JP2001170339A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine realizing the protection of drive sections against an abnormal overcurrent and the continuous operation of the drive sections when a rush current occurs. SOLUTION: This game machine is provided with the drive sections 14a, 14b, 14c for operating electrical apparatuses, an overcurrent detecting means detecting an overcurrent when a current with a prescribed value or above flows in any of the drive sections 14a, 14b, 14c, an abnormal overcurrent judging means judging the abnormal overcurrent when the overcurrent continuously flows in the drive section for the prescribed time or longer, and a drive section protecting means limiting the current feed to the drive section when the overcurrent detected by the overcurrent detecting means is judged as the abnormal overcurrent by the abnormal overcurrent judging means and continuing the current feed to the drive section when the overcurrent is not judged as the abnormal overcurrent by the abnormal overcurrent judging means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drive unit for an electric component mounted on a game machine such as a pachinko machine, and more particularly, to a drive unit protection mechanism for protecting the drive unit from damage due to abnormal overcurrent.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A gaming machine such as a so-called pachinko machine is equipped with various electric components necessary for carrying out a game.
For example, pachinko machines are equipped with electric components such as lamps that are controlled to be turned on in various modes according to pachinko gaming situations and solenoids that open and close ball winning ports on both sides of the gaming board. Then, in order to operate these electrical components, a driving unit including an output transistor and the like is mounted in a state of being electrically connected to the electrical components. By the way, when an abnormal overcurrent flows through the driving unit for some reason (such as short circuit), the output transistor of the driving unit may be damaged. For this reason, in a conventional gaming machine, measures are taken to protect such a drive unit. For example, a device equipped with a current fuse in order to block an excessive current from flowing is known. Also, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-68278,
There is known a device provided with a protection circuit that detects an overcurrent and turns off an output transistor of a driving unit.

[0003]

However, according to the means using the current fuse, the replacement operation when the fuse is cut becomes complicated, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of maintenance and inspection of the gaming machine. In particular, in a pachinko machine, a circuit board including the above-described driving unit is mounted in a sealed state in order to maintain confidentiality and prevent fraud, and the replacement operation is not easy. On the other hand, when the above-mentioned overcurrent protection circuit is adopted, there have been the following problems conventionally. That is,
Some electrical components in gaming machines have a low resistance when not driven (when the lamp is not lit), like a lamp, but have a large resistance when driven (when the lamp is lit) when a current flows and generate heat. Some have characteristics (hereinafter referred to as “resistance fluctuation characteristics”). In an electrical component having such a resistance variation characteristic, a large current (rush current) may temporarily but suddenly flow when shifting from the non-drive state to the drive state. For this reason, in a conventional protection circuit that merely detects an overcurrent, the drive unit does not operate because the protection circuit operates even when a lamp or the like is turned on contrary to the original purpose, for example. Sometimes occurred.

The present invention solves the conventional problems associated with the protection of such a driving section. It is an object of the present invention to provide a driving apparatus using an abnormal overcurrent while responding to electrical components having the above-mentioned resistance fluctuation characteristics. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine provided with a drive unit protection unit capable of avoiding damage to the unit.

[0005]

A game machine of the present invention developed to achieve the above object is a game machine having a drive section for operating electric components, and the drive section has a predetermined value or more. An overcurrent detection means for detecting that the current has flowed as an overcurrent, and an abnormal overcurrent for determining the overcurrent to be an abnormal overcurrent when the overcurrent has continued to flow to the drive unit for a predetermined time or more. Current determining means is provided. Further, when the overcurrent detected by the overcurrent detection means is determined to be an abnormal overcurrent by the abnormal overcurrent determination means, energization to the drive unit is limited while the overcurrent is reduced to the abnormal overcurrent. A drive unit protection unit is provided that keeps energizing the drive unit when the determination unit does not determine an abnormal overcurrent. In this specification, “abnormal overcurrent” refers to an excessive current in an emergency that flows when a circuit is short-circuited, and is a temporary current that can normally occur due to a resistance change of an electrical component having the above-described resistance change characteristic. Excessive overcurrent (rush current) is not included.

