JP2001113037A - Mah-jongg board - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mah-jongg board capable of being used for entering player identification information and capable of being utilized for reckoning game fees and fees for food and drink. SOLUTION: This mah-jongg board frame body is provided with input devices 13 for identifying individual players and printers 14 as required. A card reader for a magnetic card, a punch card, or a contact or noncontact type IC card is used as the player identification input device 13, or another digital switch can be utilized. When the digital switch is utilized, each game player enters an identification code. The player identification input devices 13 are connected to a mah-jongg score counting device. If writable cards are used, scores of the players are sent to the player identification input devices 13 from the mah- jongg score counting device and recorded on the cards when a game is finished. If the printers 14 are provided, the scores of the players are sent to the printers 14 from the mah-jongg score counting device and printed out when the game is finished.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mahjong table used in a mahjong game.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Mahjong games, which use beautiful tiles as game tools and have a variety of game contents, are favored by many as indoor games. One of the actions that must be performed in the mahjong game, even though it is not the game itself, is to set the mahjong tiles on the table. However, these tiles are relatively troublesome, and recently the mahjong tiles are automatically built. Automatic mahjong tables that tile are popular. The automatic mahjong table is provided with a mechanism for automatically laying mahjong tiles and an operation unit including a dice mechanism at the center of the upper surface of the mahjong table.

[0003] Mahjong games are not only games in which game participants (players) compete for points, but also because the highest scorers can get prize points, each player must know the number of points held by each participant. Is a major factor in determining the end result of the game.

In view of this, the present inventors have disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
253, JP-A-7-116336, JP-A-7-116337, JP-A-7-116338, and JP-A-7-116339, the weight of a point bar different for each type is indicated by a point bar. A mah-jong score counting device is disclosed in which a computer measures the score based on the weight measured by a weight measuring device attached to a box storing the player and automatically displays the score possessed by the player.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-253 discloses that a computer calculates a score by making electrical properties and magnetic properties different for each type of a score bar in counting a mahjong score, and automatically calculates a player's score. Are also shown.

[0005] In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 53-25129, 53-33737 and 53-5
3444, JP-A-53-25130, JP-A-55-108379, and JP-A-57-17538.
No. 1, JP-A-6-134140, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 55
Japanese Patent Publication No. 131781 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 55-21722 also disclose an invention of a mahjong table that automatically calculates and displays the player's possession points.

[0006] Mahjong is played by four players, but each time the game is completed, the players' seats are changed, and the game is played. Further, when a large number of game participants, such as a mahjong tournament, use a plurality of mahjong tables, the combination of players changes for each game. In such a case, it is not easy to manage the scores of the individual game participants.

Further, at the end of the game, the prize points are distributed to the top scorers. If there are a plurality of top scorers who have the same score at the end of the game, the prize points are closer to the first parent (or home). Is important in the distribution of prize points. In addition, in a mahjong game, it is often the case that more game players than players play alternately. In this case, it is important to manage the score of each game participant. Was managing the score.

[0008] The present inventors have proposed a registered utility model No. 30393.
No. 63, provided is a Mahjong score recording aid which receives score data from a Mahjong score display device and prints out scores according to the position of each player's seat and home position at the end of the game.

This mahjong score recording aid is provided with a detachable chip holder for assisting the point stick box, and a structure for identifying each game participant and his / her home is added to the chip holder. By using this Mahjong score recording aid,
It became possible to automatically manage the score of each player, which was not possible with the previous Mahjong table.

[0010] By the way, the game fee of Mahjong-so usually depends on the game time, but if more game players than the players play, the game time of each game participant will be different. Therefore, it is necessary to allocate game fees. In the case of playing a game while eating and drinking, a food and drink price is paid separately from the game fee, but this payment is usually made individually.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present application, the registered utility model No. 30
In addition to the function of the Mahjong score recording aid invented in Japanese Patent No. 39363, there is provided an invention of a Mahjong table which can be used for settlement of a game fee and settlement of a food and drink price.

The mahjong table of the present application has a score counting device, a score display unit, and a computer, and further has an input device for identifying each player, and in addition to this, a scoring device may be provided as necessary. And the like, which outputs data such as data. A typical player identification input device is a card reader, which can use a magnetic card,
There are punch cards, contact type or non-contact type IC cards. A digital switch such as a thumbwheel switch can be used for the player identification input unit other than the card.

An identification symbol for each game participant is written on the card, and the player is identified by the computer using the read identification symbol, and the score is managed. In addition, when the game starts, the person who started the game is entered into the computer,
If necessary in the score distribution, the entrepreneur data is referred to. When using a digital switch, a game participant inputs individual identification symbols to a computer, and the entrepreneur inputs entrepreneur data.

