JP2002148618A - Liquid crystal display unit adjusting device and game machine equipped with liquid crystal display unit adjusted by the liquid crystal display unit adjusting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an adjusting device for a liquid crystal display unit mounted on a game machine, a device where luminance adjustment reliability is secured and its efficiency is improved. SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display unit 70 conveyed by a belt conveyor 104 to the liquid crystal display unit adjusting device 100 is stopped at a specific position by being detected by a position detection sensor 112 and a connector 126 is connected by driving a connector driving plunger 120 to supply electric power and an image signal. The luminance of the illuminating display surface 72 is measured by a luminance sensor 116 and decided by a main control part by being compared with standard luminance. When the luminance does not meet standards, a driver driving plunger 132 is driven to engage the tip of a driver 136 of an adjusting driver 130 with a luminance adjusting variable resistor 76 and a stepping motor 134 is rotated to adjust the luminance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display adjusting device for adjusting the brightness of a liquid crystal display mounted on a game machine, and a gaming machine provided with the liquid crystal display adjusted by the liquid crystal display adjusting device. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, many pachinko machines employ a liquid crystal display (liquid crystal display) as a special symbol display device, which enables variable display of symbols (numbers and patterns, etc.) at the time of a jackpot lottery, reach action, Alternatively, various demonstrations and the like are expressed in animation (moving images). Some slot machines also display a moving image such as a demonstration on a liquid crystal display provided on the front of the device.

When this liquid crystal display is mounted on a plurality of types of pachinko machines, slot machines, and the like, the brightness of the display surface (backlight of the backlight) depends on the electrical specifications different from model to model and the characteristics specific to the model. Light intensity) must be adjusted according to the installed model. Conventionally, this brightness adjustment is manually performed in an adjustment process provided on an assembly line of a gaming machine.

FIG. 6 schematically shows a conventional luminance adjustment process. The operator 200 is connected to the belt conveyor 20.
The unadjusted liquid crystal display 70A conveyed in step 2 is connected to the control box 204 or the crimp terminal type connector 20.
It is set on an adjustment jig 210 provided with six and four positioning pins 208 and the like. Then, the liquid crystal display 70A is electrically connected to the control box 204 by pressing the connector 80 to the connector 206. When the control box 204 is operated, driving power and a predetermined image signal are supplied to the liquid crystal display 70A, and Emits light. At this time, a horizontal stripe test pattern 74 as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display surface 72.

[0005] The operator 200 operates the test pattern 74.
, The brightness is adjusted by turning the brightness adjustment volume 76 provided on the side surface of the liquid crystal display 70A by the driver 212 so that the brightness is within the standard.

In the middle of the belt conveyor 202, a stopper (partition plate) 214 for preventing the unadjusted liquid crystal display 70A from flowing out is provided. The adjusted liquid crystal display 70B is removed from the adjustment jig 210, placed on the belt conveyor 202 downstream of the stopper 214, and sent to the next step.

Further, there has been proposed a technology in which such a brightness adjustment can be performed not in the course of assembling but in a state in which a liquid crystal display is mounted on a game machine and commercialized. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-108940, an adjustment volume for adjusting the brightness of the liquid crystal display is provided near the firing handle of a pachinko machine or in the upper saucer set.
The player can use the adjustment volume to set the desired brightness so that the display on the liquid crystal display is easy to see.

[0008]

However, in the conventional brightness adjustment performed by the liquid crystal display alone at the time of assembling the gaming machine, since the operator checks the brightness visually, the adjustment accuracy resulting from eyestrain is required. It is a problem that the reliability and efficiency of the device decrease.

On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-108940, since an adjustment volume and a circuit board thereof are newly provided, an increase in the cost of the pachinko machine cannot be avoided. Therefore, in a low-priced model or the like that does not necessarily require the function, it is preferable to adjust the brightness of the liquid crystal display alone and then incorporate it into each model as in the past.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned facts, and when adjusting the brightness of a liquid crystal display mounted on a game machine, the reliability of the adjustment accuracy is ensured and the efficiency is improved without increasing the cost of the game machine. It is an object to provide a liquid crystal display adjusting device and a gaming machine including a liquid crystal display adjusted by the liquid crystal display adjusting device.