In the gaming machine of the present invention having such a configuration, occurrence of an abnormal overcurrent can be determined based on the magnitude of the overcurrent and its duration. That is, the occurrence of an overcurrent exceeding a predetermined value can be detected by the overcurrent detecting means, and the duration of the overcurrent is measured by the abnormal overcurrent judging means. Or is a temporary one such as an inrush current. The drive unit protection means according to the present invention prevents the abnormal overcurrent from flowing through the drive unit only when an abnormal overcurrent is determined. For this reason,
According to the gaming machine of the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine the occurrence of a temporary overcurrent flowing through the electrical component having the above-described resistance variation characteristic and the occurrence of an abnormal overcurrent due to a short circuit or the like, and Only when the power is supplied to the drive unit, the drive unit can be properly protected. That is,
According to the gaming machine of the present invention, it is possible to realize both protection of the drive unit from abnormal overcurrent and continuous operation of the drive unit when a temporary overcurrent flowing through the electrical component having the above-described resistance fluctuation characteristic occurs. .

In a preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention, when the energization of the driving section is restricted by the driving section protection section, an abnormal overcurrent checking section for checking the presence or absence of the abnormal overcurrent determined above is provided. Provided. According to the gaming machine of the present invention having such a configuration, occurrence of abnormal overcurrent can be confirmed again. Therefore, the presence or absence of the abnormal overcurrent can be more reliably determined.

In a preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention, it is possible to inspect whether or not there is an abnormal overcurrent in the drive unit after a restoration process when the drive unit protection means restricts energization of the drive unit. The configured abnormal overcurrent inspection means is provided. According to the gaming machine of the present invention having such a configuration, as a result of the provision of the abnormal overcurrent inspection means, the cause of the abnormal overcurrent does not actually occur after the energization limitation, for example, after the operation of removing the cause of the abnormal overcurrent (recovery processing). It can be confirmed whether or not the problem has been solved.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a lamp drive control system in a pachinko machine will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an outline of a control system in the pachinko machine according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control system of the pachinko machine according to the present embodiment is, roughly speaking, a prize detector 2 electrically connected to the main control unit 1 with the main control unit 1 being the center. , Power supply unit 3, display drive control unit 4, solenoid 5 for opening and closing a special winning opening, and lamp drive control unit 1
0 and so on. These are connected to each other by a power supply line and a signal line (not shown), but such a connection method itself is well known in the art and does not characterize the present invention at all, and therefore, detailed description is omitted.

The main control unit 1 is basically composed of a CPU (processor) and a storage device such as a ROM and a RAM,
It is composed of an input / output interface and the like, and controls the overall operation of the pachinko machine according to a predetermined control program stored in a ROM. For example, a signal from the winning detector 2 is received by the CPU, and a lottery change instruction is given to the display drive control unit 4 to perform an opening operation of the big winning opening at the time of a big hit (that is, drive control of the solenoid 5). The power supply unit 3
This is an electronic unit that constitutes a circuit for obtaining a necessary DC power supply (such as +24 V) from an external commercial power supply. The display drive control unit 4 controls the main control unit 1 according to the pachinko game situation.
The electronic unit includes a drive unit for operating a display (not shown) (such as a liquid crystal display and a 7-segment LED) provided in the pachinko machine in a predetermined manner based on a control signal transmitted from the pachinko machine. Further, the lamp drive control unit 10 according to the present embodiment performs various lamps L1, L2, L3 mounted on the pachinko machine based on a control signal transmitted from the main control unit 1 according to a pachinko game situation.
(See FIG. 3) An electronic unit including a drive unit for operating (lighting) in a predetermined manner. Details of the lamp drive control unit 10 will be described later. The control system of the pachinko machine according to the present embodiment includes a drive control for controlling the operation of a launching device, a ball dispensing device, or a speaker provided in the pachinko machine in addition to the representative one shown in FIG. The drive control unit is constructed and mounted on the pachinko machine (including the connection with the main control unit 1) in the same manner as a conventional pachinko machine, and the present invention is particularly characterized. Since it is not a detailed description, further detailed description is omitted.

Next, the lamp drive control unit 10 embodying the present invention will be described in detail. 2 and 3
Are the lamp drive control units 10 according to the present embodiment, respectively.
1 is a block diagram and a circuit diagram schematically showing the outline of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the lamp drive control unit 10 according to the present embodiment includes the lamps L1, L2, and L2 mounted on the pachinko machine.
A drive unit 14 and a detection unit 16 connected to a lamp unit (lamp substrate) 12 made of L3, and a microcomputer unit 1 electrically connected to the drive unit 14 and the detection unit 16, respectively.
And 8. The microcomputer unit 18 is provided with a CP
It comprises a U, a storage device such as a ROM and a RAM, an A / D converter, an input / output interface, and the like, and is electrically connected to the main control unit 1 described above.
Thus, various commands are transmitted and received between the main control unit 1 and the microcomputer unit 18. Further, a clock circuit (not shown) that defines a processing cycle of the microcomputer unit 18 is connected to the microcomputer unit 18. On the other hand, the drive unit 14 constitutes a drive circuit for supplying a current to the lamp unit 12 to turn on the lamp when a control signal from the microcomputer unit 18 is applied. Further, the detection unit 16 constitutes a detection circuit for detecting the state of the current flowing through the drive unit 14 as a voltage value proportional thereto.

