JP2002085799A - Game medium lending device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a game player from purchasing a recording medium in a hurry when the shortage of balls or the like occurs by notifying the reduction of the money value to the game player in a process wherein the money value of the recording medium reduces. SOLUTION: A card unit 1 accepts a card having a money value, and sends a demand for lending pachinko balls to a pachinko machine 2. On the front surface of the card unit 1, a remaining money amount display apparatus 13, which can notify that the money value of the card is at a specified threshold value or lower to the game player, is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage medium lending apparatus in which a game medium such as a pachinko ball or a game medal is lent by a storage medium having a value of money.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent pachinko halls, a ball rental system using a card-shaped storage medium (hereinafter simply referred to as a "card") has been introduced, and a card unit and a pachinko machine are provided for each of a plurality of pachinko machines. There is a ball rental machine called. A player sits in front of a desired pachinko machine, inserts a card into an adjacent card unit, and plays a game after borrowing a pachinko ball. The card unit sends a ball lending request signal to the pachinko machine, and the pachinko machine receives the ball lending request signal and discharges a predetermined number of pachinko balls to a tray.

[0003] A ball lending system using a card can be roughly divided into:
There are a first method in which cards are sold by a card vending machine installed at an appropriate place in a pachinko hall, and a second method in which cards are sold in card units provided with a card issuing function. In the ball lending system of the first method, a player purchases a card at a card vending machine, sits in front of a desired pachinko machine with the card, inserts the card into an adjacent card unit, and receives a ball lending. . In the ball rental system of the second method,
The player sits in front of a desired pachinko machine, purchases a card at the adjacent card unit, inserts the card into the same card unit, and receives a ball lending.

Generally, in the ball lending system of the first system, a plurality of types of cards (for example, a 1,000 yen card, a 3,000 yen card, a 5,000 yen card, and the like) having different value values are sold.
On the other hand, in the ball lending system of the second system, one kind of low-value card (for example, a 1,000 yen card) is sold. In any of the ball lending systems, the card is still disposable, and when the remaining value of the card (hereinafter referred to as “card balance”) becomes zero, the player can add a new card. Need to buy.

[0005]

Each pachinko machine is provided with a frequency display for displaying the remaining amount of the card in frequency. The player can immediately know the balance of the card by looking at the display. However, the players are too enthusiastic about the game,
It is easy to forget to check the card balance with the frequency indicator. As a result, when the pachinko balls are not ejected even though the ball lending button of the pachinko machine is pressed, the player can finally know that the card balance has become zero.

[0006] When the pachinko machine is in a "big hit" state, the ball may be broken. In such a case,
If the remaining amount of the card is zero, it is necessary to first purchase the card and then insert the card into the card unit to receive a ball lending. In particular, in the ball lending system of the first method,
To buy a card, you need to stand up and go to the place where the card vending machine is installed. Therefore, it takes time and effort to replenish the pachinko balls, thereby losing interest in the game.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and in the process of reducing the value of money of a storage medium,
An object of the present invention is to notify a player of a decrease in a value of money so as to prevent the player from hastily purchasing a storage medium in the event of a broken ball or the like.

[0008]

A game medium lending device according to the present invention has a function of receiving a storage medium having a value of money and requesting the lending of a game medium, wherein the value of the storage medium is a predetermined value. There is provided a notifying means for notifying that the value is equal to or less than the threshold value. The present invention can be applied to a game medium lending apparatus having a function of accepting money and issuing a storage medium having a value corresponding to the amount in addition to the function of requesting a game medium lending described above.

Here, the "storage medium" is typically a card-shaped magnetic storage medium called a magnetic card. However, if information can be stored, a method for magnetically storing information is required. However, an IC card or a memory card can be used, and the form does not need to be card-like.
Further, the “storage medium having a monetary value” does not necessarily mean a storage medium in which a monetary value is stored.
More specifically, the storage medium stores a unique code number, and the monetary value is stored in the machine or information management device that issued the storage medium in association with each code number. Media ". Further, the "notification means" may be a means for notifying the player by visual recognition or a means for notifying the player by hearing.

There are various modes of the notification means, but it is preferable that the notification means is provided on a display for displaying the value of money of the storage medium. In this case, it is preferable to use a display that displays the value of money in an analog manner. The notifying means may be provided separately from a display for displaying the value of money of the storage medium. Also, any type of notification means may be under the control of the game media lending device, and may be installed in the game media lending device. It may be installed in a certain gaming machine.