[0011]

According to the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal display which is mounted on a game machine and has variable means for displaying information relating to a moving image and a game and for changing the brightness of a display surface thereof. A liquid crystal display adjusting device for adjusting the brightness of the liquid crystal display, wherein the circuit is electrically connected to the liquid crystal display and supplies a driving power and an image signal, and the driving power and the image signal are supplied. A luminance sensor for measuring the luminance of the display surface of the driven liquid crystal display; a comparing means for comparing a predetermined standard luminance stored in a storage means with the measured luminance measured by the luminance sensor; Adjusting means for adjusting the variable means based on a comparison result by the means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the liquid crystal display is electrically connected to the circuit unit via, for example, a connector or a cable, the driving power and the image signal are supplied from the circuit unit to the liquid crystal display. The display surface of the liquid crystal display emits light and a predetermined image is displayed. The luminance of the display surface is measured by a luminance sensor.

A storage means such as a RAM stores, as an electric signal, a predetermined standard luminance set in accordance with the electric specifications of the gaming machine, etc. The predetermined standard luminance and the measured luminance measured by the luminance sensor are stored. (Electric signal) is compared by arithmetic processing or the like by comparison means such as a CPU. The adjusting means adjusts the variable means provided on the liquid crystal display based on the comparison result by the comparing means so that the luminance of the display surface (measured luminance) is within the standard.

As described above, by measuring and adjusting the luminance of the display surface of the liquid crystal display with a device having a luminance measuring function, the reliability of the adjustment accuracy is ensured. Further, since the conventional manual adjustment work is implemented as a device, the efficiency can be improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the liquid crystal display adjusting device according to the first aspect, the liquid crystal display is conveyed by conveying means and can be arranged at a luminance measuring position by the luminance sensor. A detecting means is provided for detecting that the liquid crystal display conveyed by the means is at the luminance measurement position, and for stopping the conveying means based on the detection result.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the liquid crystal display is conveyed by a conveying means such as a belt conveyor in an assembly line, and can be arranged at a luminance measuring position by a luminance sensor. Here, for example, when detecting that the liquid crystal display conveyed by the conveyance unit is at the luminance measurement position by a detection unit such as an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, or a limit switch, the conveyance unit based on the detection information. Stop. Therefore, the liquid crystal display is automatically arranged at the luminance measurement position, and the above-described luminance adjustment is performed at that position.

Thus, it is possible to cope with automation when the liquid crystal display adjusting device is installed on an assembly line.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect,
Alternatively, a gaming machine having a liquid crystal display whose luminance has been adjusted by the liquid crystal display adjustment device according to claim 2 can be applied. In particular, a model or the like in which the main body of the gaming machine cannot have the function of adjusting the brightness of the liquid crystal display device due to product cost or the like is preferable.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine 10 having a liquid crystal display adjusted by a liquid crystal display adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the pachinko machine 10 has a frame-shaped front frame 12 having a window, and one side of the frame 12 is hinged to an outer frame 14 so as to be openable and closable. A metal frame 16 is provided in the window, and the metal frame 16
0 is pivotally mounted so that it can be opened and closed. Further, the outer frame 14 and the glass frame 20 are arranged on the other side of the front frame 12 and are locked by a locking device (cylinder) 22.

Below the glass frame 20, an upper tray set 28 composed of an upper plate 24, a box plate 26, and the like is pivotally mounted on one side of the front frame 12 so as to be openable and closable.
A lower tray set 32 provided with a lower tray 30 and an ashtray 31 is disposed in a lower portion of the tray.

The window of the front frame 12 is closed so as to cover the window.
A game board 34 is provided, which can be exchanged by being mounted on a game board mounting table. On the surface (panel surface) of the game board 34, a game section 38 surrounded by guide rails 36 is formed. In the game section 38, a special symbol display device 40 incorporating a liquid crystal display 70 or a variable winning device. (Grand prize opening) 42, various starting materials, a starting opening 44, various prize-winning tools 46, a windmill 48, a decorative windmill 49, a side lamp 50, and the like are provided, and an out opening 52 is provided at the lowest position. . Further, a prize ball indicator light 54 is provided on the upper left side outside the guide rail 36,
A completion indicator 56 is provided in the upper right part, and an external indicator 58 is provided in the upper edge of the front frame 12.

An operation grip 60 for adjusting the flight distance of a ball hitting the game section 38 by a hitting ball launching device (not shown) is provided on the right front portion of the lower tray set 32.

In the pachinko machine 10, on the liquid crystal display 70 of the special symbol display device 40, for example, information on a game such as variable display of symbols at the time of a jackpot lottery, a reach action, a demonstration and the like are displayed in a moving image.