Next, a specific example of the circuit configuration of the lamp drive control unit 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Although FIG. 3 shows only a part related to the lighting control of a total of three decorative lamps L1, L2, and L3 to facilitate the description of the present invention, a plurality of lamps provided in the pachinko machine are illustrated. Can have the same configuration.

As shown in FIG. 3, lamps L1, L2, L
Numerals 3 are connected in parallel to a power supply circuit (+24 V) (not shown), and the other ends are respectively connected to the collectors C of the output transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 that embody the driving unit 14 described above. On the other hand, the base B of the output transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 is
8 is connected to a digital output port 18a (control port) provided in the control unit 8. The emitters E of the output transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 are connected to each other and connected to a single analog input port 18b provided in the microcomputer unit 18. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, a shunt having the detection resistors R1 and R2 is provided between the emitter E and the analog input port 18b, and the shunt is provided to improve the response so that the A / D converter can easily detect the shunt. A resistor Rc and a capacitor C1 are provided to implement the detection unit 16 described above.

With this configuration, when a command signal for lighting the lamps L1, L2, L3 in a predetermined manner is transmitted from the main control unit 1 to the microcomputer unit 18, the microcomputer 18 drives the microcomputer unit 18 through the control port 18a. Part 14a, 1
4b, 14c, the output transistors Tr1, T
An output signal (voltage) is applied to the base B of r2 and Tr3, and a direct current (+
24V) is supplied to each of the lamps L1, L2, L3 as drive power. As a result, driving (lighting) control of each of the lamps L1, L2, L3 is realized in a predetermined manner.

On the other hand, each of the lamps L1, L2, L3 and the drive units 14a, 14b, 14c (ie, the output transistor T)
r1, Tr2, Tr3) causes a voltage proportional to the magnitude of the current in the detection unit 16 having the above configuration shown in FIG. 3, and the voltage is applied to the microcomputer unit 18 via the input port 18b. (See FIG. 3). At this time, according to the configuration of the main detecting unit 16, it is possible to detect the applied voltage without significantly affecting the lighting of the lamps L1, L2, and L3.
That is, in the present embodiment, the microcomputer unit 18 is provided by setting the drive power supply to 24 V, the lighting current per lamp to 100 mA, and the detection resistor Rc to 0.05 ohm.
A / D converter (typically 10 bits) can detect such a voltage. At this time, the loss of the detection resistor Rc per lamp is only 5 mV, which is only 0.02% of the supplied power. In other words, even if 50 lamps similar to those shown in FIG. 3 are provided, the loss of the detection resistor is only about 1%. For this reason, the construction of the book detection unit 16 does not hinder the lighting of the lamps (usually 50 or less) arranged in the pachinko machine.

Next, the microcomputer section 18 of the pachinko machine will be described.
A description will be given of the lamp drive control processing executed by the computer, that is, software constituting the drive unit protection means and the like according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of the lamp drive control process according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, FIG.
The process executed by the microcomputer unit 18 (CPU) based on the control program stored in the ROM of the microcomputer unit 18 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on, the microcomputer unit 18 determines whether or not the power has just been turned on (step S0). If the power has just been turned on, an initialization process is performed (step S0). Step S1). That is, the CPU sets the initial values of the flags and registers necessary for the processing performed by the CPU below. For example, when an abnormality is found in the state of the RAM, a RAM initialization process is performed. At the same time, the lamp flag F1, the confirmation lamp flag F2, and the inspection lamp flag F3 are set to OFF (that is, the initial value is 0), and the overcurrent detection register T1, the confirmation overcurrent detection register T2, the inspection overcurrent detection Clear the register T3 to 0 (step S
2). Further, the control port specifying register N is cleared to 0. The usage of these flags and registers will be described later. If the power has just been turned on, step S3 is further executed.
In the inspection processing according to the present invention, this will be described later. Next, in step S4, an overcurrent detection process embodying the overcurrent detection means and the abnormal overcurrent determination means according to the present invention is performed. Hereinafter, such overcurrent detection processing will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an outline of the overcurrent detection process according to the present embodiment. The CPU of the microcomputer section 18 repeatedly executes the processing described below (step a1 to step a7) at a predetermined cycle defined by the clock circuit.