In the embodiment of the present invention, if the threshold value is set to a value close to zero, for example, a value immediately before the threshold value becomes zero, in a process in which the value of money of the storage medium decreases,
When the monetary value falls below the threshold, the notifying unit notifies the player of the fact, so that the player knows that the monetary value of the storage medium has decreased to the threshold. As a result, it is possible to purchase the storage medium in preparation for the game medium being exhausted, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which the storage medium is purchased in a hurry.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a function of accepting money and issuing a storage medium having a value corresponding to the amount of money and a function of accepting a storage medium having a value of money and requesting a lending of a game medium are provided. And a notifying means for notifying that the value of money of the storage medium is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, and provided that the value of money is equal to or less than the threshold value. Control means for enabling execution of a process of newly adding a monetary value.

Here, "issuing a storage medium having a monetary value" typically refers to a process of giving a monetary value to a storage medium stocked in an apparatus, but is not limited to this. It also includes a process of giving a monetary value to a storage medium inserted into the apparatus from the outside. The issued storage medium is discharged out of the device, but may be discharged in such a manner that the player can remove it, or may be discharged in a manner that the player cannot remove it.

[0014] Here, the "processing of adding a new monetary value" means that the monetary value is stored in a storage medium, or that the monetary value of the storage medium is stored in a machine or an information management apparatus that has issued the storage medium. In the case where it is stored, it refers to a process of increasing and updating the stored monetary value. The addition of the monetary value is premised on the insertion of money, but another storage medium having a monetary value may be used instead of money.

In the embodiment described above, if the threshold value is set to a value close to zero or an appropriate value greater than zero,
Since it is possible to execute a process of adding a new money value on condition that the money value is equal to or less than the threshold value, it is possible to prepare for the depletion of the game media without newly purchasing a storage medium having the money value. be able to.

When the processing for adding a monetary value is executed, the control means automatically generates a request for renting a game medium corresponding to a predetermined amount in order to simplify an operation for requesting a rent of a game medium. You may make it perform it. More specifically, if the value of the storage medium is currently 500 yen and a process of adding a value of 1000 yen is executed, a lending request for a game medium of, for example, 500 yen is made, Assume that the value of the storage medium is deducted by the 500 yen and is 1000 yen.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a function of accepting money and issuing a storage medium having a value corresponding to the amount of money, and accepting a storage medium having a value of money and requesting a lending of a game medium. In a game media lending device having a function, a notifying means for notifying that the value of the storage medium is zero, a control means capable of executing a process of adding a new value of money, Storage medium processing means for collecting or returning the storage medium, wherein the control means does not execute a process of adding a new money value within a set time when the money value of the storage medium becomes zero. On the condition that the storage medium processing unit collects or returns the storage medium.

According to this embodiment, when the monetary value of the storage medium decreases, when the monetary value becomes zero, the notifying unit notifies the player of the fact that the monetary value has become zero. If the operation of adding the monetary value is performed, the process of adding the monetary value is executed, but if the player does not perform the operation of adding the monetary value within the set time, the collection or return of the storage medium is executed. .

If the value of the storage medium becomes zero and the storage medium is immediately collected and returned, immediately after that, when the player performs an operation to add the value of the storage medium, the storage medium is reissued. However, according to this embodiment, such a problem does not occur because the process of adding the monetary value is accepted within the set time.

In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a function of accepting money and issuing a storage medium having a value corresponding to the amount of money, and accepting a storage medium having a value of money and issuing a lending request for a game medium. A game medium lending device having a function of performing a notification function, wherein a notifying unit for notifying that the value of money of the storage medium is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value and zero is provided.

According to this embodiment, in the process of decreasing the value of money in the storage medium, first, when the value of money falls below a predetermined threshold value, the notifying means notifies the player of the fact. When the monetary value becomes zero, the notifying means notifies the player of this. Therefore, the player
Since the notification is made before and after the value of the storage medium becomes zero, the purchase of the storage medium and the addition of the value of money can be reliably performed in preparation for the absence of the game medium.

[0022]

1 shows the configuration of a pachinko ball lending system introduced into a pachinko hall. This lending system allows a player to use a card-shaped magnetic recording medium (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “card”) as a storage medium to rent a pachinko ball, which is a game medium of the pachinko machine 2. It was done. This card has an information recording section on the back side, and the information recording section stores information such as a code number unique to each card, a ticket issue amount, and a card balance. Hereinafter, the information stored in the card is generically referred to as “card recording information”.

