JP2003190601A - Game machine information collection system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically collect game machine information such as names of machines. <P>SOLUTION: Pachinko game machines P1 to P3 store game machine information such as names of machines in a ROM to be transmitted to relay boxes T1 to T3. The relay boxes T1 to T3 send the received game machine information to an external unit 1 after connected thereto. The external unit obtains the game machine information according to a demand for connection from the relay boxes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a game machine such as a pachinko machine, a pachislot machine, etc. The present invention relates to a gaming machine information collection system capable of efficiently collecting a maker name, a manufacturing date, a set value of a probability, and the like. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, information output from a gaming machine, for example, is information relating to a gaming state (eg, starting opening prize, symbol determination, big hit, IN ball, OUT ball, etc.). These are supplied to an external device (hall computer) as a management device,
In this external device, each gaming machine installed in the hall is managed. [0003] However, for example, with respect to gaming machine information relating to a gaming machine, in an external device,
At present, manual input is performed for each gaming machine. [0004] Therefore, for example, when a new gaming machine is introduced into a hall, the game machine information must be manually input for each gaming machine to be introduced, which is extremely inefficient. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine information collecting system which solves the above problems. [0006] The invention according to claim 1 is a communication means for enabling data communication between a plurality of gaming machines, a management device, and the plurality of gaming machines and the management device. A gaming machine information collection system comprising: a gaming machine having storage means for storing gaming machine information and output means for externally outputting gaming machine information in the storage means, wherein the communication means Means for transmitting gaming machine information output from the gaming machine to the management device after connecting to the management device, wherein the management device responds to the connection request from the communication device. A means for acquiring the gaming machine information from the game machine. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein 1 is an external device (a hall computer),
P1, P2, and P3 are pachinko machines (only three are shown in the figure, but this may be an arbitrary number), T1, T2, and T3
Is a relay box provided for each pachinko machine, and is usually provided inside an outer frame to which the pachinko machine is attached. Reference numeral 2 denotes a hub (HUB: concentrator). Although the details will be described later, the identification data code indicating the model name data output from the pachinko machine is input to the relay box, where it is converted into a form communicable via Ethernet (registered trademark), and transmitted through the hub 2. And supplied to the external device 1. The external device 1 can be composed of a normal computer, and includes a CPU, a ROM storing a program for initializing the CPU, and a RAM for loading a program by the CPU and providing a work area of the CPU.
And various programs for managing the pachinko machine, such as a program for collecting game machine information according to the present invention, which will be described later in detail, and the like, which stores a program to be loaded into the RAM and executed by the CPU. Storage device as capacity storage means, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD)
And input means such as a keyboard and a mouse for inputting various kinds of operation information and the like, display means as an output means, a printer and the like. The relay boxes T1 to T3 are communication CPUs.
(Including ROM and RAM. That is, ROM has C
The control program shown in FIG. 7 executed by the PU and the control program including the initialization program are stored, and the RAM provides a work area for the CPU.
U receives data transmitted from the pachinko machine and transmits the received data to an external device in a form that allows Ethernet communication (for example, communication protocol TCP / IP) (for example, TCP / IP has a unique format for each relay box). (Assign an IP address). Each of the relay boxes T1 to T3 and the external device 1 are connected via the hub 2, and each of the relay boxes T1 to T3 (that is, the serial number of each pachinko machine connected thereto) is identified by a unique IP address. You. FIG. 2 shows a control circuit configuration of the pachinko machine. The main control section 3 is a CPU for controlling the entire pachinko machine provided on the main board 4, and even if a one-chip CPU having a built-in ROM 5 and RAM 6 is used, the
A CPU in which M5 and RAM 6 are externally connected by a bus may be used. The main control unit 3 has a timer interrupt circuit 7, and an input interface 8 and an output interface 9 are further provided on the main board 4. The ROM 5 has, in the user program area, a control program for controlling the pachinko machine for the main control unit 3, an output processing program for identification code data as gaming machine information, which is a feature of the present invention, and identification code data. Are stored. The RAM 6 temporarily stores input / output data for the main control unit 3, data for arithmetic processing, various counters such as a random number counter related to the game, and the like. The main control unit 3 receives a detection signal (trigger) from a starting port switch 10, a normal symbol operation gate switch 11, a count switch 12, a specific area passage detection switch 13 and a normal winning port switch 14 via an input interface 8. , And generates a control signal or identification code data for controlling each unit described below according to a program in the ROM 5, and outputs the generated signal via the output interface 9 to the special / ordinary symbol control unit 15, the indicator light control unit 16, a sound control unit 17, a prize ball payout control unit 18, a ball launch control unit 19, and a normal electric accessory solenoid / large winning opening solenoid 25. The special / ordinary symbol control section 15 supplies display image information to a special symbol display or a normal symbol display 20 on the board of the pachinko machine in accordance with the supplied control signal. The indicator light control unit 16 executes lighting control of various indicator lights 21 on the panel of the pachinko machine according to the supplied control signal. The sound control unit 17 supplies a speaker driving signal to a speaker 22 provided in the pachinko machine according to the supplied control signal. The prize ball payout control section 18 pays out a predetermined number of prize balls from the prize ball payout mechanism section 23 provided in the pachinko machine according to the supplied control signal. The ball launching control unit 19 controls the ball launching mechanism 2 in response to a handle operation by the player.
