames. In this way, nine levels of gradation can be expressed by increasing the ratio of the period during which the LED is on in the cycle, that is, the duty, as the gradation value increases.

  On the right side of the figure, control data (hereinafter referred to as “frame data”) for realizing gradation expression is illustrated. As shown in the lower part of the figure, one bit is assigned to each LED, and ON / OFF is controlled by this bit string. In the upper right, control data corresponding to the bit (signal line S1-3 in FIG. 4) assigned to the LED of Bb2 is shown with the gradation value on the horizontal and the frame number on the vertical. Similarly, bit number 1 (Bb1) is output to signal line S1-1, bit number 2 (Br1) is output to signal line S1-2, and bit number 4 (Br2) is output to signal line S1-4.

  When the gradation value is “0” (corresponding to the rightmost column), all of the 1 to 8 frames are turned off, so “0” is output for all the frames. When the gradation value is “1” (corresponding to the second column from the right), only the first frame is turned on, and the other frames are turned off. Accordingly, for the gradation value “1”, the bit string “1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0” of 1 to 8 frames is output in this order. Similarly, the gradation values 2 to 8 (corresponding to the 3rd to 9th columns from the right respectively) are sequentially output so as to be “1” in the portion corresponding to the frame that is turned on and “0” in the other portions. . That is, if attention is paid only to the bit number “3”, any of the bit strings described above is selected and output in time series according to the gradation value to be expressed by the LED “Bb2”. Simultaneously with the bit number “3”, the control data of the LED “Bb1” is sequentially output from the bit number “1”, and the control data of the LED “Br1” is sequentially output from the bit number “2”. In this way, when viewed in units of frames, a plurality of bits of data corresponding to all LEDs are output in parallel, but when viewed through 1 to 8 frames in units of bits, an on / off time series that realizes duty control A typical signal will be output.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a frame data output method. A method of outputting frame data using two buffer memories 304 [1] and 304 [2] provided on the sub-control board 300 has been shown. Each buffer memory 304 schematically shows the frame data to be stored, with the LED name in the horizontal direction and the frame number in the vertical direction. Each buffer memory 304 stores frame data for one cycle (8 frames) for all LEDs.

  As illustrated, the frame data is output from the CPU 302 to the lamp driving board 350 via the two buffer memories 304 [1] and 304 [2]. The CPU 302 can switch the operation of the buffer memories 304 [1] and 304 [2] to the write mode / read mode.

  The CPU 302 first sets the buffer memory 304 [1] to the write mode, and sets the buffer memory 304 [2] to the read mode. At this time, one cycle of frame data is sequentially output from the buffer memory 304 [2] to the lamp driving substrate 350 as indicated by the black arrows in the figure. As described above, this output is outputted in a plurality of times every 8 bits, and sequentially stored in a latch in the lamp driving substrate 350.

  In the present embodiment, as described above with reference to FIG. 5, the common signals C12 and C11 are switched on / off every 1 ms in one frame (2 ms). Similarly, the common signals C22 and C21 are switched on / off. From the buffer memory 304 [2], frame data corresponding to the common signal that is turned on is output in accordance with the turning on / off of the common signal. That is, the first frame data corresponding to the LEDs belonging to the groups B and A is output during the period in which the common signals C12 and C22 are on, and the groups C and C12 and C12 are in the period during which the common signals C11 and C12 are on. Second frame data corresponding to D and E is output. As a result, at the time of reading, the buffer memory 304 is divided into two areas corresponding to the first and second frame data, and data is alternately output from each area.

  In parallel with this data output, the frame data for the next one cycle is stored in the buffer memory 304 [1] from the CPU 302. Data is read in units of 1 ms, whereas data is stored in units of 16 ms. By doing so, storage of frame data to be used in the next cycle is completed before output for one cycle is completed, and smooth display control can be realized.

  When the data output from the buffer memory 304 [2] and the data storage into the buffer memory 304 [1] are thus completed, the CPU 302 switches the operation mode of the buffer memory 304. That is, the buffer memory 304 [2] is set to the write mode, and the buffer memory 304 [1] is set to the read mode. As a result of this switching, new control data is output from the buffer memory 304 [1] to the lamp driving board 350 as indicated by the white arrow in the figure, and the frame data of the next cycle is again output to the buffer memory 304 [2]. Is stored by the CPU 302.

  In this embodiment, frame data can be output efficiently by using the two buffer memories 304 alternately in this way. The use of the two buffer memories 304 is not limited to the above-described mode. For example, the buffer memory 304 [1] may be a buffer memory dedicated to writing from the CPU 302, and the buffer memory 304 [2] may be a buffer memory dedicated to output to the lamp driving board 350. In this case, when the data output for one cycle is completed, the data is transferred from the write-only buffer memory 304 [1] to the output-only buffer memory 304 [2], and the frame data of the next cycle is output. And do the storage. Also in this aspect, efficient data output can be realized by using two buffer memories together.