The illustrated lending system mainly includes a card unit 1 as a game medium lending device, and a combination of a large number of card units 1 with a card vending machine and a card settlement machine (not shown). is there. Each card unit 1, the card vending machine and the card settlement machine are connected by a bidirectional communication line, and can communicate with each other. The present invention is not limited to a card unit for renting a pachinko ball, but is also applicable to a card unit for renting a medal which is a game medium of a gaming machine such as a slot machine.

Each card unit 1 forms a pair with an adjacent pachinko machine 2, and the pachinko machine 2 and the card unit 1 are electrically connected by a code line. Each card unit 1 has a function of accepting the insertion of money and issuing a card having a predetermined value (ticket issuing function), and a function of accepting the card and requesting the next pachinko machine 2 to lend pachinko balls (ball lending). Request function). Note that the card vending machine has a ticket issuing function, but does not have a ball lending request function. In this embodiment, each card unit 1 issues only a card having a value of 1,000 yen, and a card vending machine issues cards having a value of 1,000 yen, 2,000 yen, and 3,000 yen.

As shown in FIG. 2, each card unit 1 has a money receiving port 1 for receiving a 1,000-yen bill on the front of the machine.
0, a card entrance 11 for carrying in / out of cards, a card insertion button 12 for a player to instruct insertion of a card carried out to the card entrance / exit 11, a balance display 13 for displaying a card balance, insertion of a membership card A membership card reception port 14 for receiving a message, a speaker 15 for outputting a message to the player by voice, and a plurality of display lamps 16, 17, and 18 for notifying the player of the machine state are provided.

Although the currency accepting port 10 of this embodiment accepts only 1,000-yen bills, it can be configured to accept 2,000-yen bills, 5,000-yen bills, 10,000-yen bills, etc. A coin receiving port for receiving a yen coin or a hundred yen coin may be separately provided. Of the three display lamps 16 to 18,
The display lamp 16 indicates whether the card can be purchased or not.
Reference numeral 7 indicates whether a bill is being inserted, and an indicator lamp 18 indicates whether a card is being inserted.

It is also possible to insert a card issued by another card unit 1 or a card vending machine into the card entrance 11. In addition, the above-mentioned membership card is issued to each member of the pachinko hall, and in the information recording section of the membership card, in addition to the membership number, the expiration date, etc., the accumulated data of the number of balls is recorded. Has become. The accumulated data of the number of balls is obtained by recording and accumulating the number of remaining balls when a pachinko ball is exchanged for a prize, and a member can borrow a pachinko ball using the accumulated data of the number of balls.

The balance indicator 13 includes a level meter 13A for displaying the balance of the card in an analog manner, and a multicolor LE for displaying the level of the level meter 13A by changing colors.
A light emitting device 13B (shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3). The level meter 13A
Displays the remaining card level from 0 yen to 3000 yen in increments of 500 yen. The light emitting device 13B emits green light when the card balance is 3000 yen and 2500 yen,
It emits yellow light when the price is between 2,000 yen and 1000 yen, and 500
It emits red light in the case of a circle and 0 yen. When the card balance is 500 yen or less, a blinking operation is performed. When the card balance becomes 500 yen to 0 yen, in order to enhance the notification effect, the light emission intensity is increased or the blinking cycle is increased. .

In the inside of the card unit 1, a bill processing unit 20 is located at a position corresponding to the money receiving slot 10, and a card processing unit 21 is located at a position corresponding to the card entrance 11.
, Respectively. Bill processing unit 20
3 includes a bill insertion detection sensor 22, a bill validator 23, and a bill transport mechanism 24 shown in FIG. 3, and the card processing unit 21 has a card insertion detection sensor 25, a card reader / writer 26, and a card transporter shown in FIG. Mechanisms 27 are each incorporated.

The card processing unit 21 is provided with a card storage for storing only one card.
When a ticket is issued, a card is sent out from the card storage unit.
The card number is assigned to the card by the card reader / writer 26,
The ticketing amount, the remaining amount of the card, and the like are written in the information storage unit as card record information. The used card with the remaining card amount being zero is taken into the card storage unit and stocked if the card storage unit is empty. Therefore, the same one card is used repeatedly unless the card is removed.

