JP2003033553A - Record medium processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To further improve the convenience of game guests and to drastically improve the working efficiency of a game machine. SOLUTION: When the sum of money that is received by a reception operation is larger than that of thrown money, a main control section 312 of a card processing unit 30 issues a general card that is equivalent to the money for the balance and can be converted into money.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention, like a card processing unit installed between gaming machines, inserts a recording medium and then, when the ejecting operation is performed, the value specified by the recording medium is high. A recording medium that throws out a game medium to a gaming machine based on a value and, on the other hand, when a deposit operation is performed after the recording medium is inserted, a process for adding and updating a valuable value according to the amount of the deposit is performed. The present invention relates to a processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, when playing a game at a gaming machine equipped with a pachinko machine, a pachi-slot machine, etc., a magnetic card, an IC card, or an IC coin typified by a prepaid card is once issued from a card issuing machine. A general method is to purchase a recording medium such as, and borrow a game medium such as a pachinko ball or a medal in accordance with a valuable value associated with the recording medium.

In such a game media lending system, a prepaid card is of a type that magnetically records an amount of money or a valuable value corresponding to the amount of money, and a valuable value stored by a terminal controller which is a management device of a game store is searched. There is a type in which only the identification information for magnetic recording is magnetically recorded. In the former case, if a prepaid card is inserted into a card processing unit installed between gaming machines, the value can be directly obtained by reading the prepaid card. On the other hand, in the latter case, the valuable value can be acquired from the terminal controller based on the identification information read by the card processing unit. Therefore, in either case, it is possible to rent the game medium with the valuable value given to the prepaid card as the upper limit.

With respect to the rental price of the game media, the payment is made by deducting this from the valuable value. That is, in the game medium lending system to which the prepaid card in which the valuable value is magnetically recorded is directly applied, the settlement is completed by subtracting the valuable value itself of the prepaid card. On the other hand, in a game media lending system that applies a prepaid card that magnetically records only identification information for retrieving valuable values, the subtracted information is sent from the card processing unit to the terminal controller, and the new deprecated valuable value is prepaid. The settlement is completed by being stored in the storage unit together with the card identification information.

If the value of the prepaid card becomes "0" as a result of the above-mentioned settlement processing, the game medium will not be lent out even if the prepaid card is inserted into the card processing unit thereafter. Therefore, for example, if the value of the prepaid card becomes "0" during the game, a new game medium cannot be borrowed unless the player leaves the game machine and goes to the card issuing machine to purchase the prepaid card. As a result, not only the player's willingness to play the game is significantly impaired, but also the operating rate of the game machine may be greatly affected.

For this reason, in recent years, it has been attempted to improve the convenience of game players by introducing a game medium lending system in which a card value processing unit adjacent to each game machine is provided with a value adding function. At the same time, studies are underway to improve the operating rate of gaming machines. That is, when a prepaid card is inserted in the card processing unit and additional payment is made to the card processing unit by cash or a debit card, the value of the prepaid card is added according to the amount of the additional payment. To do. According to such a game medium lending system, even if the value of a prepaid card becomes "0" during a game, a new game medium can be borrowed without leaving the game machine by making an additional deposit to the card processing unit. It will be possible. Therefore, it is possible to expect that the convenience of the game player is significantly improved, and the operating rate of the game machine is significantly improved accordingly.

[0007]

By the way, not all of the gamers who visit the game store have money that matches the amount of money to be deposited. For example, 200
Even if you want to deposit 0 yen, there are many cases where you only have high-value banknotes such as 10000 yen bills in your wallet. In such a case, the honesty of the player's psychology is that he / she hesitates that all of the 10,000 yen thrown in will become valuable value which is the lending standard of the game medium. In other words, even if you try to play only 2000 yen, there will be no breaks and 10
This is because if it is possible to borrow a game medium for 000 yen, the player will be so absorbed in the game that he / she will lose control and may play the game more than the planned amount.

After all, even if such a game player is provided with a function of adding a valuable value to the card processing unit, there is no way to leave the gaming machine in order to exchange the 10,000-yen bill. As a result, the number of opportunities for the player himself to feel convenience is reduced, and the operating rate of the gaming machine has not been improved as expected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a recording medium processing device capable of further improving the convenience of the game player and greatly improving the operating rate of the game machine. To aim.

[0010]

A recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is based on a valuable value specified by a recording medium when a ejecting operation is performed after the recording medium is inserted. In a recording medium processing device that performs a process related to addition and update of valuable value according to the amount of the deposit when a deposit operation is performed after inserting the recording medium while ejecting the game medium to the gaming machine, When the amount of money inserted is large relative to the amount of money deposited by the deposit operation, a valuable medium equivalent to the difference in amount of money and convertible into cash is issued.

A recording medium processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the invention according to the first aspect, a recording medium of the same type as the inserted recording medium is issued as the valuable medium.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a recording medium processing device throws a game medium into a gaming machine based on a valuable value specified by the recording medium when the ejecting operation is performed after the recording medium is inserted. On the other hand, when the deposit operation is performed after the recording medium is inserted, the amount of deposit by the deposit operation is changed in the recording medium processing device that performs processing related to addition and update of valuable value according to the deposit amount. In the case where the amount of coins inserted is large, the valuable value corresponding to the difference amount of money is treated as a valuable value that is different from the valuable value that is the standard for the game media to be dispensed.

Further, in the recording medium processing device according to a fourth aspect, in the invention according to the third aspect, when a predetermined operation is performed, a part or all of the valuable value corresponding to the difference is stored in the game medium. The feature is that it is treated as a valuable value that is equivalent to the valuable value that is the investment standard.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a recording medium processing device throws a game medium into a gaming machine based on a valuable value specified by the recording medium when the ejecting operation is performed after the recording medium is inserted. On the other hand, when the deposit operation is performed after the recording medium is inserted, the amount of deposit by the deposit operation is changed in the recording medium processing device that performs processing related to addition and update of valuable value according to the deposit amount. When the amount of money inserted is large, the difference is paid out.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of a recording medium processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the case where the present invention is mainly applied to a pachinko game is shown.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a game medium lending system to which a recording medium processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. In the game medium lending system illustrated here, a prepaid card, specifically, a membership card and a general card is applied as a recording medium.