  In the present embodiment, the design lamp 370 is dynamically controlled to light using the frame data described above, while the panel decoration lamp 390 is controlled to be statically controlled. The static lighting control is a control in which the common signal is not switched and is always turned on or off for one cycle. Therefore, the control data for the panel decoration lamp 390 is sufficient to use data for one frame over one cycle. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the buffer memory 304 is also provided with an area for storing control data for the panel decoration lamp 390, and this data is transmitted via the lamp driving board 350 in the same manner as the frame data. It is output to the panel decoration lamp 390.

D. Lighting control processing:
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of control processing in the embodiment. This is a process executed by the CPU 302 of the sub control board 300. However, for convenience of explanation, only processing related to the display of symbols is shown. The left side shows a main loop repeatedly executed by the CPU 302 in a long cycle (16 ms in the present embodiment), and the right side shows a periodic execution executed by interrupting the main loop in a short cycle (1 ms in the present embodiment). The interrupt process was shown. These processes are realized by a long-cycle interrupt process and a short-cycle interrupt process, respectively.

  When the power is turned on and the main loop is started, the CPU 302 executes a predetermined initialization process (step S10) and starts a game loop. In this process, first, a system command transmitted from the main control board 1000 is analyzed (step S12). The system command includes the winning of the lottery result, whether or not the probability is changed, the changing time, and the like, and the symbol to be displayed is determined based on this.

  In response to this command, the CPU 302 sets a symbol schedule for displaying symbols (step S14). The symbol schedule is data defining the color, gradation, and blinking of each LED according to the symbol type. One symbol is composed of a plurality of cycles. For example, when displaying a pattern that rotates like a roulette in the center 7 segments, or displaying numbers that are sequentially counted up in the center, each LED that constitutes the center 7 segments according to the design. The color, gradation, and blinking state are defined in time series. The CPU 302 generates frame data in each cycle in accordance with the symbol schedule set in this way, and stores it in the buffer memory 304 (step S16). In this embodiment, the luminance between colors is adjusted at the time when the frame data is generated. The processing content for brightness adjustment will be described later. At the same time, control data for the panel decoration lamp 390 is also generated and stored in the buffer memory 304. In the main loop, the above processing is repeated during the game.

  In combination with the above-described processing, the periodic interrupt processing is executed with a short cycle of 1 ms. When this process is started, the CPU 302 first clears the common signal of the lamp driving board 350 and turns off all the LEDs (step S20). As a result, it is possible to prevent the LED from blinking irregularly during the rewriting of the individual control signal.

  Next, the CPU 302 outputs frame data for one frame from the buffer memory 304 to the lamp driving substrate 350 (step S22). This data output is performed in a plurality of times every 8 bits as described above. The CPU 302 detects the timing every 16 ms from the start of the periodic interrupt process by updating the 1 ms counter (step S24). If this timing is reached (step S26), the frame decoration frame data is output (step S28), and the periodic interrupt process is terminated. At other timings (step S26), the output of the frame decoration frame data is skipped.

  In this control process, in the main loop executed in a long cycle, not only the gradation value of each LED is set, but also the development to the frame data is completed (step S16). Therefore, the periodic interrupt process does not need to generate frame data, and only needs to output data to the lamp driving board 350, so that there is an advantage that the processing load is very light. In this embodiment, the data output to the lamp driving board 350 is executed in a plurality of times by 8 bits. However, since the processing load in the periodic interrupt processing is light, a large amount of data output can be sufficiently performed in a short cycle. It becomes possible to execute.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the frame data generation process. This corresponds to the detailed processing content of step S16 in FIG. The CPU 302 first reads the symbol schedule data (step S16a) and reads the adjustment value (step S16b). The adjustment value is a setting value for performing RGB color adjustment. In the present embodiment, an adjustment value can be set by a staff member operating a dip switch 308 provided on the sub-control board 300.

  Based on this adjustment value, the CPU 302 converts the green (G) tone value of the symbol data (step S16c). Two conversion methods are illustrated in the figure. The method described above uses the conversion table Tab. Shown below is a method using a conversion coefficient TC. The conversion table Tab is a table that gives converted values to input gradation values of 0 to 8, respectively. For example, when the adjustment value “1” is set, according to this conversion table Tab, the converted gradation values are “0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4 ". According to this conversion table Tab, the maximum luminance is suppressed to a gradation value of 4. Similarly, in the case of the adjustment values 2 and 3, the converted gradation value is given.

