JP2000197724A - Symbol variably indicating play machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To maintain the setting of medal paying probability without being influenced by the abnormal voltage due to the strike by lighting or the noise due to static electricity or the like. SOLUTION: A probability setting part 15 for steppedly setting medal paying probability is provided inside a play machine. The probability setting part 15 is made up of an operation mechanism 11, a storing mechanism 14 for mechanistically storing the setting value set by the operation mechanism 11, and an activating mechanism 12 for activating the probability setting operation. Even if the setting of the medal paying probability inside a RAM disappears by the abnormal voltage or the like, since the setting value is mechanistically stored, a CPU can reset the set value being set immediately before.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a variable symbol display game machine, such as a slot machine, which displays a plurality of symbols while changing and displaying the symbols and then stops displaying the symbols. In particular, the present invention relates to a variable symbol display game machine having a function of controlling a machine operation such that a prize is generated at a frequency corresponding to a medal payout probability set in advance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional slot machine, as shown in FIG. 8, a push button type setting switch 115 for setting a medal payout probability in a stepwise manner inside the machine and an operation of the setting switch 115 are activated. Key switch 1
16 and a display 113 for displaying the set value of the medal payout probability. The key switch 116
Is constituted by, for example, a cylinder lock. When an appropriate key is inserted into the keyhole 117 and turned in the ON direction, the setting switch 115
In this state, the setting operation of the medal payout probability by the user is activated.

As shown in FIG. 9, the setting switch 115 is connected to a CPU 50 via an I / O port 51. The CPU 50 inputs and counts a pulse signal from the setting switch 115, and counts the total. The set value of the medal payout probability (hereinafter, simply referred to as “set value”) is set to six levels of “1” to “6” according to the numerical value. The count value (set value) is incremented each time the setting switch 115 is pressed. When the setting switch 115 is pressed when the set value is “6”, the set value becomes “1”. Return to. This set value is stored in the RAM 52 and is held by the backup battery even when the power is turned off as well as when the power is turned on. The setting switch 1
When the key switch 116 is returned to the OFF state after the setting operation by No. 15, the set value displayed on the display 113 until immediately before is stored in the RAM 52, the display 113 is turned off, and the setting operation ends.

The CPU 50 comprises a control unit 54 together with a ROM 53 for storing programs and fixed data, a RAM 52 for reading and writing data, and a random number generator 55 for generating random numbers for lottery processing. CPU5
In the case of 0, the random number value generated by the random number generator 55 is sampled for each game, a lottery process is executed, and when the lottery is won, the machine operation is controlled so that a winning is generated. ROM
53 stores a plurality of random number lottery tables for generating a prize at a frequency corresponding to the set value. Of these random number lottery tables, one random number lottery table corresponding to the set value is read from the ROM 53 and
M52 is set. When the random number value is sampled by the internal lottery process, the random number lottery table stored in the RAM 52 is referred to, and the winning is determined in the lottery.

[0005]

In the slot machine having the above configuration, if a power failure occurs due to an abnormal voltage such as a lightning strike or if noise such as static electricity is received, the set value stored in the RAM 52 may be destroyed. May disappear. In order to continue the game even if such an abnormality occurs, in the current model, the CPU 50 automatically resets the medal payout probability and resets a predetermined set value. I am trying to do it. This reset value is set to a relatively high value so as not to degrade the customer service, but if the game hall does not notice that the reset has occurred, the reset value is not returned to the appropriate set value. It may be left unattended, which may cause unexpected damage to the game arcade.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problem. By memorizing the set value of the medal payout probability mechanically, the medal is prevented from being affected by abnormal voltage such as lightning or noise such as static electricity. It is an object of the present invention to provide a variable symbol display game machine capable of holding a set value of a payout probability.

[0007]

A symbol variable display gaming machine according to the present invention has a probability setting section for setting a medal payout probability stepwise, and a frequency corresponding to the medal payout probability set by the probability setting section. And a control unit that controls so as to generate a winning. The probability setting unit includes an operation mechanism disposed inside the machine, a storage mechanism in which a set value of the medal payout probability is mechanically switched and held in response to an operation of the operation mechanism, and a predetermined operation. An activation mechanism for activating the operation mechanism; and a display for displaying a set value of a medal payout probability held in the storage mechanism.