The member card is a synthetic resin card (JIS2) issued by a game store to a player who is a member who has registered personal information such as an address and name, and various information is magnetically recorded and printed. is there. Specifically, the identification information of the issuing store and the member identification information such as the member code are magnetically recorded, and the information such as the issued store code and the member code is visibly recorded.

On the other hand, the general card is a paper-made magnetic card issued by the game shop to arbitrary general players each time, and various information is magnetically recorded and printed. Specifically, issuer identification information, card-specific identification code, issue amount, card type, etc. are magnetically recorded, as well as issuer name, card-specific identification information (for example, issue machine number + serial number), issue amount. And the expiration date is printed so that it can be seen. These membership cards and general cards are
Although the material, the plate thickness, and the recorded contents are different, the vertical and horizontal dimensions are the same, and the magnetic stripe for magnetically recording various information is also provided at the same position.

In addition, the membership card and general card,
Each has a valuable value, which is the standard for borrowing pachinko balls, specifically, a valuable value called "frequency". The “frequency” here is a unit for renting out pachinko balls and is set at a predetermined rate. Generally, the frequency corresponds to 100 yen, and it is set to lend only 25 pachinko balls per frequency. In the case of the first embodiment, the respective frequencies are not directly recorded on the individual prepaid cards, but the terminal controller 1 described later is used.
It is stored in 0.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the game medium lending system of the first embodiment, a plurality of pachinko machines 20 and card processing units 30 are arranged in parallel for each group called "island", and A card issuing machine 40 and a card settlement machine 50 are properly provided on the island. The pachinko machine 20 is a part in which a pachinko ball is shot in the game area 201 and a player plays a game. The card processing unit 30 is
The main function is to rent out pachinko balls with a maximum number of residuals associated with membership cards and general cards. This card processing unit 30 is prepared so as to form a pair for each of a plurality of pachinko machines 20 installed in a game store, and is installed in a form sandwiched between the pachinko machines 20. The card issuing machine 40 has a main function of issuing a general card, and adding the respective frequencies associated with the member card and the general card, and several cards are installed in the game store.
The card clearing machine 50 has a main function of refunding the frequency associated with a membership card or a general card as cash, and is installed at each amusement store.

These pachinko machines 20, card processing units 30, card issuing machines 40 and card settlement machines 50
Is under the control of a management device called a terminal controller 10 through an island controller 60 provided in each island. At least one terminal controller 10 is installed in the amusement store, and performs overall management related to renting pachinko balls (game media) in the installed amusement store, such as card management, member management, sales management, and the like. As described above, this is a part for storing and managing information regarding the remaining number of each of the membership card and the general card.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the terminal controller 10. The RAM 11 of the terminal controller 10 is a part for storing and managing various information such as the frequency management information DT. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the frequency management information DT is information stored and managed in association with the identification information of the prepaid card and the remaining frequency. The card identification information of the frequency management information DT corresponds to a member code in the case of a membership card, and corresponds to each unique identification code in the case of a general card. The frequency management information DT stored in the RAM 11 of the terminal controller 10 is read from the RAM 11 by the CPU 13 each time there is a read request through the communication interface unit 12, and when there is a subtraction update request or addition update request. It will be updated appropriately by the CPU 13. The CPU 13 is a part for implementing the above-described various processes based on the programs stored in the ROM 14. Reference numeral 15 in the figure is a display device for displaying the above-mentioned various management information, and reference numeral 16
Is an input / output device operated by the operator when setting is performed.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the external appearance of the card settlement machine 50 applied in the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the card settlement machine 50. The card settlement machine 50 will be described in detail below with reference to these drawings.

The card settlement machine 50 has a member 502, a general card insertion slot 504, a bill payout slot 505, and a coin payout slot 50 on a door 502 provided on the front surface of a housing 501.
6, a confirmation switch 507, a cancel switch 508, an operation panel 509, and a display unit 510.

The member card insertion slot 503 is an opening for receiving the member card and taking it in the member card processing unit 511, and returning the member card after the desired processing in the member card processing unit 511. The member card processing unit 511 is a unit that reads the member identification information magnetically recorded on the taken-in member card and gives the read result to the settlement control unit 512 described later. The membership card processing unit 511 is configured to return the membership card based on a control signal from a settlement control unit 512, which will be described later, after performing a desired process on the membership card.

The general card insertion slot 504 is an opening for receiving a general card and taking it into the general card processing unit 513, and returning the general card after the processing is interrupted in the general card processing unit 513. The general card processing unit 513 is a unit for reading the information magnetically recorded on the taken-in general card and giving the read result to the settlement control unit 512 described later. The general card processing unit 513 collects the general card in the general card collection box 514 based on a control signal from the settlement control unit 512 described below after performing a desired process on the general card. On the other hand, when the processing is interrupted, the general card is returned based on the control signal from the settlement control unit 512.

The banknote payout opening 505 is an opening for discharging the banknote paid out by the banknote processing unit 515 to the outside. The bill processing unit 515 is a storage unit 51 that stores bills.
It has 6 and is a part for paying out the bill of the amount of money according to the control signal from the settlement control unit 512 described later from the storage unit 516.

The coin payout outlet 506 is an opening for discharging the coins paid out by the coin processing unit 517 to the outside. The coin processing unit 517 is a hopper 51 that stores coins.
8 is a portion for paying out coins of the amount corresponding to the control signal from the settlement control unit 512 from the hopper 518.

Confirmation switch 507 and cancel switch 508
The operation panel 509 and the operation panel 509 are respectively provided as operation units, and are units that give individual detection signals to the settlement control unit 512, which will be described later, when turned ON by a player.

The display unit 510 has a settlement control unit 512, which will be described later.
This is a part for displaying information such as input guidance given from the device and is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display.