The player identification input device is connected to the mahjong score counting device. When the card can be written, the score of each player is sent from the mahjong score counting device to the computer at the end of the game. And recorded on the card. If a printer is provided, the score of each player is sent from the mahjong score counting device to the printer at the end of the game and printed out. Game time data and food and drink fee data can also be written on the card, and when used at Mahjongso, these are settled when a game participant leaves the store.

Further, the player identification device can be connected to the main device of Mahjongso by wire or wireless means. In this case, game time data and eating and drinking fee data for each card, that is, for each game participant are sent to the main device. , Will be settled when you leave. In this way, when the player identification device is connected to the main device, it is possible to manage various data even if the card does not have a writing function or if a digital switch is used instead of the card. And customer management is also possible.

[0016]

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a mahjong table according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows the upper surface and (b) shows the side surface. In FIG. 1 (a), 1 is a mahjong table main body, 2 is a frame mounted on the mahjong table main body, and a side bar box for storing and counting a point bar on the side of the mahjong table main body 1. Is provided.

In the center of the upper surface of the mahjong table main body 1, a hopper 5 for inserting mahjong tiles into the mahjong tile automatic tile setting device is formed. Inside the hopper 5, a display device 8 and a mahjong tile automatic tile setting device operation switch are provided. 9, an operation unit 6 provided with a dice operation switch 10 and a game end input switch 7 is provided.

The dice operation switch 10 is a self-illuminated switch incorporating a light emitting element such as a lamp or an LED. When operated, it lights up to indicate that the operator is a parent. The lighting state is maintained until is operated. In addition, two types of light emitting elements having different emission colors may be incorporated in the dice operation switch 10, and one of the light emitting elements may display the home. This operation is performed by operating the dice operation switch 10 a plurality of times or by operating the dice operation switch 10 in combination with another switch, thereby performing the home display.

The display device 8 is composed of a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT), etc., and depending on the situation, rules, dice, wind of a place which is information necessary for the progress of the game, entrepreneur, villa, station , Information 12 such as the number of points possessed is displayed. In this mahjong table, switches 7, 9, and 10 as button switches are provided around the display device, but a touch panel switch mechanism provided on the display device may be used instead of the button switch. Reference numeral 11 denotes a reach bar place. When a point bar (usually a 1000 point bar) is placed at the time of the reach, a switch is operated and a "reach" sound is produced.

Below the hopper 5, there is provided a lift device (hidden under the mahjong tiles 4 built in the figure) for laying the mahjong tiles built therein for a game. Also,
A computer (not shown) is installed inside the mahjong table main body 1, and a mahjong score automatic counting device and a player identification device described later are connected to the computer.

In FIG. 1B, reference numeral 13 denotes a player identification device provided for each player, which is usually installed on the right side of the side of the mahjong table. A player identification card which is a magnetic card, a punch card, a contact type or a non-contact type IC card which stores player identification information (player ID) is inserted into the player identification device 13, and the player identification information is stored in the player identification device 13. Entered,
Further, data such as the score is output and recorded on the player identification card. Reference numeral 14 denotes a printer provided for each mahjong table, which is installed at an appropriate position, and prints out data such as scores at the end of each game or at the end of all games. The function of recording the data on the player identification card and the function of outputting the data to the printer can be arbitrarily added or deleted.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the player identification card. FIG.
(A) shows a magnetic card, and a magnetic stripe 16 is attached to a card body 15 made of paper or plastic.
The player identification information recorded on the magnetic stripe 15 is read into the computer by the magnetic head of the player identification device 13, and data such as the score is written from the computer to the magnetic stripe 15 by the magnetic head. At the end of the game or at the end of all games, data such as the score is printed out. Note that the shape of the magnetic stripe is an example, and it goes without saying that a plurality of magnetic stripes can be provided or a magnetic material can be provided over the front surface of the magnetic card.

FIG. 2B shows a punch card, in which a punch hole 17 is formed in a card body 16 made of paper or plastic, and player identification information is recorded according to the arrangement and presence or absence of the punch hole 17. Have been. Punch hole 1
One bit can record one bit of data, and in the case of the punch card shown in FIG. 2B, 16 bits, that is, 65,536 kinds of data can be recorded. At the end of each game or at the end of all games, data such as the score is printed out. The player identification information recorded in the punch holes 17 is read into the computer by the player identification device 13. In the case of a punch card, data such as a score is not written from a computer. It is needless to say that the number and arrangement of the punch holes 17 are only examples and can be provided as appropriate.