Hereinafter, a liquid crystal display adjusting device for adjusting the brightness of the liquid crystal display 70 will be described.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration in which a liquid crystal display adjusting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is arranged in a luminance adjusting step of a pachinko machine assembly line 102. FIG. 3 shows a block configuration of the liquid crystal display adjustment device 100.

The assembly line 102 has a belt conveyor 104 laid on the floor, and the liquid crystal display 70 is conveyed by the belt conveyor 104 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. In the following, the transport direction of the liquid crystal display 70 is X
The description will be made with the axial direction as the direction perpendicular to the transport direction as the Y-axis direction.

On the upper surface of the belt conveyor 104, a base plate 106 for adjusting the liquid crystal display 70 to a predetermined position with respect to the liquid crystal display adjustment device 100 is mounted. Four positioning pins 108A and 108B are erected near the four corners of the upper surface of the base plate 106 (only the positioning pins on the near side in FIG. 2 are shown in FIG. 2). The two positioning pins 108A provided on the front side are made of metal, and the two positioning pins 108A provided on the rear side are
The positioning pins 108B are made of resin.

The liquid crystal display 70 has the display surface 72 as the upper surface side, and the round holes of four mounting plates 78 protruding near the corners of the outer surface are inserted into the respective positioning pins 108A and 108B, and It is set detachably on the plate 106.

In the liquid crystal display adjusting apparatus 100, a main control unit 110 (see FIG. 3) for controlling each block is provided in a frame (not shown) constituting a main body of the apparatus. A pair of position detection sensors 112 located above and arranged at predetermined intervals along the Y-axis direction are attached.

The position detecting sensor 112 is a reflection type optical sensor with the light emitting / receiving section 114 directed downward, and transmits / receives visible light (irradiated light and its (Reflected light).

A luminance sensor 116 is arranged at a predetermined height downstream of the position detection sensor 112 in the X direction.
8 is attached to the frame with the downward direction. The relative positional relationship between the luminance sensor 116 and the position detection sensor 112 is determined by the light-receiving unit 118 when the position detection sensor 112 detects the positioning pin 108A and the liquid crystal display 70 stops at the illustrated position (luminance measurement position). It is aligned to be located at the center of the display surface 72.

Further, Y with respect to the belt conveyor 104
A connector drive plunger 120 is arranged on the inner side in the figure in the axial direction, and an adjustment driver drive unit 122 is arranged on the near side in the figure.

In the connector drive plunger 120, the drive shaft 124 is located on the side of the belt conveyor 104 and its axis is Y.
They are arranged in a direction along the axial direction. A crimp terminal type connector 126 is fixed to the tip of the drive shaft 124. The connector 126 includes a power supply circuit for supplying driving power to the liquid crystal display 70 and an image signal processing circuit for supplying image signals. Connected to the liquid crystal display drive circuit unit 128 via a cable (not shown) (see FIG. 3).

When the connector driving plunger 120 is driven in the projecting direction (the direction of arrow A in the figure) when the liquid crystal display 70 is at the position shown in the figure, a plurality of terminals 129 provided on the front surface of the connector 126 are turned on. The connector 80 is electrically connected to the corresponding terminal of the connector 80 provided on one side surface of the connector 70 by crimping. When the connector driving plunger 120 is driven in the suction direction (the direction of arrow B in the figure) from this state, the connector 126 is separated from the connector 80 and the connection is released.

The adjustment driver drive unit 122 includes an adjustment driver 130 for turning the brightness adjustment volume 76 provided on the other side of the liquid crystal display 70, a driver drive plunger 132 for operating the adjustment driver 130 in the Y-axis direction, and an adjustment driver. A stepping motor 134 drives the driver 130 to rotate.

The adjustment driver 130 has an axis arranged in a direction along the Y-axis direction, and directs a driver 136 provided on the tip end side to the belt conveyor 104 side. The base of the driver 136 is coaxial with the driver 136,
Further, a cylindrical connecting portion 138 having a large diameter is provided, and a cylindrical driving gear 140 having an outer peripheral surface as a gear portion is fitted into a rear end portion of the connecting portion 138. I have.

The drive gear 140 is meshed with a pinion gear 144 attached to the tip of a rotation shaft 142 of a stepping motor 134, and an adjustment driver 130 (driver 136) is driven by the rotation of the stepping motor 134 in the forward and reverse directions. It is designed to rotate. Further, the drive gear 140 including the connecting portion 138 has such a length that the gear portion can mesh with the pinion gear 144 even when the adjustment driver 130 is in the adjustment position indicated by the two-dot chain line in the drawing.

