JP2003071117A - Money substitute counter for prepaid card system at game parlor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a handy and safe money substitute counter for counting money substitute such as pachinko balls or medals which is suitable for a game system using IC cards. SOLUTION: A hopper 31 for housing the money substitute is provided at an upper part of a casing 30 and the number of the money substitute in the hopper 31 is counted with a counting part 51. The resulting counts are written into exclusive IC cards dedicated for the exchange of prizes conveyed from a card housing part 38 or into registration-based membership cards as ball storage information. The exclusive IC cards are brought to prize exchange booths to be exchanged for prizes or cash and fractional balls associated with the exchange for prizes are ejected according to selection by players.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a currency substitute counting for counting currency substitutes such as pachinko balls or medals in a prepaid card system in which an IC card is effectively circulated in a game hall to pay a game fee. Regarding vessels.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a pachinko parlor or a casino, a game system using a prepaid card system in which amount information is written by magnetic means is adopted. This gaming system purchases a prepaid card in which a predetermined amount of information is written in advance, inserts this prepaid card into a ticket issuing machine provided in the gaming machine, and predetermines it within the range of the amount information stored in the prepaid card. When the amount of money is specified, the pachinko balls and medals for the specified amount are lent out and the game becomes possible. And the game is repeated,
When the amount of the prepaid card becomes zero, it is convenient for the player to insert money into the ticket issuing machine and get a new prepaid card issued without standing up.

[0003]

However, the prepaid card used in the game system is a so-called magnetic card, and this magnetic card is a mere recording medium and does not have an active protective function. Therefore, there has been a problem in which fraudulent cards are circulated in the near future, causing great damage to the amusement hall and the card supply company.

Therefore, the applicant of the present application has proposed using an IC card instead of a magnetic card in the game system. In other words, the applicant of the present application has patent 29228
In No. 66 and No. 3097769, the IC card can be effectively circulated and safely reused.
We propose an IC card game system that does not impair convenience.

By the way, at pachinko parlors or casinos,
Pachinko balls or medals acquired by the player are calculated by a counter, and a prize is given out or cashed according to the counted value. Therefore, with the development of this IC card game system, it is desired to improve the counter for automatically measuring the pachinko balls or medals acquired by the player so as to be adapted to the IC card game system.

In view of the above point, the present invention has an object to provide a currency substitute counter for counting currency substitutes such as pachinko balls or medals, which is suitable for an IC card game system.

[0007]

Therefore, the present invention provides a currency substitute such as a pachinko ball or a medal in a prepaid card system of a game hall in which a game fee is paid by a prepaid IC card in which value information is input. In the currency substitute counter for counting, the currency substitute counter includes a counting hopper for storing and counting the currency substitute, and a measuring unit for counting the number of currency substitutes supplied in the counting hopper. And a first writing unit for writing the count value on the IC card for exchange of prizes after the measurement, and for writing the count value on the membership card of the member registration system after the measurement as the accumulated coin information acquired at a specific amusement park A second writing section of
The present invention is characterized by including a card storage unit for storing a plurality of the IC cards for exchanging premiums.

Further, the first and second writing sections may have a function of blocking an illegal radio wave from the outside.

Furthermore, the card storage section may be replaceable.

Furthermore, the currency substitute counter may be provided with an end ball returning mechanism for exchanging a prize.

Furthermore, the first and second writing parts may be formed as one.

By configuring the currency substitute in this way, the convenience of the entire gaming system can be improved and the generation of illegal cards can be prevented.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a prepaid card game system S to which a currency counter 1 of the present invention is applied. The game system S includes a game machine 2 such as a pachinko machine or a throttle machine, and this game The machine 2 is provided with the inter-unit unit 3 on its side, and the IC card 4 is inserted into the inter-unit unit 3. The inter-unit unit 3 is provided with a communication unit 5, and the communication unit 5 is connected to a host computer 6 of a management center via an electric communication line. The game machine 2 has an operation handle 8 for operating a game board surface 7 and a pachinko ball or the like on its front surface, and currency substitutes are discharged to a discharge port 10.

When the player obtains a coin substitute 9 such as a pachinko ball or medal after playing the game, the player takes the coin substitute counter 1 to the coin substitute counter 1 for counting, and a dedicated IC card 11 for exchanging prizes. Input and issue to. Bring the exclusive IC card to the prize exchange place 12 and exchange it for a prize or have the money exchanged. Instead of the prize exchange place 12, a device capable of automatically exchanging prizes may be provided.

There are two types of circulating IC cards. One is a general-purpose card that can be used at all the amusement stores that employ this type of system, and the other is a membership card that is issued only to those who have registered as members at a specific store or chain store. As shown in FIG. 2, the membership card has safety information 21 for the security of the card in its storage part, a card ID number 22 unique to the card, and when the amount of money deposited is zero, it is further deposited and recycled. (Reissue) 23 times of recycling, amount information 24 as value information corresponding to the amount of money deposited, member information 25 such as member number and name, player obtains at specific store, chain store Stored information 26 as value information regarding the number of pachinko balls or medals, premium information 27 regarding the contents of benefits to members, history information 28 such as the number of members visiting the store, and the like are input.