  The content of the conversion table Tab depends on the lighting environment of the hall where the gaming machine is installed, such as a bright hall using many fluorescent lamps, a hall using reddish lighting like an incandescent lamp, a relatively dark hall, etc. You can prepare. The relationship between the input tone value and the tone value after conversion is based on analysis and sensory tests based on relative visual sensitivity so as to give the player an impression according to the purpose of different colors in the design under each lighting environment. It can be set by.

  Instead of the conversion table Tab, conversion using conversion coefficients may be performed. The lower figure shows an example of setting conversion coefficients. In this example, a conversion coefficient of 0.5 is given to the adjustment value “1”. When the adjustment value “1” is set, a value obtained by multiplying the input gradation value by the conversion coefficient 0.5 is the converted gradation value. As a result, the maximum luminance of green has a gradation value of 4. In the example in the figure, since the adjustment values 2 and 3 are set to values smaller than 0.5, the maximum luminance is further suppressed when these adjustment values are set. become.

  The method using the conversion coefficient has an advantage that the storage capacity of the set value required for gradation conversion is small. On the other hand, when the conversion table Tab is used, the input gradation value and the converted gradation value can be associated non-linearly, and gradation conversion that appropriately reflects the design intent for the design of the pattern is realized. There are advantages that can be done.

  When the green (G) tone conversion is completed, the CPU 302 generates frame data based on the tone values of the R, G, and B colors (step S16d). That is, based on the correspondence shown in FIG. 5, the gradation value of each color is converted into an on / off pulse signal of the LED.

  According to the gaming machine of the embodiment described above, it is possible to increase the number of colors and the number of gradations of the display and secure the color balance while effectively utilizing hardware resources, and the possibility of expression during gaming Can be improved. Suppressing the maximum brightness of green (G) can mitigate the effect of the relative visibility of green (G) being relatively high compared to other colors. Can be avoided. As a result, it is possible to give the player a sense of excitement as intended by the effect display using red (R) or the like.

E. Production unit composition:
First, the arrangement of the LEDs of the effect unit including the design lamp 370 and the panel decoration lamp 390 is shown in FIG. 3, and the lighting control of the effect unit has been described based on this. Below, the structure of the whole production | presentation unit, such as the member attached to the exterior of LED arrange | positioned like FIG. 3, is explained in full detail, referring drawings.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the effect unit. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a front decoration member. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a symbol display. FIG. 12 is a front view showing the decorative base. FIG. 13 is a front view showing a translucent body. FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view showing the front decoration member. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an LED substrate. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the front housing. FIG. 17 is a rear view showing the front housing. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the rear housing. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a section light projecting member. FIG. 20 is a rear perspective view showing the covering decorative member. FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a lens member and a diffusion sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the effect unit 40 is configured by unitizing a front decoration member 42 shown in FIG. 10 and a symbol display 41 shown in FIG. The front decoration member 42 is formed by an assembly of a decorative base body 70 shown in FIG. 12 and translucent bodies 71 to 73 shown in FIG. The decorative base 70 is made of a non-translucent synthetic resin material, has a horizontally long elliptical frame shape, a display window portion 74 on which the symbol display portion 41a of the symbol display device 41 is provided, and an upper portion of the display window portion 74. And mounting portions 75 to 77 that are provided on the left and right sides and individually attach the translucent members 71 to 73, and screw fixing holes 78a for screwing the front decoration member 42 to the surface of the game board 4 (game area 12). A punched flange portion 78 is formed. Note that screw holes (not shown) for screwing the translucent members 71 to 73 from the back side are formed in the attachment portions 75 to 77, respectively.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, a positioning projection 79 for positioning the front decoration member 42 with respect to the symbol display 41 is provided on the back side of the decorative base 70. The translucent bodies 71 to 73 are each made of a translucent synthetic resin material. The translucent body 71 has a shape in which the characters “PASSION” are designed, and a screw-fastening hole 80 for screwing the mounting portion 75 above the display window 74 is formed. The translucent bodies 72 and 73 have a circular arc shape symmetrical to each other, and are provided with screw fixing holes 81 and 82 for fixing screws to the left and right mounting portions 76 and 77 of the display window 74. . The translucent bodies 72 and 73 are each formed by a lens member.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the symbol display device 41 includes an LED substrate 90 and a substrate box 91 that houses the LED substrate 90. As shown in FIG. 15, the LED substrate 90 is irradiated with light from the back side of the translucent body 71 in which the characters “PASSION” are designed in the assembled state of the design indicator 41 and the front decoration member 42. A plurality of decoration LEDs 93 that emit light from the back side of the arcuate translucent body 72 on the left side, and a plurality of decoration LEDs 94 that emit light from the back side of the arcuate translucent body 73 on the right side Has been implemented. These decorative LEDs 92 to 94 constitute the panel decorative lamp 390 in FIG. 2, and correspond to the groups F1 to F3 in the layout shown in FIG.