[0008] In the invention according to claim 2, the control section is provided with a writable storage element for storing a set value of the medal payout probability. When the set value of the medal payout probability stored in the storage element is lost, the control unit reads the set value of the medal payout probability stored in the storage mechanism and writes the read value into the storage element.

[0009]

When the medal payout probability is set by operating the operation mechanism activated by the activation mechanism, the set value is held in the storage mechanism. Since the set value is held mechanically, the set value is not lost under the influence of abnormal voltage such as lightning or noise such as static electricity.

[0010] In the symbol variable display game machine according to claim 2,
When the set value of the medal payout probability stored in the storage element is lost due to abnormal voltage or the like, the set value of the medal payout probability is mechanically held in the storage mechanism. Is written to the storage element.

[0011]

FIG. 1 shows the internal structure of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Airframe 1 of this slot machine
The door 3 is attached to the front opening of the box-shaped main body 2 so as to be openable and closable. FIG. 1 shows the door 3
Is shown in the drawing. A probability setting unit 10 for setting a medal payout probability at an upper position is provided in the hollow interior of the main body 2. Although not shown, a control board on which a control unit is mounted is disposed behind the probability setting unit 10. A reel block 4 is installed at a middle position of the main body 2. A medal dispensing machine 6 having a hopper 6a for accommodating a large number of medals or a hopper 6 at a lower position.
A medal collection box 31 for collecting medals overflowing from a is installed.

The reel block 4 comprises a metal frame 7
, Three reels 8a, 8b, 8c are integrally assembled. On the outer peripheral surface of each of the reels 8a, 8b, 8c, a special prize symbol for establishing a special prize, other prize symbols for establishing a prize, and symbols not related to the prize are displayed. Each reel 8 has a reel block 4.
Stepping motors 9a, 9b, 9c for individually rotating the motors a, 8b, 8c are assembled. A symbol display window (not shown) is provided at the installation position of each of the reels 8a, 8b, 8c of the door portion 3. Through this symbol display window, symbols on the outer peripheral surface of each of the reels 8a, 8b, 8c can be seen from the front. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 2, the probability setting section 10 mechanically stores an operation mechanism 11 operated for setting a medal payout probability and a set value of the medal payout probability on a mounting board 32. A storage mechanism 14 for holding, an activation mechanism 12 for activating the operation of the operation mechanism 11,
A display 13 for displaying the set value of the medal payout probability is provided. In this embodiment, the operation mechanism 11
Although a rotary switch is used as the storage mechanism 14, a slide switch or a dip switch can be used instead of the rotary switch.

The rotary switch has a regular hexagonal prism operating shaft 15 constituting the operating mechanism 11. By inserting an appropriate tool into the operation shaft 15 and rotating forward, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact mechanism 18 as the storage mechanism 14 is switched, and set values of “1” to “6” are set. . The operation shaft 15 is a regular hexagonal prism so that when a clerk opens the door unit 3 to supply medals to the hopper 6a, the set value is not determined by the player from the rotation angle of the operation shaft 15. In order to For the same reason, scales, numerical values and characters indicating set values are not displayed on the surface of the mounting board 32. Note that the shape of the operation shaft 15 does not necessarily need to be a regular hexagonal prism, and may be a cylinder, a truncated cone, a truncated hexagon, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, locking holes H <b> 1 to H <b> 6 constituting the activation mechanism 12 are formed on each outer peripheral surface of the operation shaft 15.