During the operation of the pachinko machine, on condition that the value of the lamp flag F1 is the initial value 0 in step a1, it is determined in step a2 whether an overcurrent has occurred. That is, the voltage input from the input port 18b is digitized by an A / D converter (not shown) in the microcomputer unit 18 and converted into a detected voltage value CNT1. Thus, the obtained detected voltage value CNT1 is compared with the determination reference value CNTB stored and stored in the ROM in advance (step a2). Here, the detection voltage value CN
If T1 does not exceed the determination reference value CNTB, that is, if no overcurrent is detected, the overcurrent detection register T1
Is set to the initial value 0 (step a4), and the process in the current cycle is ended.

On the other hand, if the measured voltage value CNT1 exceeds the judgment reference value CNTB in step a2, that is, if an overcurrent is detected, the overcurrent detection register T1
Is added to (step a3), and it is then determined in step a5 whether or not the overcurrent detection register T1 is 2. Here, when it is determined that the overcurrent detection register T1 is not 2 (that is, it is 1), the process of the current cycle is completed and the process returns. On the other hand, if it is determined in step a5 that the overcurrent detection register T1 is 2, that is, if overcurrent is detected for two consecutive periods, it is determined that an abnormal overcurrent has occurred, and the lamp flag is determined. F
A value (that is, 1) that defines the presence of an abnormal overcurrent is set to 1 (step a6). Thus, in step a6,
When the value 1 is set in the lamp flag F1, all the control ports 18a are turned off to protect the driving units 14a, 14b, 14c (driving circuits: specifically, the output transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3). (Step a
7). As a result, each transistor T shown in FIG.
The base current to r1, Tr2, Tr3 is cut off, and as a result, each output transistor Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 is turned off, that is, the current is cut off.

As described above, in the overcurrent detection processing according to the present embodiment, the above-described detection units 14a, 14b,
A detection voltage value CNT1 inputted from the microcomputer 14c to the microcomputer unit 18 and converted into a digital signal is set to a predetermined reference voltage value C.
By comparing with NTB, the driving units 14a, 14a
b, 14c (that is, the drive circuit) can detect that an overcurrent has occurred. Further, as described above, in the overcurrent detection process according to the present embodiment, the overcurrent detection process is repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle defined by the clock circuit to determine whether the overcurrent has continued for a predetermined time. Then, it can be determined as an index whether or not an overcurrent is detected for two consecutive periods. That is, when an overcurrent is detected for two consecutive periods (that is, when the overcurrent detection register T
Only when the value of 1 is 2), it is determined that the detected overcurrent is an abnormal overcurrent due to a short circuit or the like. Therefore, by executing the above-described overcurrent detection processing, in this pachinko machine, an abnormal overcurrent is generated in the drive units 14a, 14a.
b, 14c (drive circuit: specifically, output transistor T
r1, Tr2, Tr3), the output transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 are turned off, and the driving unit 1
4a, 14b, and 14c can be prevented from being damaged by abnormal overcurrent (step a7). On the other hand, if a temporary inrush current flows when the lamps L1, L2, and L3 are turned on, the drive unit 1 is not determined to be an abnormal overcurrent by the overcurrent detection process, and is not considered to be an abnormal overcurrent.
The energization of 4a, 14b, 14c is not accidentally cut off. For this reason, according to the present pachinko machine, the drive units 14a, 14b, and 14c (drive circuits) can be accurately protected only when an abnormal overcurrent occurs.

Next, returning to FIG. 4, the subsequent steps of the lamp drive control processing according to the present embodiment will be described. As a result of the above-described overcurrent detection processing (step S4), it is determined whether or not the value of the lamp flag F1 is a value 1 that defines the presence of an abnormal overcurrent (step S5). Here, if the lamp flag F1 is determined to be the initial value 0, that is, no occurrence of abnormal overcurrent, then in step S6, the lamp is turned on in a predetermined manner which is programmed in advance based on a signal from the main control unit 1. Lighting (drive) control is performed (hereinafter, referred to as
These normal processes during a game are collectively referred to as “main processes”. ) Is made.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S5 that the lamp flag F1 has the value 1, that is, if there is an abnormal overcurrent, the pachinko machine uses the abnormal overcurrent to confirm whether the determined abnormal overcurrent is true or false. Confirmation processing is performed. Hereinafter, this will be described. The checking process according to the present embodiment embodies the abnormal overcurrent checking means. When the abnormal overcurrent is detected by the overcurrent detecting process and the energization of the driving unit is restricted, the overcurrent detecting process is performed again. This is a process for reconfirming the presence or absence of the abnormal overcurrent by performing the process. In this pachinko machine, after stopping the energization of the plurality of driving units 14a, 14b, 14c arranged for each of the lamps L1, L2, L3, the lamps L1, L2, L3 are turned on again to execute the overcurrent detection processing. Hereinafter, this will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process that embodies the abnormal overcurrent checking unit.