  A plurality of symbol display LEDs for displaying left, middle and right special symbols and a background LED 151 (see FIG. 15) for optically decorating the background surface of the special symbols are mounted on the symbol display unit 41a. ing. The symbol display LED and the background LED 151 constitute the symbol lamp 370 in FIG. The symbol display LEDs correspond to the groups A to C in the layout diagram shown in FIG. 3, and the background LED 151 corresponds to the groups D and E.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the symbol display LEDs are classified into three types for left symbol, middle symbol, and right symbol, and in front of these left, middle, and right symbol display LEDs are 7-segment formats, respectively. Various constituent members such as partitioned light projecting members 95 to 97 that are partitioned are arranged. As a result, the special symbols on the left, middle and right are each displayed with a number of "0-9" in a 7-segment display by various combinations of lighting / extinguishing of a plurality of symbol display LEDs. . Various constituent members such as the partition light projecting members 95 to 97 disposed in front of the symbol display LED will be described in detail later.

  A reflector 98 is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the decorative LED 92 for irradiating the translucent body 71 so that the light emitted from the decorative LED 92 does not irradiate a portion other than the translucent body 71 (for example, the translucent bodies 72 and 73). It has been. In addition, attachment holes 99 for attaching and fixing the LED substrate 90 in the substrate box 91 are formed in the four corner portions of the LED substrate 90. However, the attachment holes 99 drilled in the corners on one diagonal line function as positioning holes corresponding to positioning protrusions 111 of the front casing 100 and positioning holes 114a of the rear casing 101, which will be described later, A mounting hole 99 drilled in a corner portion on the other diagonal line functions as a screw fixing hole corresponding to a screw fixing hole 112 of the front casing 100 and a screw fixing hole 115a of the rear casing 101 described later. It is.

  The board box 91 includes a front casing 100 and a rear casing 101, and the front casing 100 and the rear casing 101 are each formed of a transparent synthetic resin material. On the front side of the front housing 100, as shown in FIG. 16, a display protrusion 102 that forms the base of the symbol display portion 41a is formed at the center, and positioning protrusions 103 are formed at the four corners. . The display projecting portion 102 is provided with mounting openings 104 to 106 for individually attaching the partition light projecting members 95 to 97, and the display window of the decorative base 70 in the assembled state of the symbol display 41 and the front decoration member 42. It is assembled by being fitted into the portion 74. The front surface portion of the display protrusion 102 other than the mounting openings 104 to 106 is formed as a lens portion 102a, and diffuses the light of the background LED 151 forward with the LED substrate 90 accommodated in the substrate box 91. The background surface of the special design is configured by projecting light.

  The front housing 100 is provided with insertion holes 107 to 109 and positioning holes 110. The insertion hole 107 is a hole through which the decoration LED 92 and the reflector 98 are inserted in a state in which the LED board 90 is accommodated in the substrate box 91, and the insertion holes 108 and 109 are in a state in which the LED substrate 90 is accommodated in the substrate box 91. Thus, it is a hole through which the decorative LEDs 93 and 94 are individually inserted. The positioning hole 110 is a hole for positioning the front decoration member 42 on the symbol display 41 by engagement with the positioning projection 79 of the decorative base 70.

  As shown in FIG. 17, positioning protrusions 111 for positioning the LED substrate 90 in the substrate box 91 are formed at the corners on one diagonal line on the back side of the front housing 100, and on the other diagonal line Screw fixing holes 112 for screwing the LED substrate 90 into the substrate box 91 are formed at the corners. A heat radiating hole 113 for releasing heat generated from the LED substrate 90 to the outside is formed in the upper side portion of the front housing 100.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 18, the rear housing 101 has a positioning boss 114 provided with a positioning hole 114 a that engages with the positioning protrusion 111 of the front housing 100, and a screw fixing hole of the front housing 100. 112 and a mounting boss 115 in which a corresponding screw fixing hole 115a is formed. The rear housing 101 has a connection opening 116 for connecting a display control board (not shown) provided outside the board box 91 to the LED board 90 in the board box 91, and a plurality of heat radiation holes 117. Is drilled.