The key switch 16 is constituted by, for example, a cylinder lock. Although the details of the cylinder lock are not shown, the inner cylinder is rotatably provided in the outer cylinder, and a plurality of tumblers are provided between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. When an appropriate key is inserted into the keyhole 17 of the cylinder lock, all the tumblers retreat, and the relationship between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder is cut off.
The rotation of the inner cylinder becomes possible. As shown in FIG. 3, an open / close contact 19 is connected to the inner cylinder. The open / close contact 19 is opened in an OFF state, and the open / close contact 19 is closed in an ON state. When the open / close contact 19 is closed and an electric signal is taken in by a CPU (not shown) via the I / O port 51, the CPU turns on the display 13 to display the set value. Although FIG. 3 does not show a mechanism of a control unit including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, the circuit configuration of the control unit is the same as that of the conventional example shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an elliptical cam plate 25 constituting the activation mechanism 12 is mounted on the inner cylinder of the key switch 16. 4 shows a state in which the key switch 16 is ON, and FIG.
6 indicates an OFF state. The activation mechanism 12 of this embodiment enables or disables the operation of the setting switch 11, and includes six locking holes H1 formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the cam plate 25 and the operation shaft 15. ~ H
6, the lock plate 22 is engaged with and disengaged from each of the locking holes H1 to H6, and the return spring 27 is configured.

The lock plate 22 is provided so as to be able to reciprocate between a pair of left and right support frames 26a and 26b, and has two arms 23 and 24 projecting to opposite sides. 23 and 24 are supported by bearing holes 30 and 31 formed in each of the support frames 26a and 26b. When the lock plate 22 is displaced toward the one of the support frames 26a, as shown in FIG.
6a. When the lock plate 22 is displaced toward the other support frame 26b, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip of the second arm portion 24 projects outside the support frame 26b. A return spring 27 that urges the lock plate 22 toward the other support frame 26b is mounted between the support frame 26a and the lock plate 22.

The operation shaft 15 of the rotary switch is located outside the support frame 26a at a position facing the bearing hole 30. The cam plate 25 of the key switch 16 is located outside the other support frame 26b at a position facing the bearing hole 31. When the key switch 16 is in the ON state shown in FIG. 4, the elliptical cam plate 25 is such that the outer peripheral surface 25a on the shorter diameter side faces the bearing hole 31 and the lock plate 2
2 is urged by a return spring 27 to support the support frame 26b.
To the side of. In this displaced state, the distal end of the second arm 24 of the lock plate 22 projects outside the support frame 26b, and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 25a on the short diameter side of the cam plate 25. At this time, the first arm portion 23 of the lock plate 22 is retracted inside the support frame 26a, so that the lock plate 22 and the operation shaft 15 of the rotary switch are disconnected, and the operation shaft 15 is rotated. It is possible to operate.

When the key switch 16 is in the OFF state shown in FIG. 5, the elliptical cam plate 25 is located on the outer peripheral surface 2 on the longer diameter side.
5b faces the bearing hole 31. In this state, since the outer peripheral surface 25b approaches the support frame 26b, the second arm portion 24 of the lock plate 22 is pushed, and the lock plate 22 is pressed against the support frame 26a against the spring force of the return spring 27. Is displaced. In this displaced state, the distal end of the first arm portion 23 of the lock plate 22 projects outside the support frame 26a, and is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the operation shaft 15 of the rotary switch.
It engages with one of the locking holes H1 to H6. As a result, the operation shaft 15 of the rotary switch is locked by the lock plate 22, and the operation shaft 15 cannot be rotated.

The activation mechanism 12 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the operation shaft 15 of the rotary switch is locked by the lock plate 22 so as to be unable to rotate. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Mechanism 18 and operation shaft 15
And a clutch mechanism may be interposed between the control shaft 15 and the clutch mechanism to be disengaged so that the operation shaft 15 idles.

Returning to FIG. 2, a display 13 for displaying the set value of the medal payout probability set by operating the rotary switch is provided above the key switch 16. The display 13 in the illustrated example is configured by a seven-segment light emitting diode, and displays numerical values of “1” to “6” by emitting two or more segments. Although the display 13 of this embodiment is provided inside the machine, it does not perform a display operation unless the key switch 16 is set to the ON state. Therefore, the display 13 may be provided outside the machine.
Further, as in this embodiment, it is not always necessary to provide the display 13 exclusively for displaying the set value exclusively.
For example, a display for displaying the number of awarded medals or the number of stored medals may also be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the operating mechanism 11 and the storage mechanism 14 are separately constituted by the rotary switch, and the activation mechanism 12 is constituted by the key switch 16 independently of each other. However, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to integrate a cylinder lock into the operation shaft 15 of the rotary switch. In this embodiment, when an appropriate key is inserted into a keyhole 17 provided on an end face of the operation shaft 15, the operation shaft 15 can be rotated.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the contact mechanism 1
Although six signal lines intervene between the six fixed contacts constituting the I / O port 51 and the I / O port 51, if the absolute type rotary encoder 20 is used as shown in FIG.
The number of signal lines to the / O port 51 can be reduced to three.

