JP2002159626A - Reel stopping method for slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate such problems that there is an occasion wherein the stopping location of a reel shifts by one step of a stepping motor due to a change of an applied voltage at the time of braking, and the central location of a pattern which is drawn on the reel slightly shifts from a specified stopping location, e.g. a winning line at the center. SOLUTION: The reel (47) is attached to the rotating shaft of the multi-phase multi-electrode type stepping motor (43), and on the periphery of which, a plurality of patterns are drawn. When such a reel (47) is stopped, total phase energizing braking wherein a braking pulse is applied to the total phases of the stepping motor (43) is performed. Then, braking which is different from the total phase energizing braking is performed. The braking which is different from the total phase energizing braking first shuts off the braking pulse being applied to the opposite phase from one phase corresponding with the stopping location of the reel (47). Then, all the braking pulses are shut off.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slot machine, and more particularly, to control for stopping a rotating reel in a slot machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, many slot machines are used in which a plurality of reels are rotated by a start lever, each reel is sequentially stopped by operating a stop button, and medals or the like are paid out according to the arrangement of symbols on the stopped reels. In many cases, the slot machine 10 is provided with an operation plate 11 substantially at the center of the front as shown in FIG.
15, a first stop button 21, a second stop button 22, a third stop button 23, and a medal slot 12 are provided.

[0003] Above the operation plate 11, a front plate 31 is attached.
A window 32 that can be seen one by one is provided. Further, below the operation plate 11 of the slot machine 10, a medal payout port 17 and a medal receiver 18 are provided. In addition, the front plate 31 is provided with a winning line 33, an effective lamp 34 for displaying an effective line in the winning line 33, a credit number display 36 for displaying the number of credit medals, and a bonus game. An effect display lamp 38 and the like for displaying a state are provided.

[0004] Inside the front plate 31, a reel cassette in which three rotating drum units 40 are integrated is incorporated in the slot machine 10, and three reels 47 corresponding to the number of stop buttons are provided. I have. On the reel 47, 21 symbols are drawn around the reel 47, and the game proceeds by a combination of symbols stopped on the pay line 33 which is an effective line.

[0005] Each of the reels 47 is mounted on a rotating shaft of a stepping motor 43 fixed to the mounting plate 41 to form a rotating drum unit 40. This torso unit 40
As shown in FIG. 5, a reel 47 is attached to a rotating shaft of a stepping motor 43 fixed to a mounting plate 41 using a nut or the like, and the reel 47 has an origin projection 49 as shown in FIG. Reel with origin position sensor 45 mounted on mounting plate 41
The reel 47 is rotated by the stepping motor 43 while detecting the origin position of 47.

[0006] In recent years, not only a reel cassette having three rotating drum units 40 is provided inside the front plate 31 but also a fourth reel 47 is provided as an auxiliary reel. The fourth reel also has, as the rotating drum unit 40, a reel with a design drawn on the rotation axis of the stepping motor 43, and controls the rotation and stop by the central control device, like the other reels 47. However, the corresponding stop button is not provided, and the rotation is controlled by the central control device of the slot machine 10 to perform the effect.

When a four-phase multi-pole motor is used as the stepping motor 43 for rotating these reels 47, as shown in FIG. 7, the stepping motor 43 is driven in about 200 to 400 steps by 1-2 phase excitation.
Is rotated once at a constant speed of about 80 rotations per minute while the origin position sensor 45 detects the origin position of the reel 47.

At the start of rotation of the reel 47, the pulse width is increased to start the stepping motor 43, the pulse interval is shortened to accelerate the rotation, and a constant speed rotation is reached in about 0.4 seconds. And the origin position is detected by the origin position sensor 45.
The rotation of each reel 47 is controlled while detecting the symbol position of 47 by the central control device.

When performing control to stop the reel 47 by operating the stop button, as shown in FIG. 7, an exciting current is supplied to all four phases of the stepping motor 43 to be stopped, and braking by all-phase excitation is performed. An all-phase excitation braking section X to be performed is provided, and braking of the reel 47 is stopped (for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-32145). In this all-phase excitation braking, the reel 47 can be reliably stopped in a few tens of milliseconds, and although slightly different depending on the turning unit 40, it is usually about a half symbol of the symbol drawn on the reel 47, that is, stepping. The motor 43 can be stopped in several steps to about ten steps.

The braking pulse applied to all phases for braking generally has a pulse width of about 200 to 300 milliseconds.

[0011]

In a stepping motor for driving a reel in a slot machine, the reel is stopped in a very short time at a rotation angle of about several steps of the stepping motor by performing all-phase excitation braking. However, due to a change in the applied voltage at the time of braking, the number of steps until the reel stops may not always be constant, and the reel may be shifted from the target stop position by one step of the stepping motor. May stop slightly off a predetermined stop position, for example, a center pay line.