The settlement control unit 512 includes a program given in advance, a membership card processing unit 511, and a general card processing unit 5.
13, a part for controlling each part based on the information given from the confirmation switch 507, the cancel switch 508 and the operation panel 509. This settlement control unit 512
Can appropriately exchange information with the outside through the interface unit 519. In the first embodiment, the interface unit 519 is connected to the terminal controller 10 via the island controller 60.

FIG. 6 shows the settlement control section 5 of the card settlement machine 50.
12 is a flowchart showing the contents of the processing executed in 12. The operation of the card settlement machine 50 will be described below with reference to these flowcharts.

First, the settlement control unit 51 of the card settlement machine 50.
2 displays on the display unit 510 that the prepaid card is waiting to be received (step S1), and the prepaid card insertion standby state is set (step S2).

When the prepaid card is inserted in the insertion standby state, it is determined whether or not the prepaid card can be read (step S3). If unreadable, return the prepaid card (step S
4), the procedure is returned to step S1. In this case, it is preferable to display on the display unit 510 that the prepaid card cannot be read.

If the prepaid card is readable, the information recorded on the prepaid card is read, and the terminal controller 10 is queried based on the read information (step S5). (Step S6).

During this period, the terminal controller 10 which has received the inquiry from the card settlement machine 50 reads out the remaining count of the corresponding prepaid card from the count management information DT of the RAM 11 based on the card identification information, and sends it to the card settlement machine 50. Forward.

The settlement control unit 512, which has obtained the information about the prepaid card from the terminal controller 10,
Next, the settlement amount is displayed on the display unit 510 based on the remaining number of the prepaid card (step S7), and when the settlement is performed, it is necessary to turn on the confirmation switch 507. 508 O
A message indicating that N operations are required is displayed (step S8),
These confirmation switch 507 or cancel switch 508
Is waited for (step S9, step S10).
When the cancel switch 508 is turned on, the prepaid card is returned (step S11), and the procedure is returned to step S1.

On the other hand, when the confirmation switch 507 is turned on in step S9, money corresponding to the remaining number of the prepaid card received from the terminal controller 10 is paid out (step S12).

The settlement control unit 512, which has completed the settlement process,
Then, a reset request is transmitted to the terminal controller 10 (step S13). This reset request is to set the associated residual number to "0" in the case of a membership card, and to clear all information to 0 in the case of a general card. Thereafter, the settlement control unit 512 determines whether the prepaid card that has been settled is a general card (step S14), and in the case of a general card, collects it in the general card collection box 514 (step S15), and then The procedure is returned to step S1. On the other hand, if the prepaid card that has been settled is a membership card, it is returned to the player through the membership card insertion slot 503 (step S16), and then the procedure returns to step S1.

After that, the above-mentioned operation is repeatedly performed, and it becomes possible to settle the remaining number of the prepaid card to the money which is cash in response to the request of the player. In addition, the amount of money settled by the settlement machine does not necessarily have to be the total amount of the remaining number. For example, it is also possible to configure such that only a part input from the operation panel 509 is settled into money and the rest is treated as it is as the remaining frequency of the prepaid card. In this case, even a general card is returned to the player without being collected. In addition, at the time of the above-mentioned reset request, the subtraction processing for the remaining number of adjustments is performed.

Next, the card processing unit 30 and the pachinko machine 20 will be described. FIG. 7 shows the first embodiment.
Card processing unit 30 and pachinko machine 2 applied in
0 is a front view showing the external appearance of FIG. 0, and FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the card processing unit 30.

The card processing unit 30 has a vertically long appearance, and has a card lamp 30 on its front panel.
1, a cash lamp 302, a bill slot 303, a coin slot 304, a return lever 305, a plurality of selection switches 30
6, a money amount setting switch 307, a money amount display portion 308, a coin return opening 309, a card insertion opening 310, and a card issuing opening 311.

Card lamp 301 and cash lamp 30
Reference numeral 2 is for turning on the light based on a control signal from a main control unit 312, which will be described later, and for notifying the player of the prepaid card and the acceptable state of cash.

The bill insertion slot 303 is an opening for receiving bills and taking them into the BV (Bill Bali) unit 313. The BV unit part 313 is a part which identifies the denomination of the taken-in banknote, gives the identification result to the main control part 312, and guides the taken-in banknote to the banknote transport path 314 in order to carry it out to the island edge collection box. .

The coin insertion slot 304 is an opening for receiving a coin and taking it into the coin selector unit 315. The coin selector unit 315 is a part that identifies the denomination of the coins that have been taken in, gives the identification result to the main control unit 312, and guides the taken coins to the coin transport path 316 so that the coins can be taken out to the island end collection box. .

The return lever 305 is for returning the inserted money. The returned bills are returned to the player through the bill insertion slot 303 as they are, while the returned coins are returned to the player through the coin return port 309.

The plurality of selection switches 306 are button switches that display different amounts of money on their surfaces.
This is a part that gives an individual detection signal to the main controller 312 when it is turned on by a player.

The amount setting switch 307 is used by the player to set the amount of pachinko balls to be rented (rental unit) each time the lending switch 202 of the pachinko machine 20 described later is operated. Amount setting switch 307
The information set by is given to the main control unit 312 and displayed on the amount display unit 308 by a control signal from the main control unit 312.

The card insertion port 310 is an opening for receiving a membership card or a general card and loading it into the card processing section 317. The card processing unit 317 performs a process of reading the taken-in card and giving the read result to the main control unit 312, and when a control signal is given from the main control unit 312, the card processing unit 317 generally gives the game to the player through the card issuing port 311. This is the part that issues cards. In order to issue a general card to the card processing unit 317,
Cards are already loaded.

On the other hand, in the pachinko machine 20 which is a game machine,
On the upper plate 203 provided below the game area 201, the frequency display section 204, the lending switch 202, and the return switch 205.
Is provided.

When the prepaid card is taken into the card processing unit 317 of the card processing unit 30, the frequency display unit 204 is a portion for numerically displaying the remaining frequency associated with this prepaid card.