In the slot machine having the above configuration, to set the medal payout probability, the door 3 is opened and the probability setting unit 10 is set to a state in which it can be externally operated. First, a key is inserted into the keyhole 17 of the activation mechanism 12, and the key switch 16 is turned off.
Rotate from FF to ON. As a result, the current set value is displayed on the display 13, and the rotary switch of the operation mechanism 11 can be operated. By inserting an appropriate tool into the operation shaft 15 of the rotary switch and rotating the operation shaft 15, the contact mechanism 18 as the storage mechanism 14 is switched, and the set value of the medal payout probability is set to a desired value. The set value is displayed on the display 13.
When the key switch 16 is returned to the OFF state after the setting operation,
When the display 13 is turned off and the key is removed from the keyhole 17, the operation shaft 15 is locked in a state where it cannot rotate.

The CPU of the control section reads the above set values from the contact mechanism 18 and stores them in a predetermined area of the RAM. In this RAM, a random number lottery table corresponding to the set value is read from the ROM, and the random number lottery table is referred to for each game to execute a lottery process.

At the time of a game, an abnormal voltage such as a lightning strike is generated, or a noise such as static electricity is received.
Even if the set value stored in M is destroyed or lost, the set value of the medal payout probability is mechanically stored and held by the contact mechanism 18 of the rotary switch. It will not be unknown. When the set value of the medal payout probability is lost due to an abnormal voltage or the like, the CPU takes in the set value mechanically held in the storage mechanism 14 and writes the set value in the RAM.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to a slot machine as long as it is a game machine whose game content is to display a plurality of symbols while changing and displaying the symbols and then stop displaying the symbols. Instead, the present invention can be applied to other gaming machines such as pachinko machines. The means for changing and displaying a plurality of symbols is not limited to one using a reel as in the above-described embodiment, but may be one using a belt, or an image such as a liquid crystal display panel. It may be display means.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, the medal payout probability is set by operating the operation mechanism activated by the activation mechanism, and the set value is mechanically held in the storage mechanism. The set value is not lost due to the influence of noise such as abnormal voltage or static electricity.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the set value of the medal payout probability stored in the storage element is lost due to an abnormal voltage or the like, the set value of the medal payout probability mechanically stored in the storage mechanism. Is written in the storage element, so that the game can be continuously executed without changing the set value of the medal payout probability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main body showing an internal structure of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a configuration of a probability setting unit.

FIG. 3 is an electric circuit diagram showing an electric configuration of a probability setting unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of an activation mechanism when a key switch is in an ON state.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of an activation mechanism when a key switch is in an OFF state.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing another embodiment of the probability setting unit.

FIG. 7 is an electric circuit diagram showing another embodiment of the probability setting unit.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a configuration of a conventional probability setting unit.

FIG. 9 is an electric circuit diagram showing an electric configuration of a conventional probability setting unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Probability setting part 11 Operation mechanism 12 Activation mechanism 13 Display 14 Storage mechanism 52 RAM

Claims (2)

[Claims] A probability setting unit configured to set a medal payout probability stepwise; and a control unit configured to control a prize to be generated at a frequency corresponding to the medal payout probability set by the probability setting unit. The probability setting unit includes an operation mechanism disposed inside the machine, a storage mechanism in which a set value of the medal payout probability is mechanically switched and held in response to an operation of the operation mechanism, and a predetermined operation. A variable symbol display game machine comprising: an activation mechanism for activating an operation of the operation mechanism; and a display for displaying a set value of a medal payout probability held in the storage mechanism. 2. The control unit is provided with a writable storage element for storing a set value of a medal payout probability, and the control unit loses the set value of a medal payout probability stored in the storage element. 2. The variable symbol display game machine according to claim 1, wherein the set value of the medal payout probability held in the storage mechanism is read and written in the storage element.