That is, when all the control ports 18a are turned off in the overcurrent detection processing (see FIGS. 4 and 5) (step a7), the abnormal overcurrent confirmation processing shown in FIG. 7 is executed. First, at step b0, on condition that the value of the confirmation lamp flag F2 is the initial value 0, all the control ports 18a are turned on at step b1.
Next, in that state, the detected voltage value CNT1 is compared with the determination reference value CNTB as in the overcurrent detection process (step b2). Here, if the detected voltage value CNT1 does not exceed the determination reference value CNTB, that is, if no overcurrent is detected as a result of the confirmation processing, the confirmation overcurrent detection register T2 is cleared to 0 (step b).
6), and set the lamp flag F1 to the initial value 0 (step b)
7) The overcurrent detection register T1 is further cleared to 0 (step b8) to end the current processing.
In this case, returning to the lamp drive control process (main flow) shown in FIG. 4, the value of the confirmation lamp flag F2 is determined to be the initial value 0 in step S8, and the lamp is turned on (that is, all the control ports 18a are turned on). Is continued.

On the other hand, in step b2, the detected voltage value C
If NT1 exceeds the criterion value CNTB, that is, if an overcurrent is also detected as a result of the confirmation processing,
1 is added to the confirmation overcurrent detection register T2 (step b).
3) Then, in step b4, it is determined whether or not the checking overcurrent detection register T2 is 2. Here, the checking overcurrent detection register T2 is not 2 (that is, 1
Is determined, the process returns to the end of the current cycle.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step b4 that the overcurrent detection register T2 for confirmation is 2, that is, if overcurrent is detected for two consecutive cycles also in this confirmation processing, it is determined that an abnormal overcurrent has occurred. It is determined to be a confirmation, and in step b5, a value (i.e., 1) that defines the abnormal overcurrent confirmation is set in the confirmation lamp flag F2, and the current processing ends. In this case, returning to the lamp drive control process (main flow) shown in FIG. 4, the value of the confirmation lamp flag F2 is determined to be 1 in step S8, and all the control ports 18a are turned off again (step S9). This prevents the drive section 14a from being damaged.

By executing the abnormal overcurrent checking process shown in FIG. 7, the driving units 14a, 14b, 1
4c, it can be confirmed again that an abnormal overcurrent is flowing. Note that the above embodiment shows an example of the abnormal overcurrent confirmation process, and is not limited to the above procedure. For example, the abnormal overcurrent confirmation processing may be executed by turning on the control ports 18a one by one (ie, driving the lamps L1, L2, L3 one by one). In this process, the control port 18 that is turned on when an abnormal overcurrent is detected
a where abnormal overcurrent occurs (drive units 14a, 14b, 14
c) can be specified. For example, a process of identifying and notifying the control port 18a that is turned on when an abnormal overcurrent is detected (for example, a process of displaying the fact on one of the display devices provided in the gaming machine). As a result, the portion where the abnormal overcurrent occurs (the driving section 1)
4a, 14b, and 14c) can be specified.

Next, the inspection process (step S3) according to the present invention, which is performed immediately after the power is turned on in the lamp drive control process of the pachinko machine, will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of such an inspection process.

The inspection processing according to the present embodiment embodies the abnormal overcurrent inspection means. After the energization of the drive unit is cut off by executing the overcurrent detection processing, the cause of the abnormal overcurrent (short circuit, etc.) Is performed by, for example, replacing the lamp (recovery processing), and then, in a state where the power is turned on again, this corresponds to a recovery inspection processing for checking whether or not the abnormal overcurrent has been resolved. That is, immediately after the power is turned on, after the initialization processing (steps S1 and S2) is performed, the inspection processing shown in FIG. 8 is performed. In the inspection processing according to the present embodiment, a plurality of control ports 18a are turned on one by one, and an inspection is performed to determine whether an abnormal overcurrent exists.