  Next, various structural members, such as the division | segmentation light projection members 95-97 arrange | positioned ahead of the symbol display LED150, are demonstrated. In addition, since the same structural members are respectively arranged in front of the left, middle, and right symbol display LEDs, only the components disposed in front of the middle symbol display LEDs will be described for convenience. The same reference numerals are attached to the constituent members. However, various constituent members arranged in front of the symbol display LED described below are attached to the display protrusions 102 (attachment openings 104 to 106) of the front housing 100 constituting the substrate box 91, and the inside of the substrate box 91 is In the state where the LED substrate 90 is accommodated, the LED is disposed in front of the symbol display LED. In addition, the middle symbol, which is the final stop symbol in the symbol display unit 41a, is formed by a large component so that the degree of attention is higher than that of the left and right symbols, and the amount of protrusion to the front (player side) is large. Largely formed.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the partition light projecting member 96 that forms the middle symbol is partitioned into seven light projecting portions 121 by the partition piece portions 120, and is formed in a seven-segment shape of “8” shape in front view. ing. At the upper and lower hole portions forming the character “8”, attachment piece portions 122 having screw fixing holes 122a are formed. On the outer peripheral wall of the partition light projecting member 96, a flange-shaped flange portion 123 is formed over the entire periphery. The flange-shaped flange portion 123 regulates the mounting position of the partition light projecting member 96 with respect to the front housing 100 by contact with the mounting flange portion 105a (see FIG. 16) formed in the mounting opening 105 of the front housing 100. It is.

  Further, the covering decorative member 130 shown in FIG. 20 and the lens member 131 and the diffusion sheet 132 shown in FIG. 21 are attached to the front portion of the partition light projecting member 96. The covering decorative member 130 is made of a non-translucent synthetic resin material, and has seven light projecting holes 133 corresponding to the seven light projecting portions 121 of the partition light projecting member 96, respectively, and is viewed from the front. It is formed in a 7-segment shape of “8” shape. In the upper and lower holes forming the character “8”, the mounting piece 122 (screw fixing hole 122a) of the section light projecting member 96 is seen from the front in the assembled state of the covering decorative member 130 and the section light projecting member 96. A covering piece portion 134 to be covered is formed, and a mounting boss 135 corresponding to the screw fixing hole 122a is projected from the back surface of the covering piece portion 134.

  The lens member 131 and the diffusion sheet 132 are each formed in a “8” shape that fits inside the covering decorative member 130. The lens member 131 is formed with seven lens portions 136 respectively corresponding to the seven light projection holes 133 of the covering decorative member 130. The diffusion sheet 132 is made of a sheet material having light diffusibility.

  The partition light projecting member 96 is inserted into the mounting opening 105 of the front housing 100 from the back side, while the covering decorative member 130 in which the lens member 131 and the diffusion sheet 132 are fitted is inserted into the mounting opening 105 from the front side. (In this state, the mounting flange portion 105a formed in the mounting opening 105 is sandwiched between the flange-shaped flange portion 123 of the partition light projecting member 96 and the side wall rear end portion of the covering decorative member 130). The screw fixing hole 122a of the member 96 and the mounting boss 135 of the covering decorative member 130 are fastened together with screws from the back side, so that the partition light projecting member is placed on the display protrusion 102 (mounting opening 105) of the front housing 100. 96, the covering decorative member 130, the lens member 131, and various constituent members of the diffusion sheet 132 are attached. Similarly, the partition light projecting member 95, the covering decorative member 130, the lens member 131, and the diffusion sheet 132 that form the left design are attached to the attachment opening 104 of the display protrusion 102, thereby forming the right design. The partition light projecting member 97, the covering decorative member 130, the lens member 131, and the diffusion sheet 132 are attached to the attachment opening 106 of the display protrusion 102.

  Next, the LED substrate 90 is sandwiched between the front housing 100 assembled with various constituent members such as the partition light projecting members 95 to 97 and the rear housing 101 as described above, and the rear housing 101 The symbol display 41 in which the LED substrate 90 is accommodated and fixed in the substrate box 91 is configured by screwing from the screw fixing hole 115a. In this state, the decoration LED 92 mounted on the LED substrate 90 and the reflector 98 attached in the vicinity of the decoration LED 92 are exposed to the outside through the insertion hole 107 of the front housing 100, and the left and right decoration LEDs 93 and 94 are similarly formed. It is exposed to the outside through the insertion holes 108 and 109 of the front housing 100. In addition, the plurality of symbol display LEDs 150 mounted on the LED substrate 90 are respectively disposed in the respective light projecting portions 121 of the partition light projecting members 95 to 97, and the background LED 151 is a display that is the outer periphery of the partition light projecting members 95 to 97. It arrange | positions in the protrusion part 102. FIG.