The card unit 1 is equipped with a microcomputer for controlling the operation of each component and executing a ticket issuing process and a ball lending request process. The specific circuit configuration is shown in a block diagram in FIG. The microcomputer includes a CPU 30 which is a main body of control and calculation, a ROM 31 storing a program, a RAM 32 used for reading and writing data, and the like. The RAM 32 is provided with a card information file in which card registration information on a card issued by the own unit is stored. The card registration information includes a code number of each card, a ticket issue amount, a card balance, and the like.

The CPU 30 includes a balance display 13, a speaker 15, a bill insertion detection sensor 22, a card insertion detection sensor 25, a bill validator 23, and a communication interface circuit 2.
8, card reader / writer 26, card insertion button 1
2. The card transport mechanism 27, the bill transport mechanism 24, and the like are connected. The money insertion detecting sensor 22 is connected to the money receiving port 10.
It detects that a bill has been inserted into the. The card insertion detection sensor 25 detects that a card has been inserted into the card entrance 11. The bill validator 23 determines the authenticity or denomination of the accepted bill. The card reader / writer 26 reads and writes information from and to the card. The card transport mechanism 27 carries the card in and out of the card entrance 11. The bill transport mechanism 24 takes in and returns the accepted bill.

The communication interface circuit 28 is for communicating with other card units, card vending machines, and card settlement machines. When the card issued by the own unit is accepted at the card entrance 11, the card registration information for the card is held by the own unit, so that communication with another unit or the card vending machine is not performed. When a card issued by a card unit or a card vending machine is inserted, the card registration information for that card is held by the ticket issuing source, so it communicates with the ticket issuing source and checks the card record information with the card registration information. Is performed, and the remaining card amount of the card registration information is updated with the used amount.

When a card issued by one's own unit is accepted by another card unit, the card registration information for that card is held by the own unit which is the issuing source. A request for collation of the card or an update request is made.

Each pachinko machine 2 is provided with a ball lending button 41 which is operated when lending pachinko balls, a card return button 42 which is operated when returning a card, and a frequency display 40 which displays the remaining amount of the card in degrees. , Are electrically connected to the card unit 1.

The CPU 30 executes predetermined arithmetic operations and processes while reading and writing data from and to the RAM 32 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 31, and controls the operation of each input / output unit. 2 shows the flow of control by the CPU 30.

In this embodiment, the card registration information is managed by the card issuing source, and the card is collated by the issuing source. However, the card registration information for all the cards is centrally managed. An information management device may be provided, and the information management device may perform card collation. The card unit 1 of this embodiment has a ticketing function and a ball lending request function.
The present invention is also applicable to a card unit (game media lending device) that does not have a ticketing function.

Next, the operation of the card unit 1 will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. In the drawings, “ST” is an abbreviation for “STEP”. FIG.
In ST1 and ST2, the CPU 30 is waiting for a player to insert a card or insert money. If a card is inserted, the process proceeds to a pachinko ball lending request process after ST3, but if money (thousand-yen bill) is inserted, the process proceeds to a card issuing process.

In the standby state of ST1, ST2, when a card is inserted into the card entrance 11 or the card immediately after issuance is taken in by operating the card insertion button 12,
The determination of ST1 by the CPU 30 is "YES", and the card record information of the card is stored in the card reader / writer 26.
After that, the card record information and the card registration information are collated in the own unit or another unit (ST).
3).

In the next ST4, the CPU 30 causes the balance display 13 to display the level of the card balance, and the frequency display 40
Digitally displays a frequency corresponding to the balance of the card (ST4). If the card balance is 3000 yen or 25
If it is 00 yen, the determination in ST5 becomes “YES” and C
The PU 30 causes the balance indicator 13 to emit green light to display the balance level (ST8), and waits for the player to operate the ball lending button 41 in the next ST9.

If the card balance is 1000 yen or more and 20
If it is not more than 00 yen, the determination in ST6 is “YES”, and the CPU 30 causes the balance indicator 13 to emit yellow light to display the balance level (ST12), followed by ST13 and ST14.
Waits for the player to operate the ball lending button 41 or to insert money. The insertion of money here is an operation by the player for adding a new money value to the card, not for requesting the issuance of a new card.

If the remaining amount of the card is 500 yen, S
The determination at T7 becomes "YES", and the CPU 30 causes the balance indicator 13 to emit red light and blinks to display the balance level, and to output a voice message to warn that the card balance has decreased (ST16). , 1
7). Thereafter, the process proceeds to ST13, ST14, and the CPU 30 waits for the operation of the ball lending button 41 or the insertion of money by the player.