The lending switch 202 is a switch that a player turns on when borrowing a pachinko ball.

The return switch 205 is a switch for returning the prepaid card taken into the card processing unit 317 to the player when turned on.

The ON operation detection signals of the lending switch 202 and the return switch 205 are given to the main control section 312 of the card processing unit 30, respectively.

The pachinko machine 20 is provided with a ball throwing means 206 inside. Ball throwing means 206
When the main control unit 312 of the card processing unit 30 gives a hit ball throwing request, and when a control means (not shown) of the pachinko machine 20 gives a prize ball throwing request,
Each is a part for throwing a predetermined number of pachinko balls on the upper plate 203 of the pachinko machine 20.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the contents of processing executed by the main control unit 312 of the card processing unit 30. The operation of the game medium lending system will be sequentially described below according to this flowchart.

First, the main control section 312 of the card processing unit 30 has a card lamp 301 and a cash lamp 302.
Is displayed to indicate that the prepaid card and the money are waiting to be received (step S21), and the prepaid card insertion waiting state is set (step S2).
2).

In step S22, the card insertion slot 3
When a prepaid card is inserted in the main control unit 31,
2 determines whether the prepaid card can be read through the card processing unit 317 (step S23). When the various information magnetically recorded on the prepaid card cannot be normally read, the inserted prepaid card is returned to the player from the card insertion port 310 (step S24), and the procedure is returned to step S21.

On the other hand, when various information magnetically recorded on the prepaid card can be normally read, the terminal controller 10 including the read card identification information is also included.
Is inquired about the remaining number (step S25), and then the state of waiting for a reply from the terminal controller 10 is set (step S26).

During this period, the terminal controller 10 which receives the inquiry from the card processing unit 30
Frequency management information D in the RAM 11 based on the card identification information
Read the remaining frequency of the corresponding prepaid card from T,
This is transferred to the card processing unit 30.

In step S26, the main control unit 312 which has received the residual number from the terminal controller 10
The remaining frequency is displayed through the frequency display unit 204 of the pachinko machine 20 (step S27), and then the operation standby state is set (step S28, step S29, step S3).
0).

Return switch 205 in the operation standby state
When is turned on, the prepaid card is returned from the card insertion slot 310 (step S31), and the procedure is performed in step S2.
Return to 1. As a result, the card processing unit 3
0 becomes the standby state for inserting the prepaid card again.

On the other hand, when the lending switch 202 is turned on in step S30 in the operation standby state,
In order to throw out the amount of pachinko balls set by the amount setting switch 307, a hitting ball throwing request is given to the ball throwing means 206 of the pachinko machine 20 (step S32). After that, the terminal controller 1 including the card identification information
A request for subtraction update of the remaining number according to the set amount is issued to 0 (step S33), the procedure is returned to step S27, and the operation standby state is set. As a result, the pachinko machine 20
A desired number of pachinko balls are thrown into the game, so that the player can play a game on the pachinko machine 20. When there are no more game balls in the pachinko machine 20, by turning on the lending switch 202 again, a desired number of pachinko balls are thrown into the pachinko machine 20 and the game can be continued. However, each time the lending switch 202 is turned on, the remaining frequency stored and managed in the terminal controller 10 is subtracted and updated, so the frequency display unit 204 of the pachinko machine 20
The remaining number displayed in is also reduced, and when the remaining number finally becomes “0”, the pachinko ball lending by the prepaid card ends.

On the other hand, when a bill or coin is inserted in the above-mentioned step S29, the main control section 312 is inserted.
Performs the deposit process (step S34), and then returns the procedure to step S27 to enter the operation standby state.

FIG. 10 shows the details of the deposit processing executed in step S34. In this deposit process,
First, it is determined whether the inserted coin can be identified through the coin selector unit 315 or the BV unit unit 313 (step S341). If the inserted coin is not identifiable, the coin is returned to the player from the bill insertion slot 303 and / or the coin return slot 309 (step S
342), the procedure is returned.

On the other hand, if the input money is identifiable, the ones equal to or less than the deposit amount are validated from the plurality of selection switches 306 (step S343), and thereafter,
It is monitored whether or not the activated selection switch 306 is turned on (step S344). When the selection switch 306 is activated, it is preferable that the activated selection switch 306 emit light.

In step S344, the selection switch 3
When 06 is turned on, that is, when the deposit amount is selected by the player, the terminal controller 1 requests the addition of the frequency corresponding to the amount of the selection switch 306 together with the card identification information of the prepaid card read previously.
0 (step S345).

As a result, the remaining frequency associated with the prepaid card in the frequency management information DT stored in the terminal controller 10 is added and updated by the amount corresponding to the amount of money of the selection switch 306. The maximum amount of pachinko balls that can be lent out will be increased by the number of times depending on the deposit amount. Therefore, according to this game medium lending system, for example, even if the remaining number of prepaid cards becomes “0” during the game as described above, if the additional payment is made to the card processing unit 30, the pachinko machine 20 can be operated. You can borrow new pachinko balls without leaving.

After transmitting the addition request to the terminal controller 10, the main control unit 312 of the card processing unit 30 receives the amount of coins and the amount actually deposited by the ON operation of the selection switch 306. Is compared with (step S346). If the two match, the procedure is returned without performing the subsequent processing.

On the other hand, when the amount of money to be deposited is larger than the amount of money to be deposited, information on the difference amount to be changed is transmitted to the terminal controller 10 (step S347), and thereafter, the terminal controller 10 waits for issuance of permission (step S347). Step S348).

During this period, the terminal controller 10 which has received the difference information from the card processing unit 30 registers the frequency corresponding to the difference in the frequency management information DT by associating the frequency with the unique identification code, and then the card processing unit 30. Is issued to the general card together with the identification code.