  In the assembled state of the production unit 40 described above, the decoration LED 92 is turned on, so that the light of the decoration LED 92 optically decorates the “PASSION” translucent body 71 using the side surface of the insertion hole 140 and the inner wall surface of the reflector 98 as a light guide path. . Further, by turning on the decoration LEDs 93 and 94, the light of the decoration LEDs 93 and 94 is transmitted through the left arc-shaped translucent body 72 and the right-side arc-shaped light using the side surface of the insertion hole 140 and the outer wall surface of the display window 74 as a light guide path. Each of the translucent bodies 73 is decorated with light. Since the symbol display 41 is held at a certain distance from the back of the game board by the positioning protrusion 103 when assembled to the game board surface, the decoration LEDs 92 to 94 also have an appropriate distance from the translucent bodies 71 to 73. Arranged to keep. Thereby, the lights of the decoration LEDs 92 to 94 are uniformly projected on the entire light transmitting bodies 71 to 73, respectively, so that the diffusibility is improved. Furthermore, by emitting light from an arbitrary lens unit 136 among the plurality of lens units 136 of the lens member 131 by a combination of lighting / extinguishing of a plurality of symbol display LEDs, the symbol display unit 41a has a special display of left, middle, and right. By displaying the design and turning on the background LED 151, the lens portion 102a on the front surface of the display projection 102 is light-decorated as a background surface of the special design.

  As described above, according to the structure of the effect unit of the present embodiment, the display segments (the “8” -shaped seven segments formed on the lens member 131) are lit and displayed by the light of the symbol display LEDs. On the other hand, the background surface of the display segment can be lit and displayed with the light of the background LED 151 separated from the light of the symbol display LEDs by the partition light projecting members 95 to 97. For this reason, the background surface of a display segment can be light-decorated and by extension, the visual interest in a symbol display can be improved.

F. Variations:
(1) As described with reference to FIG. 8, the gaming machine according to this embodiment applies gradation conversion for suppressing the maximum luminance with respect to green (G). In addition to the gray scale conversion described in the embodiment, various modifications can be adopted. For example, in the embodiment, the conversion table Tab or the conversion coefficient TC can be selected according to the adjustment value, but these may be fixed regardless of the adjustment value.

(2) In the embodiment, the clerk sets the adjustment value with the dip switch 308, but the sub-control board 300 may automatically set the adjustment value. For example, it is possible to provide a sensor for detecting the lighting environment of the place where the gaming machine is installed on the back of the gaming machine or the surface of the gaming board, and to set an adjustment value based on the detection result of the sensor. it can. As a sensor in this case, only the brightness of the illumination may be detected, or the illumination spectrum and the intensity of R, G, and B may be detected. In the latter mode, for example, by separately preparing a conversion table for illumination light having a strong reddish and a conversion table for illumination light having a strong bluishness, a difference in spectrum included in the illumination light is given to the effect display. There is an advantage that the influence can be automatically reflected. The position of the sensor is preferably on the game board surface. This is because the gaming board surface can most appropriately grasp the lighting state of the portion being watched by the player, and the effect can be most appropriately reflected in the effect display.

(3) In the embodiment of FIG. 8, only green (G) is the target of gradation conversion, but other colors are combined with green (G) or instead of green (G). It is good. When gradation conversion is performed for another color together with green (G), the conversion table or conversion coefficient may be common to green (G) and other colors, or may be provided individually.

(4) In the embodiment of FIG. 8, an example is shown in which the gradation conversion of green (G) is performed regardless of the gradation values of colors other than green (G). On the other hand, whether or not gradation conversion is possible for green (G), the conversion coefficient, and the like may be controlled in relation to the gradation values of other colors.

  FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table for controlling whether or not green gradation conversion is possible. This table is provided for each green gradation value before conversion, and a conversion coefficient of the green gradation value is given to a combination of green, red, and blue gradation values. In the example shown in the figure, when the gradation values of red and blue are both in the range of 0 to 2, the gradation of green is converted with a conversion coefficient of 0.5. The hatched area is an area where green tone conversion is not performed. In this example, gradation conversion is performed in a region where the gradation values of red and blue are low, that is, in a region close to green monochromatic light emission.

  In this way, by controlling whether or not green gradation conversion is possible in relation to the gradation values of other colors, for example, the balance of colors to be expressed by a mixed color of R, G, B such as white is maintained. However, it is possible to suppress the green from being conspicuous. The same applies when gradation conversion is performed on red or blue. Whether or not gradation conversion is possible is not limited to the example of FIG. 22, and various settings are possible. For example, the table shown in FIG. 22 may be used uniformly regardless of the green gradation value.

F1. Variations of maximum brightness suppression processing:
The maximum luminance suppression process is not necessarily executed in the frame data generation process (FIG. 8). Instead of the frame data generation processing, the symbol schedule setting processing (step S14 in FIG. 7) may be executed.

  FIG. 23 is a flowchart of a symbol schedule setting process as a modification. This is a processing content to be executed instead of step S14 in FIG. In this process, the CPU 302 first analyzes a command from the main control board 1000 and reads original symbol data in accordance with the command (step S14a). The original symbol data is symbol data before the gradation value is converted. That is, it is data representing a design that should be originally displayed by each LED in a situation that does not consider the difference in specific luminous efficiency of each color.