The driver drive plunger 132 is arranged in parallel with the adjustment driver 130 with the drive shaft 146 facing the belt conveyor 104, and an arm 148 is fixed to the tip of the drive shaft 146. Arm 148
Extends in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the drive shaft 146, and an annular portion 150 provided at the distal end portion is inserted into the connecting portion 138 to rotatably hold the adjustment driver 130.

Although the illustration of the contact portion between the connecting portion 138 and the annular portion 150 is omitted, for example, the connecting portion 13
8 is provided with a convex portion along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface, and the annular portion 150 is provided.
The annular portion 150 does not fall out of the connecting portion 138 by providing a concave portion into which the convex portion can be fitted on the inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion 138.

Therefore, the driver-driven plunger 1
When the driver 32 is driven in the protruding direction (the direction of arrow C in the figure), the adjustment driver 130 held by the arm 148 moves forward, and the tip of the driver 136 is fitted to the brightness adjustment volume 76 of the liquid crystal display 70. When driven in the suction direction (the direction of arrow D in the drawing), the adjustment driver 130 retreats to the original position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, two position detecting sensors 112, a luminance sensor 116, a connector driving plunger 120, a liquid crystal display driving circuit 128, a driver driving plunger 132 of an adjustment driver driving unit 122, and a stepping motor. 134 is a CPU, RO
M, and is connected to a main control unit 110 including an interface circuit and the like. Further, to the main control unit 110, a RAM 152 in which the standard luminance of the liquid crystal display 70 is stored and a belt conveyor driving motor 154 for driving the belt conveyor 104 are connected.

Next, the operation of the liquid crystal display adjusting device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The liquid crystal display 70 before adjustment set on the base plate 106 is conveyed to the liquid crystal display adjustment device 100 by the belt conveyor 104 (S 1), and the position detection sensor 112.
When the positioning pin 108A of the base plate 106 is detected (S2), the main control unit 1 is sent from the position detection sensor 112.
10, the main control unit 110 stops the belt conveyor drive motor 154. As a result, the belt conveyor 104 stops, and the liquid crystal display 70 is arranged at the luminance measurement position in FIG. 2 (S3).

Next, the connector drive plunger 120 is actuated in the protruding direction by a drive signal from the main control unit 110, and the connector 126 is connected to the connector 80 of the liquid crystal display 70 as shown in FIG. When the connector connection is completed, the driving power and the image signal are supplied to the liquid crystal display 70 at a predetermined timing from the liquid crystal display driving circuit 128 controlled by the main controller 110 (S4).

As a result, the display surface 72 of the liquid crystal display 70 emits light to display the test pattern 74, and the luminance sensor 116 controlled by the main control unit 110 operates to measure the luminance of the display surface 72 (S5). ). The measured luminance (electric signal) is transmitted from the luminance sensor 116 to the main control unit 1.
The main control unit 110 reads the standard luminance stored in the RAM 152 and compares it with the measured luminance to determine whether the luminance is within the standard.

If the measured luminance is out of the standard in this comparison judgment,
The driver drive plunger 132 is operated in the protruding direction by a drive signal from the main control unit 110, and the tip of the driver 136 is fitted into the brightness adjustment volume 76. Then, the stepping motor 134 is driven by the main control unit 110, and rotates the rotation shaft 142 by the same rotation angle in the rotation direction determined based on the comparison result to adjust the brightness of the liquid crystal display 70 ( S7).

When the brightness adjustment is completed, the brightness sensor 116
Then, the operation of the liquid crystal display drive circuit unit 128 is stopped, and the connector drive plunger 120 and the driver drive plunger 132 are driven in the suction direction. Then, the belt conveyor drive motor 156 is rotationally driven by a drive signal from the main control unit 110, and the belt conveyor 104 is driven in the direction of the arrow to convey the liquid crystal display 70 to the next step (S
8).

When the measured luminance is within the standard, the adjustment driver driving unit 122 is not driven and the luminance sensor 1
16 and the liquid crystal display drive circuit unit 154 are stopped, and the connector drive plunger 120 is driven in the suction direction. The liquid crystal display 70 is conveyed to the next step by the belt conveyor 104.

The above-described liquid crystal display adjusting device 100
Is performed based on the brightness adjustment program stored in the ROM of the main control unit 110.