Further, after the rotation of the reel is stopped by the all-phase excitation braking, when the exciting current for braking applied to the stepping motor is cut off, the stepping motor rotates about half a step, and the reel temporarily stops. However, immediately after stopping, it could shake slightly and give a feeling of strangeness. The present invention eliminates such disadvantages, controls the stepping motor so that the stop position of the reel is always set to the target stop position, and when the excitation current for braking is interrupted, the reel is slightly moved. The stop control of the reel can be performed so that it does not give a feeling of strangeness due to swinging.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a slot machine which is mounted on a rotating shaft of a multi-phase multi-pole type stepping motor (43) and stops a reel (47) around which a plurality of symbols are drawn. 10) A first step by all-phase excitation braking for applying a braking pulse to all phases of the stepping motor (43) when the reel is stopped, and a second step of applying a braking pulse different from the all-phase excitation braking. It is characterized by including. In particular, after performing all-phase excitation braking in which a braking pulse is applied to all phases of the stepping motor (43), the braking pulse applied to the opposite phase of one phase corresponding to the stop position of the reel (47) is first cut off. Then, it is preferable to perform braking stop control for interrupting all the braking pulses.

As described above, the rotation of the reel (47) is stopped by the all-phase excitation braking, and when the rotation of the reel (47) is stopped, the braking pulse applied to the opposite phase of one phase corresponding to the stop position is cut off. A predetermined magnetic flux is generated in the field of the stepping motor (43) by one phase corresponding to the stop position,
Since each of the other phases cancels the magnetic flux to apply braking to the rotor, the stop position of the stepping motor (43), that is, the stop position of the reel (47) can always be a predetermined position that matches the setting.

A four-phase multi-pole stepping motor (4
In (3), when the four-phase excitation is performed as the all-phase excitation braking by the braking pulse, and the braking pulse applied to the opposite phase of one phase corresponding to the stop position is cut off to perform the three-phase excitation braking, the reel (47) The excitation is performed only in three phases, one phase in which the rotor is sucked to the position where the rotor is stopped, and two phases which are shifted from the one phase by 90 degrees.

Also, a multi-phase multi-pole type stepping motor (4
When stopping the reel (47) to be rotated in 3), a braking pulse is applied to all other phases except for one phase opposite to the stop position of the reel (47) without performing all-phase excitation. The reel (47) may be stopped by applying the voltage. In the braking of the four-phase stepping motor (43), the rotor is sucked to a position corresponding to the stop position of the reel (47) without performing all-phase excitation. In some cases, only three-phase excitation of one phase and two phases shifted by 90 degrees with respect to the one phase is performed.

Also in this case, the rotor is drawn into the position where the reel (47) is to be stopped by the one-phase excitation that attracts the rotor, and the other two phases, ie, four phases, which are in opposite phases, respectively. In the phase stepping motor (43), the rotor is sucked to the position to be the stop position from the phase at which the rotor is sucked.
Braking is performed by excitation of two phases that are out of phase with each other, and the rotation of the stepping motor (43) can be stopped by retracting the rotor to a predetermined stop position.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention are directed to each reel.
This is control of each reel driving motor in the slot machine 10 provided with the spinning drum unit 40 for rotating each of the 47 by one stepping motor 43, and particularly, control of each stepping motor 43 when stopping the rotation of the reel 47. Is the way.

As the reel driving motor, a four-phase multi-pole stepping motor 43 is used. As shown in FIG. 1, three reel units 40 each including a stepping motor 43 and an origin position sensor 45 are connected. The terminals of the reel cassette substrate are in contact with the terminals of the control substrate of the slot machine 10, respectively, and are controlled by a microcomputer using the reel 47 of each turn unit 40 as a central control device.

On the reel cassette board, two input / output terminals + Vs and -Vs, which are connected to the power supply terminal of each origin position sensor 45, and each origin position sensor 45
Signal output terminals S respectively connected to the signal output terminals
1, 12, S3, and S3, and 12 input terminals connected to four-phase terminals of each stepping motor 43, respectively.
The common terminal of each stepping motor 43 is the origin position sensor
One of the 45 power terminals is connected to the input / output terminal -Vs.

In controlling the driving of the stepping motors 43 of the respective torso units 40, when a medal is inserted and the start lever 15 is operated, the microcomputer as the central control unit drives the three stepping motors 43. Control for inputting a pulse is performed to simultaneously start rotation of the three stepping motors 43. When the rotation of each stepping motor 43 is started, control is performed so that each stepping motor 43 is sequentially accelerated to rotate at a constant speed in about 0.4 seconds. Each reel 47 starts rotating, and the origin projection 49 passes through the origin position sensor 45, and the origin position sensor 45
When 45 detects the origin position, the central controller detects the rotational position of each reel 47 based on the number of drive pulses applied to each stepping motor 43.