  Next, the CPU 302 reads the adjustment value (step S14b), converts the gradation value of green (G) by the same method as in the embodiment (FIG. 8) (step S14c), and the gradation value after the conversion. Is set as a symbol schedule (step S14d). For this conversion, the conversion table Tab or the conversion coefficient TC shown in the figure can be used. Various modifications described in the embodiment (FIG. 8) can also be applied.

  The maximum luminance of green (G) can also be suppressed by the processing of the modification example. When the process of the modification is applied, the tone value conversion (step S16c in FIG. 8) may be omitted during the frame data generation process (step S16 in FIG. 7). The gradation value conversion (step S16c in FIG. 8) may also be applied during the frame data generation process, and the maximum luminance may be adjusted together with the conversion process during the design schedule setting.

F2. Symbol data generator:
In the embodiment and the modification, the example in which the gradation conversion for suppressing the maximum luminance of green is performed when displaying is performed. A similar effect can also be realized by using symbol data generated by suppressing the green gradation value. This corresponds to a mode in which gradation conversion is performed at the time of generating symbol data.

  FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the symbol data generation apparatus 10. First, to generate the original symbol data without considering the influence of the difference in the relative visibility, and then to perform the gradation conversion based on the influence of the relative visibility to generate the symbol data for effect display on the gaming machine It is a device. For example, the symbol data generation apparatus 10 can be configured by installing a computer program for realizing the above-described functions in a general-purpose personal computer.

  In the figure, functional blocks realized by installing a computer program are also illustrated. The command input unit 12 inputs a command from the user through a mouse or a keyboard. The original symbol data storage unit 13 has a function of generating and managing the above-described original symbol data in accordance with the input command.

  The conversion table management unit 11 generates and manages a conversion table for converting the tone value of the original symbol data in accordance with the input command. Instead of the conversion table, a conversion coefficient may be used.

  The interface screen W for generating the original symbol data and the conversion table is illustrated on the right side of the figure. The interface screen W has a symbol data generation screen W1 and a conversion table generation screen W2. The conversion table generation screen W2 is provided with a conversion execution button B1 and a cancel button B2. The symbol data generation screen W1 and the conversion table generation screen W2 may be configured as individual windows.

  The user designates a color to be displayed for each part of the symbol displayed on the symbol data generation screen W1 by operating the mouse or the like. The color can be set by, for example, a method of selecting a color to be displayed from the color chart after clicking a part of the design. When the display is moved, such as by rotating the symbol, a time chart for specifying the display time, the display order, etc. for each specified display may be provided.

  On the conversion table generation screen W2, a tone curve representing the correspondence between the input gradation value and the output gradation value is displayed. On the initial screen, a state TC1 in which gradation conversion is not performed is displayed. The user can designate a new tone curve by moving the gradation value indicated by the black circle on the tone curve TC1 with a mouse or the like.

  The tone curves TC2 and TC3 in the drawing exemplify setting examples when the output gradation value corresponding to the input gradation value 8 or the like is lowered. In this example, first, the tone curve TC2 is obtained so that the output gradation value monotonously increases with respect to the input gradation value. The tone curve TC2 can be obtained by a spline curve passing through the gradation value designated by the user and the origin. Based on the tone curve TC2 obtained in this way, an output tone value (real value) corresponding to each input tone value is obtained and converted to an integer to obtain a tone curve TC3. This tone curve TC3 becomes a gradation conversion table.

  The interfaces in the drawing are merely examples, and various other interface screens can be used for the symbol data generation apparatus 10. Also, the conversion table setting method is not limited to the method described above. For example, values may be directly input to the tables shown in FIGS.

  The gradation value conversion unit 14 converts the gradation value of the original symbol data using the conversion table set by the above method. The symbol data storage unit 15 stores the converted data as symbol data for gaming machines. This data can be incorporated into the gaming machine by printing on a ROM attached to the sub-control board 300 or the like.

  If the symbol data generation apparatus 10 described above is used, the symbol to be displayed is designed without considering the influence of the specific luminous efficiency, and then the influence of the specific visual sensitivity and the illumination of the hall where the gaming machine is installed. The tone value of symbol data can be converted in consideration of the environment. Therefore, symbol data for performing presentation display in accordance with the intention at the time of symbol design can be generated relatively easily.