If the card balance is zero, ST7
Is “NO”, and the CPU 30 determines that the balance indicator 1
3 is displayed in a strong red light and flashes rapidly, and a message notifying that the remaining amount of the card has become zero and prompting the user to add the amount is output by voice (ST).
18, 19). Thereafter, the process proceeds to ST20, in which the CPU 30 waits for the player to insert money.

When the player presses the ball lending button 41 in ST9 or ST13, the process proceeds to ST10, in which the CPU 30 issues a ball lending request to the pachinko machine 2, and the card in the card recording information and the card registration information in the own unit or another unit. The balance is updated. Then CPU3
0 indicates that the updated card balance is displayed on the balance indicator 13 as a level, and the frequency display 40 digitally displays a frequency corresponding to the updated card balance (ST11), and according to the updated card balance. Then, the display color of the balance indicator 13 is changed (ST8, 12, 16, 18). The pachinko machine 2 that has received the ball lending request discharges a pachinko ball worth 500 yen every time a ball lending request is made.

In the standby state of ST13 and ST14, when the player inserts a 1,000-yen bill into the money receiving slot 10, ST13 becomes "NO", ST14 becomes "YES", and the CPU 30
Calculates the new card balance X by adding the inserted amount (1000 yen) to the current card balance X (ST15),
The updated card balance X is displayed on the balance display 13 at a level, the frequency display 40 is digitally displayed with a frequency corresponding to the updated card balance X (ST11), and the balance is calculated according to the updated card balance X. The display color of the display 13 is changed (ST8, 12, 16, 18).

In the standby state of ST20, when the player inserts a 1,000-yen bill into the money receiving slot 10 within the set time, ST
The determination at 20 is “YES”, and the CPU 30 calculates the new card balance X by adding the inserted amount (1000 yen) to the current card balance X (ST22), and then displays the updated card balance on the balance display 13. The balance X is displayed as a level, the frequency display 40 digitally displays the frequency corresponding to the updated card balance X (ST11), and the display color of the balance display 13 is changed according to the updated card balance X. (ST8,
12, 16, 18).

[0047] If the player receives money 1
If a 1,000-yen bill is not inserted into 0, the determination in ST20 is "N
O ", the determination in ST21 is" YES ", and the CPU 30
Turns off the display of the balance display 13 and the frequency display 40 (ST23), erases the card record information from the card, and collects the used card or returns the card (ST23).
24).

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the value of money of a storage medium is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the notifying means notifies the player of the fact. We can know that it decreased. As a result, it is possible to purchase the storage medium in preparation for the game medium being exhausted, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which the storage medium is purchased in a hurry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a pachinko ball lending system.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the card unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a card unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the card unit.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the control procedure of FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Card unit 2 Pachinko machine 13 Balance display 30 CPU

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A game medium lending device having a function of receiving a storage medium having a value of money and requesting a lending of a game medium, informing that the value of the storage medium is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. A game medium lending device comprising means. 2. The game medium lending device according to claim 1, wherein the notifying unit is provided on a display for displaying a value of money of the storage medium. 3. The game medium lending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display is a display that displays a monetary value in an analog manner. 4. A game media lending device having a function of accepting money and issuing a storage medium having a value corresponding to the amount of money and a function of accepting a storage medium having a value of money and requesting a lending of game media. Notification means for notifying that the value of money of the storage medium is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, and processing of adding a new value of money on condition that the value of money is equal to or less than the threshold value. A game medium lending apparatus comprising: 5. The game medium lending according to claim 4, wherein, when the processing for adding a new money value is executed, the control means requests a game medium to be loaned for a predetermined money amount. apparatus. 6. A game media lending apparatus having a function of accepting money and issuing a storage medium having a value corresponding to the amount, and a function of accepting a storage medium having a value and issuing a lending request for a game medium. Notification means for notifying that the value of money of the storage medium is zero, and control means for enabling execution of processing for newly adding the value of money,
Storage medium processing means for collecting or returning a storage medium having a value of zero, wherein the control means adds a new value within a set time when the value of the storage medium becomes zero. A game medium lending device for causing the storage medium processing means to collect or return a storage medium on condition that the processing is not executed. 7. A game media lending device having a function of receiving money and issuing a storage medium having a value corresponding to the amount of money and a function of receiving a storage medium having a value of money and requesting a lending of game media. A game medium lending apparatus comprising a notifying means for discriminating and notifying that the value of money of the storage medium is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value and the value of money is zero.