Of the membership cards, general-purpose cards include
Safety information 21, card ID number 22, recycling count 2
3 and the amount information 24 and the like are input, but the information peculiar to the membership card, that is, the member information 25, the accumulated ball information 26, the premium information 27, the history information 28 and the like are not input.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the currency substitute counter 1 includes a casing 30 and a casing 3 thereof.
It is provided with a hopper 31 for receiving a money substitute such as a pachinko ball that counts open at the top of 0 or a medal of a throttle machine. An operation display unit 32 is provided on the front surface of the casing 30, and the operation display unit 32 is
A counting display section 33 for displaying the counted money substitutes, a member card insertion slot 34 for inserting a member card, an all-clearing button 35 to be pressed when clearing all of the counted numbers, and an end ball accompanying the exchange of prizes. End ball return button 36 to be pushed when the player is returned to the player, a dedicated card discharge port 37 for discharging a dedicated card for exchange of prizes, 100 to 20 of this dedicated card
It is composed of a dedicated IC card storage section 38 capable of storing 00 pieces and an end piece return port 39 for returning end pieces. Inside the casing, a counting processing unit 50 for processing various cards is provided, and the counting processing unit 50 includes a hopper 3
Counting unit 51 for counting the money substitutes stored in 1
The counting unit 51 is provided with a dedicated card 11
The first reader / writer unit 52 for inputting the count value to (FIG. 1) and the second reader / writer unit 5 for writing the accumulated coin information 26 (FIG. 2) into the membership card when the membership card is inserted.
3, the counting unit 51, the first and second reader / writer units 52 and 53, the dedicated IC card storage unit 38, and the counting display unit 33 are controlled by the control unit 54.

Inside the exclusive card outlet 37 and the member card insertion port 34, the first and second readers 52 and 53 housed in the casing 30 and the counter 5 are provided.
In order to protect the operation of the control unit 54 and the control unit 54 from unauthorized radio waves, shutters 55 and 56 for closing the respective openings are provided, and the shutters 55 and 56 are opened and closed by an electromagnet or the like in response to a signal from the control unit 54. It has become. The first and second reader / writer units 52, 5
3 is covered with a copper plate or the like to form covers 57 and 58 (FIG. 4)
It may be possible to prevent unauthorized radio waves from reaching the storage unit.

The dedicated IC card storage section 38 is
It is desirable to have a size that can accommodate the number of tickets to be issued in the related art, to facilitate replacement as a cartridge type, and to be able to replenish during business hours.

It is also possible to share the exclusive card discharge port 37 and the member card insertion port 34, and further, in accordance with this, the first and second reader / writer sections 52 and 53 can be configured as one. .

Next, the operation of the currency substitute counter 1 of the present invention will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

The player carries the money substitutes such as pachinko balls or medals obtained as a result of the game from the place of the game machine 2 to the place of the money substitute counter 1 and stores them in the hopper 31 (S1). ). When a counting start button (not shown) is pressed (this operation is not necessary, it is possible to automatically start counting), the counting unit 5
1 counts the number of money substitutes (S2), and displays the count value on the count display unit 33 after the count is completed (S3). In the case of clearing all the numerical values, when processing the exclusive IC card for prize exchange (when the member card is not inserted), when the clear all button 35 is pressed (S4), one in the exclusive IC card storage section 38 The dedicated IC card 11 is transported to the first reader / writer unit 52, and necessary information such as a count value, date and time, number of issuances, hall code (store code), and items for specifying issuance is written (S5). The IC card is discharged from the dedicated card discharge port 37 and passed to the player (S6).

Further, in the case of clearing all the numerical values, when processing the membership card, after the counting is completed, the membership card is inserted into the membership card insertion slot 34 (S7) and the clear all button 35 is pressed (S8). ), The same necessary information as above is stored in the membership card by the second reader / writer unit 53.
Is written (S9), and when it is completed, the membership card is returned from the membership card insertion slot (S10).

In addition, when it is desired to return the end ball accompanying the prize exchange, when the end ball return button 36 is pressed (S11), the end ball is returned from the end ball return port 39 (S12), and the necessary information is exclusive. Written on IC card or membership card (S
13).

[0026]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above,
The present invention has an effect that it is possible to perform a simple and safe counting process of currency substitutes, which is suitable for an IC card game system using a general-purpose card and a membership card.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an IC card game system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a storage unit of a membership card.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the currency substitute counting device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a count processing unit of the currency substitute counting device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of the currency substitute counting device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Currency substitute counter 2 ... Game machine 4 ... IC card 5 ... communication unit 31 ... Hopper 33 ... Count display section 34 ... Member card insertion slot 35 ... Return all button 36 ... Button to return the end 50 ... Count processing unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A coin substitute counter for counting coin substitutes such as pachinko balls or medals in a prepaid card system of a game hall in which a game fee is paid by a prepaid IC card in which value information is input. The currency substitute counter includes a counting hopper for storing and counting the currency substitutes, a measuring unit for counting the number of the currency substitutes supplied in the counting hopper, and the count value after measurement is exchanged as a prize. First to write on a smart card
A writing unit, a second writing unit for writing the count value after the measurement to a membership card of a membership registration system as savings information obtained at a specific amusement hall, and a plurality of IC cards for exchanging prizes are stored in advance. A currency substitute counter in a prepaid card system of a game hall, which is provided with a card storage section for preventing illegal radio waves from the outside. 2. The currency substitute counter in a prepaid card system of a game arcade according to claim 1, wherein the first and second writing units have a function of blocking an illegal electric wave from the outside. . 3. The currency in a prepaid card system of a game arcade according to claim 1, wherein the first and second writing units are integrally formed so as to be commonly used. Alternative counter. 4. The currency substitute counter in a prepaid card system for a game arcade according to claim 1, wherein the card storage section is configured to be replaceable. 5. The currency substitute counter is provided with an end ball return mechanism associated with a prize exchange.
5. A currency substitute counter in the prepaid card system of the game hall according to any one of 4 to 4.