GB2366436A

GB2366436A - Games machine payment

Info

Publication number: GB2366436A
Application number: GB0103397A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hayato Muneyuki
Original assignee: KOMOS CO Ltd
Current assignee: KOMOS CO Ltd
Priority date: 2000-03-09
Filing date: 2001-02-12
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2021-02-12
Also published as: GB2366436B; GB0103397D0

Abstract

A games machine centre such as a pachinko parlour provides for payment for a game by use of a players mobile phone. The phone can communicate with a financial institution to download into the phone from the players account money to pay for the games at the centre's central payment and supply device 11 to release balls or coins for use in playing a machine. Text news or new machine game playing systems can also be downloaded and implemented on the players machine of choice. The display design, kind of game, game program and data can also be stored externally of the parlour, downloaded to the players mobile for the game of their choice and fed into the machine the player wishes to play after payment. At the end of play, the score and any prizes won can be sent from the machine to the parlours' computer and communicated also to the mobile phone. The prizes can be sent direct to the players home either via the financial centre or via an online merchant. A players number can be pre-registered and used with a phone or financial id to identify the player and his identity. The mobile phone can also be used to pay for parking in an associated or separate parking lot 18. The usage of the parking lot, prices, empty spaces, etc can be sent to a remote host computer and parking, map information etc sent to a players/users mobile phone when they require parking.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> CONTROL AND OPERATION SYSTEM The present invention relates to a control and operation system which controls games in which metallic balls are hit to compete in score according to the rate of discharged balls as balls won, or empty parking lots.

In the so-called pachinko (Japanese pinball) game, in which metallic balls are hit to compete in score according to the rate of discharged balls as balls won, or the so- called pachinko slot game system in which coins are inserted to compete in score according to a combination of pips, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a player inserts cash 100 into a card purchasing machine 101, obtains a magnetic card orthe like with the number of metallic balls or the number of coins recorded at a predetermined exchange rate, and inserts the card into a reader 103 provided near the pachinko slot machines or pachinko game machines 102. Then, the reader 103 discharges balls or coins/tokens under the control of a program in a central computer 105 through the respective control computers 104.

A supply device 106 supplies coins/tokens or metallic balls to pachinko slot machines or pachinko game machines 102. In the system, a player plays a game with a pachinko slot machine or a pachinko game machine, inserts any remaining balls, at the end, into a ball inlet 108, counts the balls by a jet counter 107, acquires the printer counter number according to it by a printer 109, changes this into a prize at a. prize exchange counter 110, and after checking with the centre computer 105 and the control computer 104, obtains the prize from a prize take-out opening 111.

A conventional game machine parlour is constructed such that a game is played using only one machine, and limited to one kind, and even though a player goes to a pariour where a desired game machine is installed, the player cannot play a game if the machine is occupied. Periodic replacement with new machines, is necessary, but even one machine costs a considerable amount and is expensive for a parlour, and such equipment investment has to be done every few months so as not to allow players to get bored with playing the games. This causes a loss of opportunity and economy to both.

Such conventional game parlour systems lend rental coins by using a magnetic card system or a cash lending machine. However, illegal use of forged magnetic cards, forged coins and the like often occurs, and may give enormous economic loss to slot- machine parlours. In addition, the illegal exchange of fixed program data chips from individual game machines - so-called ROMs - occurs such that the rate of discharged

balls is raised by illegal users and this is economically damaging. It takes time to find such illegal users even by checking with a time-lapse video camera in most cases, criminals escape.

At exchanging a prize, a wide selection of prizes desired by a player may not be possible due to space. Also, it takes time to exchange a prize, and tens of players may want to exchange prizes queue at a checkout counter at closing time, leading to unsatisfactory customer service caused by delay. Further, in most cases, a player needs to pay extra cash every time a parking lot or a rental locker is used.

Parking lots are often provided at pachinko parlours and hotels. Generally, the parking lots have a machine for paying an hourly charge at each parking position and an actuator for preventing illegal use of a parking lot, and parking is paid for in cash. It requires time and money to collect cash, and if the actuator for preventing illegal use is damaged or vandalised it may be impossible to collect charges. There are also costs attached to mending broken actuators for preventing illegal use of a parking lot. These costs cause further loss to operating companies.