First, at step c0, 1 is added to the control port specifying register N on condition that the value of the inspection lamp flag F3 is 0 (step c1). Next, the control port 18a corresponding to the number of the control port specifying register N is turned on (step c2). For example, if N is 1 immediately after the start of the inspection processing, only the port corresponding to the lamp L1 in FIG. 3 is turned on. Thus, similarly to the overcurrent detection processing, the detected voltage value CNT1 is compared with the determination reference value CNTB (step c3). Here, if the detected voltage value CNT1 does not exceed the determination reference value CNTB, that is, if an overcurrent is not detected in the drive unit associated with the control port that has been turned on as a result of the inspection, the inspection overcurrent detection register T3 Is returned to the initial value 0 (step c8). Then, the control port specifying register N
Is the maximum value NMAX (NMAX is 3 in the system having three driving units shown in FIG. 3). Thus, when the value of the control port specifying register N is the maximum value N
If it is not MAX, the ports are turned on one by one until all control ports 18a are turned on (that is, until N is determined to be NMAX in step c9), and the above processing is repeated (steps c0 to c3). During this process, if the detected voltage value CNT1 exceeds the determination reference value CNTB in step c3, that is, if an overcurrent is also detected as a result of the inspection process, the inspection overcurrent detection register One is added to T3 (step c4), and then it is determined in step c5 whether or not the inspection overcurrent detection register T3 is 2. Here, the inspection overcurrent detection register T3 is not 2 (that is, 1).
Is determined, the value of the control port specifying register N is reduced by one in step c7. Thus, the processing of steps c1 to c3 can be repeated again while the same control port is turned on via steps c9 and c0. Then, the overcurrent is detected even in the result of the repetition again, and when the overcurrent detection register for inspection T3 is determined to be 2 in step c5, that is, in the inspection processing, two cycles are performed with any control port being on. If overcurrent is detected continuously,
This is determined to be the detection of an abnormal overcurrent, and in step c6, a value (1) that defines the abnormal overcurrent is set in the inspection lamp flag F3. Thus, when 1 is set to the inspection lamp flag F3, steps c9 and c0 are performed in accordance with the on / off state of each control port 18a at that time (that is, the value of the control port specifying register N at that time). Via or c9 and c10 then c
0 to step c12, and all control ports 18a
Is turned off. As a result, the driving units 14a and 14
b, 14c can be prevented from being damaged. If no abnormal overcurrent is detected for all the control ports 18a by the above series of processing, the inspection lamp flag F3, the inspection overcurrent detection register T3, and the control port identification register N are cleared to 0 in step c11. Then, the main inspection processing is completed.

The above-described inspection processing according to the present embodiment makes it possible to verify whether or not the above-described restoration processing performed before turning on the power is appropriate. That is, by executing the restoration inspection process shown in FIG.
It can be confirmed that an abnormal overcurrent is flowing in any one of a, 14b, and 14c, that is, whether the restoration process is appropriate. The above embodiment is an example of the restoration inspection process, and the present invention is not limited to the above procedure. For example, as in the processing procedure shown in FIG. 7, the recovery inspection processing may be executed by simultaneously turning on the control port 18a. That is, for the restoration inspection processing according to the present invention, for example, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 7 can be applied regardless of the processing procedure shown in FIG. On the other hand, in the above-described abnormal overcurrent confirmation processing according to the present invention, for example, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 can be applied regardless of the processing procedure shown in FIG. Also, in the restoration inspection processing, a portion for notifying the control port 18a which is turned on when an abnormal overcurrent is detected is further added, so that a portion where the abnormal overcurrent occurs (the driving units 14a, 14b, 14c) can be specified. For example, a process of identifying and notifying the control port 18a that is turned on when an abnormal overcurrent is detected (for example, a process of displaying the fact on one of the display devices provided in the gaming machine). As a result, the location where the abnormal overcurrent occurs (the drive units 14a, 14b, 14c
) Can be specified.