FIG. 2C shows a contact type or non-contact type IC card, in which an IC chip 19 is built in a card body 18 and player identification information recorded on the IC chip 19 is stored. The data is read into the computer by the reading mechanism of the player identification device 13 and data such as the score is written from the computer to the IC chip 19 by the writing mechanism. It goes without saying that a PCMCIA card (PC card) other than an IC card can be used.

There are two types of IC cards: contact type and non-contact type.
In the case of a contact type IC card, data is transmitted and received between the IC chip 19 and the player identification device 13 by a contact portion provided on the surface of the card body 18. In the case of a non-contact type IC card, data is transmitted and received between the IC chip 19 and the player identification device 13 by a wireless transmission / reception unit further provided in the card body 18. At the end of each game or at the end of all games, data such as the score is printed out.

Referring to FIG. 3, a non-contact type IC card will be described. The non-contact type IC card 21 has a mask ROM 25,
It includes an EEPROM 26, a transmission circuit 27, a reception circuit 28, a power supply current generation circuit 29, a bus 30, and an antenna 31. The bus 30 has a mask ROM 25 and an EEPROM 2
6, a transmission circuit 27, a reception circuit 28, and a power supply current generation circuit 29 are connected.
9 has a transmitting circuit 27 and a receiving circuit 28
However, a power supply current generating circuit 29 is further connected to the receiving circuit 28.

A mask ROM having a writing means such as a fuse is used as a mask ROM. A sequence program for operating the non-contact type IC card 21 is stored in the form of a normal mask ROM. Are written and stored by writing means such as a fuse. The EEPROM 26 stores the names of the game participants and the accumulated score data.

The read / write device 22 for a non-contact type IC card has an antenna 32, a receiving circuit 33 and a transmitting circuit 34, and the receiving circuit 33 and the transmitting circuit 34 are connected to the antenna 32. The receiving circuit 33 and the transmitting circuit 34 are also connected to the input terminal 23 and the output terminal 24 of a computer built in the mahjong table.

The transmitting circuit 34 of the IC card reading / writing device 22 modulates the oscillated high-frequency signal using the power supply current supplied from the computer in response to the IC card ID reading command from the computer, using the IC card ID reading command. , From the antenna 32 via the path 35. As the high frequency used in this case, for example, a high frequency of 13.56 MHz, which does not require a license in the case of minute power, can be used.

When the IC card 21 is inserted into the IC card reading / writing device 22, the IC card reading / writing is performed.
The radio wave from the antenna 32 of the writing device 22 is received by the antenna 31 of the IC card 21, the received radio wave is demodulated by the receiving circuit 28, the DC component included in the high-frequency current is extracted by the power supply current generating circuit 29, and An IC card ID read command is transmitted via the path 36 while being used as a drive power supply for the card 21. Although the path 35 and the path 36 are described as different for convenience, it is needless to say that these are one radio wave.

In the IC card 21, the IC card ID is determined by a sequence program stored in the mask ROM 25.
The IC card ID stored in the mask ROM 25 and / or the game participant data stored in the EEPOM 26 is read out according to the read command, and the transmission circuit 2
The high-frequency current oscillated in 7 is modulated by the read IC card ID and game participant data, and transmitted from the antenna 31 to the IC card reading / writing device 22 via the path 37 as radio waves.

[0032] I through the path 37 by the antenna 32
In the IC card reading / writing device 22 that has received the radio wave from the C card 21, the high frequency current is demodulated by the receiving circuit 33 to extract the IC card ID and the game participant information. Is forwarded to

When the game participant data such as the score is stored in the IC card 21, the data is sent to the transmission circuit of the IC card reading / writing device 22 via the computer terminal 24, and the high frequency current is transmitted to the transmission circuit 34. Is modulated by the data and transmitted from the antenna 32 to the path 36.
Is transmitted to the IC card 21 as a radio wave via.

[0034] I through the path 36 by the antenna 31
In the IC card 21 having received the radio wave from the C card reading / writing device 22, the high frequency current is demodulated in the receiving circuit 28 to extract the data, and the extracted data is stored in the EEPOM 26.

Although an example in which an IC card and a PC card are used as semiconductor memory cards is shown here,
As a form of the semiconductor memory card, in addition to the card shape,
Various shapes such as a plate, a bar, and a coin can be used.

An example of the operation method will be described. The usage time of the mahjong table is counted from when the card is inserted into the player identification device 13. It is to be noted that the timing can be started either by inserting a card into all the player identification devices 13 or by inserting a card into any one of the player identification devices 13. Is changed, it is better to insert a card into any one of the player identification devices 13. The game time at the time of replacement is added to the previously inserted card until a new card is inserted into the player identification device 13. It is preferable to end the timing when the final totaling described later is performed.