As described above, in the liquid crystal display adjusting apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the luminance of the display surface 72 of the liquid crystal display 70 is measured by the luminance sensor 116, and when the measured luminance is out of the standard, Since the adjustment driver drive unit 122 is operated to automatically adjust the luminance to be within the standard, the reliability of the adjustment accuracy is secured. In addition, the efficiency of the operation is improved by adopting a device for the adjustment work.

Further, in this embodiment, the position of the liquid crystal display 70 is detected by the position detection sensor 112, and based on the detection result, the belt conveyor 104 is stopped and the liquid crystal display
By arranging 0 at the luminance measurement position, it is not necessary for an operator to set the liquid crystal display device to the apparatus, and therefore, it is possible to cope with automation in which the liquid crystal display adjustment apparatus 100 is installed on the assembly line 102.

Further, in the pachinko machine 10 having the liquid crystal display 70 whose brightness is adjusted by the liquid crystal display adjusting device 100, the cost can be increased without adding the brightness adjusting function of the liquid crystal display to the main body of the device. A liquid crystal display device with more stable quality (adjustment accuracy) can be mounted.

Incidentally, the liquid crystal display adjusting device 1 of the present embodiment.
In the example of 00, the brightness adjustment of a specific model has been described as an example, but it is also possible to cope with the adjustment of a plurality of models. In that case,
The main control unit is configured by storing a plurality of types of standard luminances set for each model in a database and storing them in the RAM 152, and by manual operation, or by providing identification information such as a barcode on a liquid crystal display and automatically discriminating with a barcode reader. 110
Can be configured to select a predetermined standard luminance.

In order to suppress the influence of extraneous light at the time of measuring the luminance, the periphery of the space between the luminance sensor and the liquid crystal display arranged at the luminance measuring position is covered with a panel, a frame of a liquid crystal display adjusting device, or the like. You may do so.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the pachinko machine, but can be applied to the brightness adjustment of a liquid crystal display mounted on another game machine such as a slot machine.

[0058]

Since the liquid crystal display adjusting device of the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is possible to adjust the luminance of the liquid crystal display mounted on the game machine without increasing the cost of the game machine and to improve the reliability of the adjustment accuracy. And the efficiency is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a pachinko machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal display adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a liquid crystal display adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the liquid crystal display adjusting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where a liquid crystal display set at a luminance measurement position of the liquid crystal display adjustment device is driven.

FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing a luminance adjustment step in a conventional pachinko machine assembly line.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing how a conventional adjustment jig adjusts the brightness of a liquid crystal display.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 pachinko machine (game machine) 70 liquid crystal display 72 display surface (display surface) 76 brightness adjustment volume (variable means) 100 liquid crystal display adjustment device 104 belt conveyor (transportation means) 110 main control section (comparison means) 112 position detection Sensor (detection unit) 116 Luminance sensor 122 Adjustment driver drive unit (adjustment unit) 128 Liquid crystal display drive circuit unit (circuit unit) 152 RAM (storage unit)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G09G 3/20 642 G09G 3/20 670Q 5C080 670 3/36 3/36 G02F 1/1335 530 F term (reference) 2C088 DA03 DA21 EB55 2H088 FA11 FA17 HA06 HA28 MA20 2H091 FA41Z GA11 LA30 2H093 NC42 NC50 NC54 ND07 ND56 5C006 AF52 AF53 AF63 BF38 EA01 EB01 5C080 DD15 DD28 EE28 JJ02 JJ06 JJ07 KK50

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal display mounted on a game machine, comprising a variable means for displaying moving picture and game information and changing the luminance of a display surface thereof, wherein the liquid crystal display adjusts the luminance of the liquid crystal display. A circuit unit electrically connected to the liquid crystal display and supplying a driving power and an image signal, and a luminance of the display surface of the liquid crystal display driven by the driving power and the image signal being supplied. A luminance sensor to be measured; a comparing means for comparing a predetermined standard luminance stored in a storage means with the measured luminance measured by the luminance sensor; and adjusting the variable means based on a comparison result by the comparing means. A liquid crystal display adjusting device, comprising: adjusting means. 2. The liquid crystal display is conveyed by conveying means and can be arranged at a luminance measuring position by the luminance sensor, and detects that the liquid crystal display conveyed by the conveying means is at the luminance measuring position. 2. The liquid crystal display adjusting device according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting unit for stopping the transporting unit based on the detection result. 3. A gaming machine comprising a liquid crystal display whose luminance has been adjusted by the liquid crystal display adjustment device according to claim 1.