In step S348, the main controller 312 that has received the issuance permission from the terminal controller 10
Gives a control signal to the card processing unit 317 to issue a general card from the card issuing slot 311 (step S34).
9) Then, the procedure is returned. In the general card issued here, the identification code given from the terminal controller 10 is magnetically recorded as card identification information,
Moreover, the frequency corresponding to the difference between the input amount and the input amount can be specified based on this identification code. Therefore,
If this is inserted into the above-mentioned card settlement machine 50 and settled, it becomes possible to receive the difference amount of money which is originally the change. Furthermore, when the remaining frequency of the prepaid card currently used becomes “0”, by directly using this general card, the pachinko balls can be borrowed immediately without leaving the pachinko machine 20. Moreover, when using a general card issued from the card processing unit 30, it is necessary to return the prepaid card currently in use, and then insert a new prepaid card having a frequency corresponding to the difference. Is. These operations can be enough for the player to stop the game over the planned amount, and the 10,000 yen bill or 50
It is also possible to eliminate the anxiety about the insertion of high-value bills such as 00 yen bills into the card processing unit 30. In other words, even when depositing 1000 yen or 2000 yen, it is possible to safely insert a 10,000-yen bill or a 5000-yen bill without having to go to exchange money.

As a result, according to the above-mentioned gaming media lending system, the player has the convenience of being able to borrow a new pachinko ball without leaving the pachinko machine 20 by additionally depositing money in the card processing unit 30. You can feel it, and along with this, the operating rate of the pachinko machine 20,
Eventually, it will also be possible to significantly increase the sales of the game stores.

Since the general card is issued from the card processing unit 30, it is possible to use the existing card settlement machine 50 to settle this, and it is necessary to install a new settlement machine separately. However, it is not always necessary to issue a general card, and any other medium may be used as long as it can be converted into the currency that is originally the change. In this case, information such as the identification code and the frequency corresponding to the difference does not necessarily have to be magnetically recorded, and a receipt such as simply a change amount of money is sufficient.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. 11 is a front view showing the outer appearance of the card processing unit 30 'and the pachinko machine 20' applied in the second embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the card processing unit 30 '. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

The card processing unit 30 'is vertically long in appearance and has a card lamp 3 on its front panel.
01, cash lamp 302, bill insertion slot 303, coin insertion slot 304, return lever 305, plural selection switches 30
6, a money amount setting switch 307, a money amount display portion 308, a coin return opening 309 and a card insertion opening 310.

Card lamp 301 and cash lamp 30
Reference numeral 2 is for turning on the light based on the control signal from the main control unit 312, and for notifying the player of the prepaid card and the acceptable state of cash.

The bill insertion slot 303 is an opening for receiving bills and taking them into the BV unit section 313. The BV unit part 313 is a part which identifies the denomination of the taken-in banknote, gives the identification result to the main control part 312, and guides the taken-in banknote to the banknote transport path 314 in order to carry it out to the island edge collection box. .

The coin slot 304 is an opening for receiving coins and taking them into the coin selector unit 315. The coin selector unit 315 is a part that identifies the denomination of the coins that have been taken in, gives the identification result to the main control unit 312, and guides the taken coins to the coin transport path 316 so that the coins can be taken out to the island end collection box. .

The return lever 305 is for returning the inserted money. The returned bills are returned to the player through the bill insertion slot 303 as they are, while the returned coins are returned to the player through the coin return port 309.

The plurality of selection switches 306 display different amounts of money on their respective surfaces, and when the ON operation is performed by the player, individual detection signals are sent to the main control section 3.
It is a part to be given to 12.

The amount setting switch 307 is used by the player to set the amount of pachinko balls to be rented out (rental unit) each time the lending switch 202 of the pachinko machine 20 'described later is operated. Amount setting switch 30
The information set by No. 7 is given to the main control unit 312 and displayed on the amount display unit 308 by a control signal from the main control unit 312.

The card insertion port 310 is an opening for receiving a membership card or a general card and loading it into the card reading section 320. The card reading unit 320 is a unit that performs a process of reading the taken-in card and giving the reading result to the main control unit 312.

On the other hand, in the pachinko machine 20 'which is a gaming machine, a frequency display section 204, a difference display section 210, a lending switch 202 and a return switch 205 are provided on an upper plate 203 provided below the gaming area 201.

The frequency display section 204 is a section for numerically displaying the remaining frequency associated with the prepaid card when the prepaid card is taken into the card reading section 320 of the card processing unit 30 '.

The difference display unit 210 is a part for displaying the difference between the input amount and the input amount as a numerical value.

The lending switch 202 is a switch that the player turns on when borrowing a pachinko ball.

The return switch 205 is a switch for returning the prepaid card taken into the card reading section 320 to the player when turned on.

The ON operation detection signals of the lending switch 202 and the return switch 205 are given to the main controller 312 of the card processing unit 30 '.

The pachinko machine 20 'is provided with a ball throwing means 206 inside. Ball throwing means 206
Is issued by the main control unit 312 of the card processing unit 30 ', and when the pachinko machine 20' is used.
When a prize ball throwing request is given from the control means (not shown), a predetermined number of pachinko balls are thrown to the upper plate 203 of the pachinko machine 20 '.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the contents of deposit processing executed by the main controller 312 of the card processing unit 30 '. This deposit process is shown in FIG.
This corresponds to the deposit process shown in 0.

That is, the main controller 312 of the card processing unit 30 'is in the operation standby state (step S2 in FIG. 9).
8. In step 8, step S29, step S30), when a bill or coin is inserted, it is first determined whether or not the inserted coin can be identified through the coin selector part 315 or the BV unit part 313 (step S1).
341). If the inserted coin is not identifiable, the coin is returned to the player from the bill insertion slot 303 and / or the coin return slot 309 (step S1342), and the procedure is returned (to step S27 in FIG. 9).

On the other hand, when the input money is identifiable, the ones equal to or less than the deposit amount are validated from the plurality of selection switches 306 (step S1343), and then the validated selection switch 306 is activated. It is monitored whether the ON operation is performed (step S1344). Note that it is the same as in the first embodiment that the activated selection switch 306 is preferably caused to emit light.