  As mentioned above, although the various Example of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to these Examples, and can take a various structure in the range which does not deviate from the meaning. In the present embodiment, the control of the display using LEDs is exemplified, but the present invention is applicable to various displays such as a liquid crystal panel. In the embodiment, the part realized by hardware may be realized by software, and the part realized by software may be realized by hardware.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Symbol data generation apparatus 11 ... Conversion table management part 12 ... Command input part 13 ... Original symbol data storage part 14 ... Tone value conversion part 15 ... Symbol data storage part 40 ... directing unit 41 ... design indicator 41a ... design display unit 42 ... member 70 ... decorative base 71 ... translucent bodies 72, 73 ... translucent body 74 ... Display window portion 75 ... Mounting portions 76, 77 ... Mounting portion 78a ... Hole 78 ... Hook flange portion 79 ... Protrusions 80, 81, 82 ... Hole 90 ... LED substrate 91 ... PCB box 92-94 ... Decorative LED
95-97 ... Sectional light projecting member 98 ... Reflector 99 ... Mounting hole 100 ... Front side casing 101 ... Rear side casing 102 ... Display protrusion 102a ... Lens part 103 ... Protrusions 104, 105, 106 ... Mounting openings 105a ... Mounting flanges 107-109 ... Through holes 110, 112, 114a, 115a ... Hole 111 ... Protrusions 113 ... Heat radiating hole 114 ... boss 115 ... mounting boss 116 ... connection opening 117 ... heat radiating hole 120 ... partition piece 121 ... light projecting part 122 ... mounting piece 122a ... Hole 123 ... Gutter-shaped flange portion 130 ... Cover decoration member 131 ... Lens member 132 ... Diffusion sheet 133 ... Light projection hole 134 ... Covering piece portion 135 ... Mounting boss 136. ..Lens 140 ... Insertion hole 141 ... Mounting hole 151 ... Background LED
1000 ... Main control board 1001 ... Winning detector 1002 ... Large prize opening solenoid 1003 ... Symbol display LED
200 ... Discharge control board 201 ... Launch handle 202 ... Launch control board 203 ... Launch motor 210 ... Ball break switch 220 ... Motor 300 ... Sub control board 302 ... CPU
304 ... Buffer memory 306 ... Data line 308 ... Dip switch 310 ... Speaker 320 ... Lamp relay board 330 ... Frame decoration lamp 350 ... Lamp drive board 352 ... Latch 354 ... Latch group 356 ... Signal line 376 ... Common signal 377 ... Individual signal line 390 ... Panel decoration lamp

Claims (3)

A gaming machine that performs effect display with multicolored light emission according to the gaming situation,
A red light emitting section that emits red light;
A green light emitting section that emits green light;
A blue light emitting part for emitting blue light;
Production instruction means for outputting an instruction of the production display according to the gaming situation;
A light-emitting unit control unit that receives an instruction from the effect instruction unit and controls a light emission state of each light-emitting unit based on an original gradation that is a gradation of each of the plurality of light-emitting units determined according to the instruction ;
An input unit for inputting information used by the light emitting unit control means;
Have
The red light emitting unit, the green light emitting unit, and the blue light emitting unit are configured to represent white by color mixing when turned on,
The light emitting unit control means, the effect display and including a display green by the green light emitting unit, the effect display and comprising a red display by the red light emitting unit is capable of executing, when performing the effect display, predetermined By controlling a duty that is a ratio of a period during which the light emitting unit is lit in time, a light emission gradation that is a gradation represented by a light emission state of the light emitting unit is controlled,
The light emitting unit control means includes:
In the effect display including red display by the red light emitting unit, the light emitting gradation of the red light emitting unit corresponds to the original gradation by using the original gradation of the red light emitting unit without being changed. Controlling the red light emitting part so that the light emission gradation is attached,
In the effect display including the green display by the green light emitting unit, the duty of the green light emitting unit is reduced by reducing the duty of the green light emitting unit in a range of at least a part of the original gradation of the green light emitting unit. Control for forcibly converting a light emission gradation to a gradation smaller than the light emission gradation associated with the original gradation, using the information input to the input unit in addition to the original gradation The green suppression that performs the conversion by reducing the light emission gradation of the green light emitting unit to a degree that is variable according to the input information, rather than the light emission gradation associated with the original gradation. Execute control,
Gaming machine. The gaming machine according to claim 1,
The light emitting unit control means includes:
In response to the instruction, a gradation setting unit that sets a display gradation of each of the light emitting units based on the original gradation represented by predetermined symbol data;
A light emission control unit for controlling the light emission state of each light emitting unit based on the display gradation,
The gradation setting unit, as the green suppression control, displays the display gradation of the green light emitting unit corresponding to the original gradation so as to relatively suppress the maximum luminance of the green light emitting unit. Force conversion to a smaller gradation,
Gaming machine. A gaming machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 ,
The light emitting unit control means includes:
In response to the instruction, a gradation setting unit that sets a display gradation of each of the light emitting units based on the original gradation represented by predetermined symbol data;
A light emission control unit for controlling the light emission state of each light emitting unit based on the display gradation,
As the green suppression control, the light emission control unit sets the light emission state of the green light emission unit to a gradation smaller than the display gradation of the green light emission unit so as to relatively suppress the maximum luminance of the green light emission unit. Forcibly controlling the light emission state associated with
Gaming machine.