When any one of the first to third stop buttons 21 to 23 is operated, the central control unit sets the reel in accordance with the rotation position of the reel 47 corresponding to the stop button. When the rotation of the reel 47 is located at a rotation position several steps before the stop position by setting the stop position of 47, as shown in FIG. 2, all-phase excitation braking in which the excitation current as a braking pulse is applied to all four phases. , An all-phase excitation braking section X is provided.

In the all-phase excitation braking section X, all-phase excitation braking is performed with a pulse width of several tens of milliseconds to about 50 milliseconds. Thereafter, one phase (for example, A phase) adjusted to the stop position of the reel 47 and one phase (for example, B phase and reverse B phase) having a 90-degree phase different from this one phase (for example, B phase and reverse B phase) are left. Inverse A phase)
Is provided, a three-phase excitation braking section Y is provided in which the excitation current is cut off to perform braking by three-phase excitation.

As described above, the braking is performed by supplying the exciting current to the two opposite phases (for example, the B phase and the reverse B phase), and the rotor is attracted to the position where the stepping motor 43 is stopped. By providing the three-phase excitation braking section Y by the three-phase excitation braking (for example, the A-phase), the rotor stop position of the stepping motor 43, that is, the reel 47 stop position can be reliably set to a predetermined position. .

Also, braking is performed while canceling magnetic flux by two-phase excitations having opposite phases, and the rotor poles are attracted and stopped by one-phase excitation that determines the stop position, so that three-phase excitation braking is completed. However, when the exciting current to all the phases is cut off, the rotor rotates about half a step and the reel 47 can be prevented from slightly shaking. In addition to performing the control for stopping the stepping motor 43 by the step of providing the four-phase excitation braking section X and the step of providing the three-phase excitation braking section Y, the central control device controls the stopping of the stepping motor 43 by 4 The phase excitation braking section X is omitted, and when the stop button is operated, the stop position of the reel 47 is determined according to the rotation position of the reel 47 corresponding to the stop button, and the rotor is suctioned to the stop position. In some cases, only three-phase excitation braking of two phases having a phase difference of 90 degrees with respect to this one phase is performed several steps before the stop position.

When the fourth reel having no corresponding stop button is stopped, the four-phase excitation braking for applying the braking pulse to all the phases several steps before the stop position determined by the central controller is performed. When the excitation braking section X is provided and the three-phase excitation braking section Y for performing three-phase excitation braking when the reel is stopped is provided, or the reel is stopped by providing only the three-phase excitation braking section Y without performing all-phase excitation braking. You can also.

When the braking is performed in a step different from the all-phase excitation braking after the all-phase excitation braking is performed, the two-phase excitation or the one-phase excitation may be performed without being limited to the three-phase excitation. Further, in the above embodiment, the rotation of the reel 47 is stopped by controlling the stepping motor 43 of the four-phase multi-pole type, but the stepping motor 43 of the multi-phase multi-pole type such as the six-phase multi-pole type is used. Also in the rotating body unit 40 using the above, when the rotation of the reel 47 is stopped, the exciting current as a braking pulse is applied to all the phases except the braking by the excitation to all the phases and the opposite phase of the phase corresponding to the stop position. Similarly, the reel 47 is stopped, and without performing all-phase excitation braking, the reel 47 is stopped by exciting all phases except the opposite phase of the phase corresponding to the stop position, and the stop position of the target symbol is always set. Can be precisely controlled.

(Experimental example) Of the reel cassette, the reel 47
The turning unit A having a large rotating moment of the reel 47 and the reel 47
The rotation unit B having a small rotational moment was taken out, and a braking stop test was performed 50 times each with the input voltage from the AC commercial power supply to the slot machine 10 being 100 V and 110 V.

As a result, as shown in the table of FIG. 3, when the braking is stopped by four-phase excitation for 250 milliseconds as the all-phase excitation braking by the conventional braking pulse, when the voltage is 100 V , The reel stops at a position where 37 out of 50 times are one step ahead of a predetermined stop position, and even when the voltage is 110 V, nine times out of 50 times at a position one step ahead of the predetermined stop position. Stopped.

Similarly, when the power supply voltage is 100 V, 16 times out of 50 times are one step ahead of the predetermined stop position in the turning unit B in which only all-phase excitation braking for 250 ms is performed. Stopped at On the other hand, a pulse having a width of 250 milliseconds is applied as a braking pulse to one phase at the stop position of the reel and three phases obtained by adding two phases whose phases differ by 90 degrees from the one phase in the same two rotating drum units. When only the three-phase excitation braking is performed, both when the power supply voltage is 100V and when the power supply voltage is 110V,
In all 50 times, both the case unit A and the case unit B could be stopped at the target stop position. From this, it can be understood that the stop by the three-phase excitation is superior in the stop position selectivity as compared with the stop by the all-phase excitation. Further, it can be seen that it is strong against variations in the moment of the rotating drum unit and changes in the supply voltage.