When the selection switch 306 is turned on in step S1344 and the deposit amount is selected by the player, a request to add the frequency corresponding to the amount of the selection switch 306 is added, and the card identification information of the prepaid card previously read. Along with it, it transmits to the terminal controller 10 (step S1345).

As a result, in the frequency management information DT stored in the terminal controller 10, the remaining frequency associated with the prepaid card is added and updated by the amount corresponding to the amount of money of the selection switch 306, and this prepaid card is updated. The maximum amount of pachinko balls that can be lent out will be increased by the number of times depending on the deposit amount. Therefore, according to this game medium lending system, for example, even if the remaining number of prepaid cards becomes “0” during the game as described above, if the additional payment is made to the card processing unit 30 ′, the pachinko machine 20 ′ is provided. You can borrow a new pachinko ball without leaving.

After the addition request is transmitted to the terminal controller 10, the main control unit 312 of the card processing unit 30 'receives the amount of coins and the selection switch 306 that is actually turned on. The amount of money is compared (step S1346). If they match, the procedure is returned without going through the subsequent processing (to step S27 in FIG. 9).

On the other hand, when the amount of money to be deposited is larger than the amount to be deposited, a registration request of a frequency corresponding to the difference to be changed (hereinafter referred to simply as the difference frequency) is transmitted to the terminal controller 10 (step S1347), After that, the terminal controller 10 waits for a registration completion notification from the terminal controller 10 (step S1348).

During this time, the terminal controller 1 which receives the registration request of the difference frequency from the card processing unit 30 '
For example, as shown in FIGS. 14 (a) and 14 (b), 0 is associated with the difference frequency and the card identification information of the prepaid card currently inserted in the card reading unit 320, and the frequency management information DT '. The registration completion notification is transferred to the card processing unit 30 '.

Here, the terminal controller 10
Basically, when the card processing unit 30 'inquires about the remaining number of prepaid cards, only the remaining remaining number is answered, while the card settlement machine 50 inquires of the remaining number of prepaid cards. In such a case, the respective information is managed so that the result obtained by adding the difference frequency to the existing residual frequency is answered as the residual frequency. However,
When a preset operation is executed from the card processing unit 30 'or the pachinko machine 20', for example, a conversion request switch (not shown) provided on the card processing unit 30 'or the pachinko machine 20' is turned on. In this case, even when the card processing unit 30 'inquires about the remaining balance for the prepaid card, a part or all of the difference balance is answered as the remaining balance.

The main controller 3 which has received the registration completion notice from the terminal controller 10 in step S1348.
12 displays to the player, through the difference display unit 210 of the pachinko machine 20 ', the difference frequency between the inserted amount and the deposited amount and that this has been registered (step S1349), and then returns the procedure (step S27 in FIG. 9). To)

Here, as described above, the difference frequency between the input amount and the input amount registered in the terminal controller 10 is managed separately from the remaining frequency which is the reference for throwing out pachinko balls. In response to the inquiry from the processing unit 30 ', only the remaining residual number is replied. As a result, for example, at the time when the remaining frequency of the prepaid card becomes “0”, even if the differential frequency remains, the pachinko ball cannot be borrowed as it is. Therefore, it can be a stop for the game for the player over the planned amount, and even when depositing 1000 yen or 2000 yen,
It is possible to safely insert high-value banknotes such as 10,000-yen bills and 5000-yen bills without having to go to exchange money. Moreover, when the above prepaid card is inserted into the card settlement machine 50, the currency equivalent to the addition result of the remaining count and the difference count is settled,
In other words, it becomes possible to receive the difference amount of money which is originally the change. Further, as described above, when the conversion request switch (not shown) provided on the card processing unit 30 'or the pachinko machine 20' is turned on, the card processing unit 30 'inquires about the remaining number of the prepaid card. In response to this, a part or all of the difference frequency is answered as the remaining frequency. In other words, even if the remaining number of prepaid cards currently in use becomes "0", by turning on the conversion request switch (not shown), the pachinko ball 20 'is immediately released without leaving the pachinko machine 20'. Borrowing is possible.

As a result, according to the above-mentioned game media lending system, by additionally depositing money in the card processing unit 30 ', a new pachinko ball can be borrowed without leaving the pachinko machine 20'. It is possible for the customers to feel it, and along with this, the operating rate of the pachinko machine 20 'and, consequently, the sales of the gaming shop can be greatly improved. Moreover, as in the first embodiment described above,
Since the card processing unit does not need a mechanism for issuing a general card, unlike the third embodiment described later,
Since there is no need for a mechanism for paying out change to the card processing unit, there is no need to upsize the card processing unit.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 15 is a front view showing the appearance of the card processing unit 30 ″ and the pachinko machine 20 ″ applied in the third embodiment, and FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the card processing unit 30 ″. The same components as those in the first or second embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

The card processing unit 30 "has a vertically long appearance, and has a card lamp 3 on its front panel.
01, cash lamp 302, bill insertion slot 303, coin insertion slot 304, return lever 305, plural selection switches 30
6, a money amount setting switch 307, a money amount display portion 308, a coin return opening 309 and a card insertion opening 310.

Card lamp 301 and cash lamp 30
Reference numeral 2 is for turning on the light based on the control signal from the main control unit 312, and for notifying the player of the prepaid card and the acceptable state of cash.

The bill insertion slot 303 is an opening for receiving a bill and taking it into the bill processing unit 330. The bill processing unit 330 identifies the denomination of the taken bill,
The identification result is given to the main control unit 312, and the bills taken out are led out to the bill feeding path 314 so as to be carried out to the island end collection box. Further, when the control signal is given from the main control unit 312, the bill processing unit 330 performs a process of paying out the bill of the amount instructed by the control signal from the bill insertion slot 303. The bills to be paid out at this time have been loaded in the bill processing unit 330 in advance. The payout bills may be replenished by using the bill conveyance path 314.