While the preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention has been described above, the present invention includes many modifications without being limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the overcurrent detection process (FIG. 5) in the above embodiment, the abnormal overcurrent
1, L2, and L3 corresponding to the driving units 14a, 1 respectively.
4b, 14c (output transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr
3) All the driving units 14 are simultaneously operated,
a, 14b, 14c (output transistors Tr1, Tr
2, Tr3) is limited (cut off here),
It is not limited to this mode. For example, when the drive control of a plurality of lamps is performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment, the overcurrent detection process is performed for each individual lamp or for each lamp group, and when an abnormal overcurrent is detected, the detected overcurrent is detected. The current supply may be limited only to the lamp or the lamp group (that is, the main processing is continued for another lamp or the lamp group). Hereinafter, a preferred example of such an aspect will be described as a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration according to the second embodiment. Although FIG. 6 shows only a part related to the lighting control of the two decorative lamps L4 and L5 in order to facilitate the description of the present invention, any one of the plurality of lamps provided in the pachinko machine is illustrated. Can have the same configuration. As shown in FIG. 6, the two lamps L4 and L5 are connected in parallel to a power supply circuit (+24 V) (not shown), and the other ends are driven by drive units (drive circuits) 24a and 24a.
b are connected to the collectors C of the output transistors Tr4 and Tr5, respectively. The bases B of these output transistors Tr4 and Tr5 are the same as in the above embodiment.
They are connected to two digital output ports (control ports) 28a provided in the microcomputer unit 28, respectively.
On the other hand, the emitter E side of each of the output transistors Tr4 and Tr5 is independently connected to two analog input ports 28b provided in the microcomputer unit 28. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, between the emitter E of each wiring and the analog input port 28b, similarly to the above embodiment, the shunt having the detection resistors R11, R12, R13, and R14, and the improvement of the response. Ra, Rb and capacitors C11, C12 are provided respectively for the respective lamps L4, L5 and the drive units 24a, 24a.
The detection units 26a and 26b are configured for each b.

As a result of this configuration, it is possible for the microcomputer unit 28 to individually determine the state of the current flowing from the two analog input ports 28b to the drive units 24a and 24b (output transistors Tr4 and Tr5).
That is, in the microcomputer section 28, the detection voltage is input / digital-converted from one of the analog input ports 28b alternately or continuously at a predetermined cycle, and the overcurrent detection processing is performed based on the input voltage. As a result, occurrence of abnormal overcurrent for each of the drive units 24a and 24b can be distinguished from inrush current and accurately determined. Thus, the main processing is stopped only for the drive unit (for example, 24a) that has recognized the occurrence of the overcurrent, and only the control port 18a corresponding to the drive unit 24a is turned off (step a7).
reference). As described above, according to the second embodiment, the power supply is interrupted only to the drive unit 24a in which the abnormal overcurrent has occurred, while the power supply is continued to the drive unit 24b in which the abnormal overcurrent has not occurred. Processing can continue.

In this case, the drive section (for example, 24b) in which an abnormal overcurrent has not occurred may be turned off at an appropriate time according to the game state. Also,
The lamp drive control unit 10 may be provided with a means for notifying the hall computer or the hall manager of an error (that is, the detection of an abnormal overcurrent in one of the drive units and the interruption of power supply). For example, a warning light indicating such an error is provided on one of the surfaces of the pachinko machine or one of the sima (a section where a plurality of gaming machines are connected) provided in the hall, and the lamp drive control unit 10 The warning light is driven by the instruction. With this, it is possible to notify the person in charge of the hall that the abnormal overcurrent has occurred and that the normal lamp drive control has been stopped based on the abnormal overcurrent.

Alternatively, in response to turning off the control port corresponding to the drive unit that has recognized the occurrence of the abnormal overcurrent, a notification means for specifying a lamp or a lamp group related to the drive unit (that is, an abnormal overcurrent (A means for notifying a lamp or a lamp group which is generated and whose energization is restricted). As a specific example of this, an LED corresponding to each of the above lamps or lamp groups is provided on the back side of the pachinko machine.
Are provided, and the control port is turned off, and the LED corresponding to the lamp or the lamp group in which an abnormal overcurrent is generated is controlled by an instruction from the lamp drive control unit 10. Can be In this case, the LED corresponding to the abnormal overcurrent occurrence lamp or the lamp group may be turned on, or turned off or flashed. Alternatively, a 7-segment display is provided in place of the LED, and a number or a symbol (for example, a symbol L4 of the circuit configuration in the above-described embodiment) capable of specifying a lamp or a lamp group in which an abnormal overcurrent occurs.
And / or L5). Alternatively, instead of means for separately providing such an indicator, a normal lamp or lamp group in which an abnormal overcurrent is not detected is notified that an abnormal overcurrent has occurred in another lamp or a lamp group instead of the main processing. A program for performing drive control may be provided in the lamp drive control unit 10. For example, when an abnormal overcurrent is detected in a certain lamp or lamp group, the corresponding control port is turned off and the lamp drive control unit 10 is turned off.
Drive control of a normal lamp or a lamp group in a predetermined manner in accordance with an instruction from. For example, the normal lamp may be fully lit or fully blinked in the same cycle. With this, it is also possible to specify and notify the lamp or the lamp group in which the abnormal overcurrent has occurred.