When the game is over, the game finish input switch 7 is operated to count the scores, and the printer 14 prints out the score. When all the games have been completed, the game end input switch 7 is operated twice, so that all the scores are totaled, and the printer 14 prints out all the totals of the scores. The food and drink fee is recorded on the card at the store at the time of ordering, or the data of each game is recorded on the store side device based on the identification information of the card, and it is settled when leaving the store.

It is also possible to print out data such as a game fee or a food and drink fee. In this case, the data may be printed out together with the totalization of the scores, or may be printed out separately. Further, it is also possible to transmit each data to the Mahjongso cost computer by the communication means, and to process the print output and the like by the Mahjongso cost computer. Note that the operation examples given here are merely examples, and it goes without saying that there are various other modifications.

Referring to FIG. 4, a player identification device that does not use a card will be described. In FIG. 4 (a), 1 is a mahjong table main body, 2 is a frame mounted on the mahjong table main body, and a side bar of the mahjong table main body 1 is a dot bar box 3 for storing and counting point bars.
・ ・ Is provided. Reference numeral 40 denotes a player identification device provided for each player, which is usually installed on the right side of the side of the mahjong table. Further, reference numeral 14 denotes a printer provided in the mahjong table, which is installed at an appropriate position, and prints out data such as scores at the end of each game or at the end of all games. The function of outputting data to the printer can be arbitrarily added or deleted. The player identification device 40 is a digital switch such as a thumbwheel switch or a rotary switch, and a digital switch is shown in FIG.

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by b in FIG. The digital switch 40 is a thumbwheel switch as an example of three digits, the thumbwheel switches 41 and 42 are decimal decimal switches,
The thumbwheel switch 43 is a binary binary switch that inputs only on-off. Game participant identification information is input by thumbwheels 41 and 42 which are decimal decimal switches, and whether or not a person is home is input by a thumbwheel 43 which is a binary binary switch.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, when a magnetic card or an IC card is used as a writable player identification card, the game participation time data and the eating and drinking fee data are further written to thereby enable the game to be written. It is possible to reliably settle the charge and the food and drink charge.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view and a side view of a card identification automatic mahjong table according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a card used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a non-contact type IC card used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view and a side view of an automatic mahjong table using a switch according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mahjong table main body 2 Frame body 3 point bar box 4 Mahjong tile 5 Hopper 6 Operation part 7 Button switch for game end input 8 Display device 9 Hopper operation button switch 10 Dice operation button switch 11 Reach stick storage area 12 Display contents 13, 40 Player identification device 14 Printer 15 Magnetic card body 16 Magnetic stripe 16 Punch card 17 Punch hole 18 IC card body 19 IC chip 21 Non-contact type IC card 22 Non-contact type IC card reader / writer 23 Computer input terminal 24 Computer Output terminal 25 Mask ROM 26 EEPROM 27, 34 Transmission circuit 28, 33 Receiving circuit 29 Power supply current generation circuit 30 Bus 31, 32 Antenna 35, 36, 37 Radio wave path 41, 42, 43 Thumbwheel switch

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A score bar box provided on an outer periphery of a mahjong table for counting the number of score bars, and a display unit for displaying a score based on count data from the score bar box. Mahjong Taku having a player identification information input section for inputting player identification information. 2. The mahjong table according to claim 1, wherein said player identification information input section records said player data on said card. 3. The card according to claim 1, wherein said card is a magnetic card.
Or the mahjong table of claim 2. 4. The mahjong table according to claim 1, wherein said card is a semiconductor memory card. 5. The mahjong table according to claim 4, wherein said semiconductor memory card is an IC card. 6. The mahjong table according to claim 5, wherein said IC card is a contact IC card. 7. The mahjong table according to claim 5, wherein said IC card is a contactless IC card. 8. The mahjong table according to claim 4, wherein said semiconductor memory card is a PC card. 9. The mahjong table according to claim 4, wherein said semiconductor memory card is coin-shaped. 10. The mahjong table according to claim 1, wherein said card is a punch card. 11. A score bar box provided on the outer periphery of a mahjong table for counting the number of score bars, and a display unit for displaying a score based on count data from the score bar box. Mahjong Taku having a player identification information input section for inputting player identification information. 12. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a printer for outputting the number of possessed points. The mahjong table according to claim 10 or claim 11. 13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit for transmitting the score to another device. The mahjong table according to claim 8, claim 9, claim 10 or claim 11. 14. A mahjong having four dice operation switches in the center of a mahjong table, and the two dice operation switches including two illuminants of different emission colors for maintaining lighting after operation. Table.