The coin slot 304 is an opening for receiving coins and taking them into the coin processing section 331. The coin processing unit 331 is a part that identifies the denomination of the taken-in coin, gives the identification result to the main control unit 312, and guides the taken-in coin to the coin carrying path 316 so as to carry it out to the island end collection box. . Further, when a control signal is given from the main control unit 312, the coin processing unit 331 performs a process of paying out the coin of the amount indicated by the control signal from the coin return port 309. The coins paid out at this time have been previously loaded in the coin processing unit 331. The coins to be dispensed may be replenished by using the coin transport path 316.

The return lever 305 is for returning the inserted money. The returned bills are returned to the player through the bill insertion slot 303 as they are, while the returned coins are returned to the player through the coin return port 309.

The plurality of selection switches 306 display different amounts of money on their respective surfaces, and when the ON operation is performed by the player, individual detection signals are sent to the main control section 3.
It is a part to be given to 12.

The amount setting switch 307 is for the player to set the amount of pachinko balls to be rented out (rental unit) each time the lending switch 202 of the pachinko machine 20 ″ described later is operated. Switch 30
The information set by No. 7 is given to the main control unit 312 and displayed on the amount display unit 308 by a control signal from the main control unit 312.

The card insertion port 310 is an opening for receiving a membership card or a general card and loading the card into the card reading section 320. The card reading unit 320 is a unit that performs a process of reading the taken-in card and giving the reading result to the main control unit 312.

On the other hand, in the pachinko machine 20 ″ which is a gaming machine, a frequency display section 204, a lending switch 202 and a return switch 2 are provided on a top plate 203 provided below the gaming area 201.
05 is provided.

The frequency display section 204 is a section for numerically displaying the remaining frequency associated with the prepaid card when the prepaid card is taken into the card reading section 320 of the card processing unit 30 ″.

The lending switch 202 is a switch that a player turns on when borrowing a pachinko ball.

The return switch 205 is a switch for returning the prepaid card taken into the card reading section 320 to the player when turned on.

The ON operation detection signals of the lending switch 202 and the return switch 205 are given to the main control section 312 of the card processing unit 30 ″, respectively.

The pachinko machine 20 ″ is provided with a ball throwing means 206 inside.
When the batting-ball throwing request is given from the main control unit 312 of the card processing unit 30 ″, and the pachinko machine 20 ″.
When a prize throwing request is given from the control means (not shown), a predetermined number of pachinko balls are thrown to the upper plate 203 of the pachinko machine 20 ″.

17 is a flow chart showing the contents of the deposit process executed by the main controller 312 of the card processing unit 30 ". This deposit process is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
This corresponds to the deposit processing shown in FIG. 0 and the deposit processing shown in FIG. 13 of the second embodiment.

That is, the main control section 312 of the card processing unit 30 ″ is in the operation standby state (step S2 in FIG. 9).
8, in step S29, step S30), when a bill or coin is inserted, first, the coin processing unit 33.
1 or through the bill processing unit 330, it is determined whether or not the inserted coin is identifiable (step S234).
1). If the inserted coin is not identifiable, the coin is returned to the player from the bill insertion slot 303 and / or the coin return slot 309 (step S2342), and the procedure is returned (to step S27 in FIG. 9).

On the other hand, if the input money is identifiable, the ones equal to or less than the deposit amount are validated from the plurality of selection switches 306 (step S2343), and then the validated selection switch 306 is activated. It is monitored whether the ON operation is performed (step S2344). Note that it is the same as in the first embodiment that the activated selection switch 306 is preferably caused to emit light.

In step S2344, when the selection switch 306 is turned on and the deposit amount is selected by the player, a request to add the frequency corresponding to the amount of the selection switch 306 is issued, and the card identification information of the prepaid card previously read. Along with it, it transmits to the terminal controller 10 (step S2345).

As a result, the remaining frequency associated with the prepaid card in the frequency management information DT stored in the terminal controller 10 is added and updated by the amount corresponding to the amount of money of the selection switch 306. The maximum amount of pachinko balls that can be lent out will be increased by the number of times depending on the deposit amount. Therefore, according to this game medium lending system, for example, even if the remaining number of prepaid cards becomes “0” during the game as described above, if the additional payment is made to the card processing unit 30 ″, the pachinko machine 20 ″ You can borrow a new pachinko ball without leaving.

Now, after the addition request is transmitted to the terminal controller 10, the main control section 312 of the card processing unit 30 ″ receives the amount of money inserted and the actual operation by turning on the selection switch 306. A comparison is made with the amount of money (step S2346) .If they match, the procedure is returned without going through the subsequent processing (to step S27 in FIG. 9).

On the other hand, when the amount of money to be deposited is larger than the amount of money to be deposited, a control signal is given to the bill processing unit 330 and / or the coin processing unit 331, and the coins corresponding to the difference between the two are paid out to the player. (Step S2347) After that, the procedure is returned (to step S27 in FIG. 9).

Here, according to the third embodiment, the currency equivalent to the difference between the input amount and the input amount can be immediately paid out to the player. For example, the remaining number of the prepaid card currently used is When it becomes "0", it is not possible to borrow a pachinko ball and continue the game unless a new coin is thrown in and the remaining number is added.
Therefore, even if you deposit 1000 yen or 2000 yen, you do not have to go to exchange money and leave 1000
High-value banknotes such as 0-yen and 5000-yen notes can be inserted with peace of mind.

As a result, according to the above-mentioned gaming medium lending system, by making an additional deposit to the card processing unit 30 ″, it is possible to borrow a new pachinko ball without leaving the pachinko machine 20 ″. With this, it is possible to significantly improve the operating rate of the pachinko machine 20 ″ and, consequently, the sales of the gaming shop.

In the above-described embodiments, the prepaid card is used as the recording medium in all of the embodiments, but the recording medium is not limited to the prepaid card, and other magnetic cards, IC cards, IC coins, and other recording media are used. It doesn't matter. Further, although the valuable value of the recording medium is stored in the terminal controller, the valuable value may be directly recorded in the recording medium. Furthermore, although the pachinko game has been described, it is of course applicable to other games as long as it is a game using a game medium.