While the preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention has been described above, the present invention includes the above-mentioned drive unit protection means, overcurrent detection means and abnormal overcurrent determination means, However, when an abnormal overcurrent flows to the drive unit, the energization in the drive unit is limited (typically cut off), while the overcurrent is not determined as an abnormal overcurrent by the abnormal overcurrent determination unit. It is sufficient that the drive unit is continuously energized, and various modifications are included in the present invention without being limited to the above-described embodiment without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a general bipolar transistor (BJ) is used as an element constituting the drive unit according to the present invention.
Although T) is employed, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a MOS-type FET or the like. Further, in the above embodiment, the drive unit (drive circuit) related to the lighting control of the lamp is employed as the drive unit that protects from damage due to abnormal overcurrent according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. According to the present invention, it is possible to protect various electric components other than the lamp, for example, a drive unit related to drive control of the solenoid 5 from damage due to abnormal overcurrent.

The abnormal overcurrent judging means, abnormal overcurrent confirming means and abnormal overcurrent inspecting means according to the above-described embodiment detect an abnormal overcurrent when two consecutive periods of overcurrent are detected based on the above processing. Although the current is determined, the condition varies depending on the contents of the microcomputer unit of the lamp drive control unit and the length of the processing cycle defined by the clock circuit, and is not particularly limited. For example, in the above processing flow, the registers T1, T
Alternatively, means for determining an abnormal overcurrent when the value of T3 is 3 or 4 or more may be used. Further, in the above embodiment, the microcomputer units 18 and 28 have built-in A / D converters. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A / D converters may be provided separately. In the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described by taking a pachinko machine as an example, but the present invention can be widely applied to pachislot machines and other game machines.

[0039]

According to the present invention, the occurrence of an abnormal overcurrent can be determined based on the magnitude and duration of the generated overcurrent. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately protect the drive unit related to the electrical component having the resistance variation characteristic from damage due to abnormal overcurrent. Further, according to the present invention, since the temporary inrush current and the abnormal overcurrent due to short circuit or the like can be clearly distinguished, the driving unit is generated when an inrush current occurs, for example, when a lamp or the like is turned on against the original purpose. Can be eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an outline of a control system in a gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an outline of a lamp drive control unit in the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a lamp drive control unit in the gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a lamp drive control process in the gaming machine of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an overcurrent detection process in the gaming machine of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a lamp drive control unit in the gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an abnormal overcurrent confirmation process in the gaming machine of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of an abnormal overcurrent inspection process (recovery inspection process) in the gaming machine of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 main control unit 10 lamp drive control unit 14a, 14b, 14c, 24a, 24b drive unit 16, 26a, 26b detection unit 18, 28 microcomputer unit 18a, 28a control port 18b, 28b input port L1, L2, L3, L4 L5 lamp Tr1, Tr2, Tr3, Tr4, Tr5 Output transistor

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor ▲ Taka ▼ Hashi Takenori 1 Nishinokawa, Okimura, Nishiharu-machi, Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture F term (reference) 2C088 BA02 BC25 BC56 DA09 5H410 CC02 DD02 DD05 EA10 EB01 EB25 FF05 FF25 FF28 LL06 LL13 LL20

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A game machine having a drive unit for operating an electrical component, comprising: an overcurrent detection means for detecting, as an overcurrent, that a current of a predetermined value or more has flowed in the drive unit; Abnormal overcurrent judging means for judging the overcurrent to be an abnormal overcurrent when the overcurrent has continuously flowed for a predetermined time or more, and an overcurrent detected by the overcurrent detecting means is an abnormal overcurrent. If the determining unit determines that the overcurrent is abnormal, the power supply to the drive unit is limited. If the overcurrent is not determined to be the abnormal overcurrent by the abnormal overcurrent determination unit, the power supply to the drive unit is restricted. Game machine provided with a drive unit protection means for continuing the operation. 2. The abnormal overcurrent checking means according to claim 1, further comprising an abnormal overcurrent confirming means for confirming the presence or absence of the determined abnormal overcurrent when the energization of the driving part is restricted by the driving part protecting means. Gaming machine. 3. An abnormal overcurrent inspecting means configured to be able to inspect the presence or absence of an abnormal overcurrent in the driving part after a restoration process when the energization of the driving part is restricted by the driving part protecting means. The gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gaming machine is provided.