Often, the user who wants to use a parking lot may need to drive to find an empty parking lot because he did not recognize a nearby one. This causes a further waste of user's time and resources.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a control and operation system whereby parlours can reduce equipment investment and do not have to dispose of entire machines every time a new game becomes available and players can select either an old or a new game as they desire. This can minimize the loss of opportunity and economy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control and operation system which can prevent non-collection of parking charges including an actuator for preventing illegal use. Such a system may allow users to recognize a nearby empty parking lot so as to reduce cost and time to find it. This also improves the profits of a parking lot itself.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a control and operation system whereby a mobile communication device of a player and a communication device of a financial institution are connected to a network, data corresponding to cash required for playing a game is transferred from a player's savings account with the financial institution to the mobile communication device, and discharged balls and/or discharged coins are lent by a connector, non-contact coil magnetic transfer,

radio connection or optical communication means which are provided in a reader. Preferably, identification data of the game type desired by a player previously and temporarily stored by connection to the network is stored in the mobile communication device of the player, and the display design, the kind of game, the game programme and data of a game machine are selected in accordance with the type desired by the player after balls or coins have been bent in the normal manner.

Advantageously, a player identification number, for example, address, birthday and so on, which is logical ANDed with a mobile communication device number, a savings account number or an ID generated by an electronic commerce centre server, and an individual identification number which a player inputs in advance out of the radio network by a keyboard such as a card purchasing machine of a parlour, is used for a player identification number of the player's mobile communication device. The logical AND means that there are two or more inputs, and only when all of them are 1, the output is 1.

Part or all of the display design, the kind of game, the game programme and data of the game machine may be transferred from any place except a parlour through the mobile communication device of a player to the respective computers of the game machines.

When a game is ended with the contents and the machine of the game desired by the player, the ending score from the respective computers of the game machine may be transferred to a centre computer and at the same time the score data sent to the mobile communication device of the player, and a means for transferring it to a computer outside the parlour via communication lines of the mobile communication device of the player may be provided.

Preferably, the mobile communication device of a player transfers the player identification number to a charge paying computer provided in the parlour through the computer outside the parlour or the central computer.

Means may be provided such that if, during the process of lending the player the balls and/or coins, the ID number received by the parlour's central computer or by the financial institution differs from the one corresponding to a pre-registered account then an emergency dispatch order is automatically sent to a police station or security company which the parlour contacts in case of an emergency.

A prize may be sent directly to home or the like from the mobile communication device of a player directly through the player's savings account of the financial institution

or to an external computer for electronic commerce.

Further, a rental parking lot which has an hourly charge paying machine and an actuatorfor preventing illegEi,,se ata parking position, the mobile communication device of an user and-the communication device of the financial institution may be connected to the network, data representing a money amount required for parking may be transferred from the user's savings account of the financial institution to the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device operates the hourly charge paying machine and drives the actuator for preventing illegal parking.

Use/non-use information from the hourly charge paying machine of the rental parking lot may be sent to an operation headquarters host computer, the empty state of a plurality of parking lots being intensively controlled based on the use/non-use information, and map information of the empty parking lot can be output through the network to the mobile communication device of an user. One example of a system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the outline construction of a control and operation system; Fig. 2 is a view showing game machines to which the control and operation system is applied; Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the outline construction of a conventional game control and operation system; and Fig. 4 is a view showing game machines to which the conventional game control and operation system is applied.

The control and operation system of the present invention will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the outline construction of a control and operation system, and Fig. 2 is a view showing game machines to which the control and operation system is applied.

A parlour 10 is provided with game machines 2 such as a pachinko games machines or pachinko slot machines, and coins/tokens or metallic balls are supplied from a supply device 11 to the respective game machines 2, and the remainder can be returned at the end of play. A mobile communication device 1 such as a mobile telephone of a player can be set in the respective game machines 2, and a crime

prevention camera 12 is provided.

The respective game machines 2 are connected to a LAN 13, a control computer 14, and a parlour host computer 15, and the parlour host computer 15 is connected to a large display-for displaying prizes 16, a rental locker 17, and a rental parking lot 18.