[0128]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, when the amount of money inserted is large relative to the amount of money deposited by the deposit operation, it corresponds to the difference amount of money and can be exchanged for money. Since we are issuing various valuable media,
This can be enough for the player to stop the game over the expected amount, and it is possible to dispel the anxiety about the insertion of high-value banknotes such as 10000 yen bills and 5000 yen bills. Therefore, it becomes possible for the player to realize the convenience of being able to borrow a new game medium without leaving the game machine, and along with this, the operating rate of the game machine and eventually the sales of the game store. Can be significantly improved.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, since the recording medium of the same type as the inserted recording medium is issued, the existing card settlement machine can be used for settlement. It becomes possible, and there is no need to install a special settlement machine separately.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the amount of money inserted is large relative to the amount of money deposited by the deposit operation, a valuable value equivalent to the difference in money is dispensed from the game medium. Since it is treated as a valuable value that is different from the standard valuable value, it can be enough for the player to stop the game over the expected amount, and it is a high-value banknote such as a 10,000 yen bill or a 5000 yen bill. It is also possible to dispel the anxiety about the introduction of. Therefore,
This has made it possible for players to realize the convenience of being able to borrow new game media without leaving the game machine, which has led to a significant increase in the operating rate of the game machine and, in turn, the sales of game stores. Can be improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide the recording medium processing device with a mechanism for issuing a valuable medium or a mechanism for paying out change, it is possible to prevent an increase in size.

Further, according to the invention of claim 4, when a predetermined operation is performed, a part or all of the valuable value corresponding to the difference is equivalent to the valuable value serving as the standard for throwing out the game medium. Since it is treated as a valuable value,
The convenience of the player can be further improved.

Further, according to the invention of claim 5, when the amount of money inserted is large with respect to the amount of money deposited by the deposit operation, the difference amount of money is paid out. It is enough to stop the game over the planned amount, and it is possible to dispel the anxiety about the insertion of high-value banknotes such as 10000 yen bills and 5000 yen bills.
Therefore, it becomes possible for the player to realize the convenience of being able to borrow a new game medium without leaving the game machine, and along with this, the operating rate of the game machine and eventually the sales of the game store. Can be significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a game medium lending system to which a recording medium processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a terminal controller.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of frequency management information of a membership card stored and managed in a terminal controller;
(B) is a chart which illustrates the frequency management information of the general card stored and managed in the terminal controller.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an appearance of a card settlement machine applied in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a card settlement machine.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the contents of processing executed by a settlement control unit of the card settlement machine.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing appearances of a card processing unit and a pachinko machine applied in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a card processing unit.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the contents of processing executed by the main control unit of the card processing unit.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing details of the deposit processing executed in step S34 of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing appearances of a card processing unit and a pachinko machine applied in the second embodiment.

12 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the card processing unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of deposit processing executed by a main controller of the card processing unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 14A is a diagram illustrating the frequency management information of a membership card stored / managed in the terminal controller in the second embodiment, and FIG. 14B is a general chart stored / managed in the terminal controller in the second embodiment. It is a chart which illustrates the frequency management information of a card.

FIG. 15 is a front view showing appearances of a card processing unit and a pachinko machine applied in the third embodiment.

16 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the card processing unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the contents of deposit processing executed by the main controller of the card processing unit shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Terminal controller 11 RAM 12 Communication interface section 13 CPU 14 ROM 20,20 ', 20 "Pachinko machine 30, 30 ', 30 "card processing unit 40 card issuing machine 50 card payment machine 60 island controller 201 game area 202 Lending switch 203 Plate 204 frequency display 205 Return switch 206 Ball throwing means 210 Difference display 301 card lamp 302 cash lamp 303 banknote slot 304 coin slot 305 Return lever 306 Selection switch 307 Amount setting switch 308 Amount display 309 coin return slot 310 Card insertion slot 311 Card issuing slot 312 Main control unit 313 BV unit section 314 Banknote transport path 315 coin selector 316 coin transport path 317 Card processing unit 320 card reader 330 Banknote processing unit 331 coin processing unit 501 housing 502 door 503 Member card insertion slot 504 General card insertion slot 505 banknote payout exit 506 coin payout exit 507 Confirmation switch 508 Cancel switch 509 operation panel 510 display 511 Member Card Processing Department 512 Payment control unit 513 General card processing unit 514 General card collection box 515 Banknote processing unit 516 storage 517 coin processing unit 518 Hopper 519 Interface part

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. After inserting a recording medium, when the ejecting operation is performed, the game medium is ejected to the gaming machine based on the valuable value specified by the recording medium, while the recording medium is inserted. , When a deposit operation is performed, in a recording medium processing device that performs processing related to addition and update of valuable value according to the amount of deposit, if the amount of money inserted is larger than the amount of deposit due to the deposit operation, A recording medium processing device, which issues a valuable medium that is equivalent to the amount of money of the difference and can be exchanged for money. 2. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a recording medium of the same type as the inserted recording medium is issued as the valuable medium. 3. After inserting the recording medium, when the ejecting operation is performed, the game medium is ejected to the gaming machine based on the valuable value specified by the recording medium, while the recording medium is inserted. , When a deposit operation is performed, in a recording medium processing device that performs processing related to addition and update of valuable value according to the amount of deposit, if the amount of money inserted is larger than the amount of deposit due to the deposit operation, A recording medium processing device characterized in that a valuable value equivalent to the amount of money corresponding to the difference is treated as a valuable value different from a valuable value which is a standard for throwing out the game medium. 4. When a predetermined operation is performed, a part or all of the valuable value corresponding to the difference is treated as a valuable value equivalent to a valuable value serving as a game medium ejection standard. Item 5. The recording medium processing device according to item 3. 5. After inserting the recording medium, when the ejecting operation is performed, the game medium is ejected to the gaming machine based on the valuable value specified by the recording medium, while the recording medium is inserted. , When a deposit operation is performed, in a recording medium processing device that performs processing related to addition and update of valuable value according to the amount of deposit, if the amount of money inserted is larger than the amount of deposit due to the deposit operation, A recording medium processing device characterized by paying out the difference amount of money.