However, a phenomenon was observed in which the reel 47 stopped while shaking when stopping. Therefore, by applying a pulse having a width of 50 milliseconds to all phases and a pulse having a width of 200 milliseconds added to the three phases as a braking pulse, the three-phase excitation is performed after performing all-phase excitation braking for 50 milliseconds. Braking was performed for 200 milliseconds. Also in this case, the power supply voltage is 10
In both cases of 0V and 110V,
The torso unit A and the torso unit B could be stopped at the target stop positions.

That is, even when the three-phase excitation braking is performed after the all-phase excitation braking is performed, it is stable against variation in the moment and a change in the supply voltage as in the case of performing the braking only with the three-phase excitation. are doing. Furthermore, unlike when braking was performed only with three-phase excitation, no reel tremor was observed during stopping. The same experiment was performed for two-phase excitation and one-phase excitation braking. In the case of only two-phase excitation and only one-phase excitation, the motor sometimes stopped when it progressed two or more steps, and the stopping behavior was unstable.

However, when braking by two-phase excitation or one-phase excitation was performed after all-phase excitation braking, the stop position could be stabilized as in the case of three-phase excitation braking. However, in this case, it was necessary to strictly adjust the time of the all-phase excitation braking section X. Summarizing the above, it is possible to reliably stop at the target stop position by only the three-phase excitation braking and the braking in which one-phase, two-phase, or three-phase excitation is performed after all-phase excitation braking.

Further, when only three-phase excitation braking is performed, or when three-phase excitation braking is performed after all-phase excitation braking is performed,
High tolerance for variations in reel moment, changes in supply voltage, and braking time. In the case of braking in which three-phase excitation is performed after all-phase excitation, the stopping behavior of the reel is also stable.

[0035]

According to the present invention, when the reel is stopped,
The reel that determines the suction position of the rotor in the stepping motor by the braking pulse to the phase corresponding to the stop position without applying the braking pulse to the opposite phase of the phase corresponding to the stop position of the reel, and then cuts off all the braking pulses. Therefore, the reel pattern can always be stopped accurately at the target stop position.

Furthermore, since the position of the rotor in the stepping motor is determined by the braking pulse to the phase corresponding to the stop position and the braking pulse is cut off, it is possible to prevent the reel from swinging when the braking pulse is cut off.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a stepping motor in a reel cassette.

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing a state of an exciting current in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a table showing a comparison of stop states according to braking conditions.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the front appearance of the slot machine.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a turning unit in the slot machine.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a reel of the slot machine.

FIG. 7 is a time chart of an exciting current showing a conventional reel stop control.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 10 slot machine 11 operation plate 12 medal slot 13 credit medal button 15 start lever 17 medal payout port 18 medal receiving 21, 22, 23 stop button 31 front plate 32 window 33 winning line 34 effective lamp 36 number of credits display 38 effect display Lamp 40 turn body unit 41 Mounting plate 43 Stepping motor 45 Origin position sensor 47 Reel 49 Origin protrusion

Claims (5)

[Claims] An all-phase excitation brake for applying a braking pulse to all phases of a stepping motor when stopping a reel mounted on a rotating shaft of a multi-phase multi-pole type stepping motor and having a plurality of symbols arranged around the stepping motor. And a second step of applying a braking pulse different from all-phase excitation braking. 2. An all-phase excitation brake which applies a braking pulse to all phases of a stepping motor when stopping a reel attached to a rotating shaft of a multi-phase multi-pole type stepping motor and having a plurality of symbols arranged around the stepping motor. And after that, a braking pulse applied to the opposite phase of the one phase corresponding to the stop position of the reel is interrupted first, and further, a braking stop control for interrupting all the braking pulses is performed. A method for stopping a reel in the slot machine described in Item 1. 3. In a four-phase multi-pole stepping motor,
As the all-phase excitation braking, a step of performing four-phase excitation is performed. In the second step of performing three-phase excitation braking by interrupting the braking pulse applied to the opposite phase of one phase corresponding to the stop position, 3. The reel stop control is completed by performing excitation by three phases of one phase serving as a stop position and two phases shifted by 90 degrees from the one phase. The reel stopping method in the described slot machine. 4. When stopping a reel attached to a rotating shaft of a multi-phase multi-pole type stepping motor and having a plurality of symbols arranged around the stepping motor, except for one phase opposite phase corresponding to the reel stop position, A method for stopping a reel in a slot machine, wherein a braking pulse is applied to all other phases. 5. When braking a four-phase multi-pole type stepping motor, excitation is performed only in three phases: one phase that is a reel stop position, and two phases that are 90 degrees out of phase with respect to this one phase. The method for stopping a reel in a slot machine according to claim 4, wherein the reel is stopped.