The rental parking lot 18 is provided with an hourly rental charge paying machine 180 and an actuator for preventing illegal use 181 at a parked position, and use/disuse information from the hourly rental charge paying machine 180 is sent to the parlour host computer 15.

The parlour host computer 15 is connected through a public Internet network 19 to an operation headquarters host computer 20 and a financial institution host computer 21. The public Internet network 19 is connected to new machine program data 22 of the machine maker, a text news server 23, a prize site 24 and the mobile communication device 1. The operation headquarters host computer 20 is connected to a game program server 25, and the financial institution host computer 21 is connected to a register ATM convenience computer 26.

The operation headquarters host computer 20 is connected to an empty parking lot intensive control database 182 which intensively controls empty information from a plurality of rental parking lots 18.

In the example, a mobile communication device 1 such as a mobile telephone of a player and a communication device of a financial institution 31 are connected through a radio network 30. Data representing an amount of money corresponding to cash required for playing a game is transferred from a player's savings account with the financial institution 31 to the mobile communication device 1, and discharged balls and/or discharged coins are lent by a connector, non-contact coil magnetic transfer, radio connection or optical communication means which are provided in a reader 3 of a game machine 2 such as a pachinko games machine or a pachinko slot machine.

Thus, the mobile communication device 1 lends discharged balls and/or discharged coins. Formerly, customers have required to change money into coins/tokens or to purchase a magnetic card at each time to play a game. However, there is no need for such changing or purchasing before starting a game with the system of the invention.

Also in the example, identification data of the game type desired by a player previously and temporarily stored by connection to the radio network is stored in the mobile communication device 1 of the player, and the design of a game display 4, the kind of game, the game program and data for a game machine 2 are selected in

accordance with the type desired by the player after balls or coins have been bent in the normal manner. Liquid crystal, electro luminescent (EL) and plasma displays (PD) or similar can be used for the game display 4, and show a pachinko machine or pachinkc slot machine. Display of a pachinko slot machine is possible even with pins. A game machine 2 which does not lend discharged balls or discharge coins can be used for a television, and for example, displays text news 5.

The ability to identify individually the player enables one headquarters which runs many parlours to control sales and profits of chain stores all over the country and to reduce parlour investment cost.

In the example, part or all of the design of the game display 4, the kind of game, the game program and data of the game machine 2 are selected in accordance with the type desired by a player and can be transferred from any place outside the parlour through the mobile communication device 1 of a player to the respective computers of the game machines 2. This makes it possible that there is no need to dispose of unnecessary machines at each replacement with new machines, that players select whichever an old or a new type game machine they desire at any parlour whenever it opens, and that the loss of opportunity and economy of both is minimized.

The example also includes a means for transferring the end score from the respective computers of the game machine 2 to a centre computer of a parlour operation headquarters host computer 20 when a game with the contents and the machine of game desired by the player is ended, and at the same time gives the score data to the mobile communication device 1 of the player, and a means for transferring it to a computer outside the parlour such as a register ATM convenience computer 26 via communication lines of the mobile communication device 1 of the player. Thus, coin/token or metallic balls counting, printed data and the like, can be dispensed with and there is no need for queuing at a checkout counter.

In the example, the mobile communication device 1 of a player transfers the player identification number to a charge paying computer provided in the parlour such as the rental locker 17 and the rental parking lot 18 through the computer outside the parlour or the centre computer. It is not necessary to obtain unnecessary prizes with remaining balls or remaining coins, and all or part of the charge of the rental locker or the rental parking lot can be paid without depositing or withdrawing Gash.

The collation of information of the padour's central computer means that the probability of capturing or arresting illegal users or criminals without fail is increased

severalfold, and fairness of the parlour becomes obvious, which eliminates any unfavourable image, Prizes maybe sent directlyto the home of the player; directly through the savings account of the financial institution 31; or an external computer for electronic commerce. Thus the lack of customer service in cases when an alternative and undesired prize is given at a prize counter when a desired one is out of stock are avoided. Parlours may improve sales by setting more game machines at prize display corners by making prizes available at remote places like Internet electric malls a wider selection of prizes can be made available. Also large prizes such as a set of sofas, a refrigerator or an automobile can be delivered as prizes to the homes of players.

An hourly rental charge paying machine 180 and an actuator for preventing illegal use 181 are provided at a parking position in the rental parking lot 18, and when the user uses the rental parking lot 18, the mobile communication device 1 such as a mobile telephone is connected to the communication device of the financial institution 31 through the radio network 30, and data corresponding to an amount of money required for parking is transferred from the user's savings account with the financial institution 31 to the mobile communication device 1.

The mobile communication device 1 operates the hourly rental charge paying machine 180 and drives the actuator for preventing illegal use 181 so as to enable parking.

Use/non-use information from the hourly rental charge paying machine 180 of the rental parking lot 18 is sent to the parlour host computer 15 and further to the operation headquarters host computer 20 through the public Internet network 19, and is stored in an empty parking lot control database 182 which controls availability information of the plurality of rental parking lots 18.

The operation headquarters host computer 20 monitors the availability state of a plurality of parking lots 18 based on use/non-use information, and displays information about parking lot availability through the public Internet network 19 on the mobile communication device 1 of a user. The user can recognize a nearby empty parking lot 18 by the display of the mobile communication device 1, and cost and time to find the empty parking lot 18 are reduced, and the availability and profits of the parking lot itself are improved.

The operation state of the plurality of rental parking lots 18 can be recognized in realtime, and time and cost for collecting chargesare immensely reduced. Further, even

if there is no link to the game parlour, the computer can be singly employed in the rental parking lot, thereby improves profitability.

Claims

CLAIMS A control and operation system for a game machine, characterized in that a mobile communication device of a player and a communication device of a financial institution are connected to a network, data representing an amount money corresponding to cash required for playing a game is transferred from a player's savings account with the financial institution to said mobile communication device, and discharged balls and/or discharged coins are lent by a connector, non-contact coil magnetic transfer, radio connection or optical communication means which are provided in a reader.
2. A control and operation system, characterized in that identification data of the game type desired by a player previously and temporarily stored by connection to the network is stored to the mobile communication device of the player, and the display design, the kind of game, the game programme and data of a game machine are selected in accordance with the type desired by the player after balls or coins have been bent in the normal manner.
3. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that a player identification number which is logical ANDed with a mobile communication device number, a savings account number or an ID generated by an electronic commerce centre server and an individual identification numberwhich a player inputs in advance outof the radio network by keyboard such as a card purchasing machine of a parlour is used for a player identification number of the player's mobile communication device.
4. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that part or all of the display design, the kind of game, the game programme and data of said game machine is transferred from any place except a parlour through the mobile communication device of a player to the respective computers of the game machines.
5. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, including, a means for transferring the ending score from the respective computers of the game machine to a central computer and at the same time sending the score data to the mobile communication device of the player when a game is ended with the contents and the

<Desc/Clms Page number 10>

..;hine of the game desired by the player, and a means for transferring it to a computer outside the; parlour via communication lines of the mobile communication device of the player.
6. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the mobile communication device of a player transfers the player identification number to a charge paying computer provided in the parlour through the computer outside the parlour or the centre computer.
7. A system according to any of claims 1 to 6, including means for automatically sending a signal to a police station or security company which the parlour contacts in case of an emergency if, during the process of lending the player the balls and/or coins, the ID number received by the parlour's central computer or by the financial institution differs from the one corresponding to a pre-registered account.
8. A control and operation system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that any prize is directly sent to home and the like from the mobile communication device of a player directly through the player's savings account of the financial institution or an external computer for electronic commerce.
9. A control and operation system, characterized in that a rental parking lot has an hourly charge paying machine and an actuator for preventing illegal use at a parking position, the mobile communication device of an user and the communication device of a financial institution can be connected to a network, data representing a money amount required for parking is transferred from the user's savings account of the financial institution to the mobile communication device, and the mobile communication device operates the hourly charge paying machine and drives the actuator for preventing illegal use so as to enable the user to park.
10. A control and operation system, characterized in that use/disuse information from an hourly charge paying machine of a rental parking lot is sent to an operation headquarters host computer, the empty state of a plurality of parking lots is intensively controlled based on the use/non-use information, and map information of the empty parking lot can be output through the network to the mobile communication device of a

<Desc/Clms Page number 11>

user.
11. A system according to any of the preceding claims, substantially as described with reference-to any of the examples shown in the accompanying drawings.