Fire a ball from 4. The ordinary electric auditors solenoid / large winning opening solenoid 25 drives the ordinary electric auditors solenoid or the special winning opening solenoid according to the supplied control signal to drive the ordinary electric auditors or open the special winning opening. . Further, the main control unit 3 provides the external device 1 with game state information (for example, starting opening prize, number of symbols determined, big hit, IN ball, OU) generated with the progress of the game.
T) is output through the output interface 9. Further, although details will be described later, the main control unit 3
Outputs the identification code data to the external device 1 via the output interface 9 at a predetermined timing. FIG. 3 shows an example of a memory map of the main control unit 3, for example, from the end address in the user program ROM area (0000h to 1FFFFh).
The bytes (fixed bytes) are set as the identification code area. The identification code data in the identification code area is read from the address 1FEBh and output at the timing described later. The identification code data can be composed of, for example, ASCII code or Unicode unified character set data. ASCI identification code data
FIG. 4 shows an example in the case of the I code. This example
It shows the identification code data of the model name “CR / Bundling”. In this case, when outputting the identification code data from the address 1FEBh, the main control unit 3 first starts with fixed data (eg, FEh) so that it can be recognized as start data of the identification code data.
After that, actual data is output. Also, fixed data (eg, FFh) is output so that it can be recognized as end data in the same manner as start data. Although a fixed-length data area of 20 bytes is secured as the identification code data area, in the example of FIG. 4, the used addresses are 1FEBh to 1F.
Since it is 16 bytes of FAh, the remaining 4 bytes of data are filled with FFh or the like. When the identification code data is output, since the number of bytes of the transmission data is large, the main control unit 3 uses a data reception interrupt signal to output serially for each byte. The mode is shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the main processing of the main control unit 3 which is performed by a user reset timer interrupt. This program is an interrupt which periodically generates the processing of the entire gaming machine by the user reset timer interrupt. It is controlled on the basis of a signal (for example, a cycle of 2 ms or 4 ms). Note that a counter, a timer, and the like used in the program are set on the RAM 6. First, in S1, it is determined whether or not the power is initially turned on. Since the data in the RAM immediately after the power is turned on is undefined, the power-on determination is made based on the presence or absence of specific data in a specific area of the RAM. If there is no specific data, it is determined that power has just been turned on, and the process proceeds to S5. If there is specific data, it is determined that it is not immediately after power-on, and the process proceeds to S2. In S2, a random number updating process is performed. That is, various random numbers (random number for determining jackpot, random number for stop symbol, etc.)
Is updated, and the process proceeds to S3. At S3, an input port reading process is performed. That is, information on a plurality of switches connected to the main board is read, the detection information is stored, and the process proceeds to S4. At S4, a game control process is performed. That is,
This processing is a general game processing of pachinko machines,
Processing according to the state of the pachinko machine (symbol variation start processing, symbol stop processing, big hit determination processing, big hit start processing, big winning opening opening processing, big winning opening open waiting processing, sound effect generation processing, display light display processing, Prize ball control processing, external information processing,
Port output processing, etc.). Then, it waits for the next interrupt. At S5, an initialization process is performed. That is,
The RAM is cleared and initial data at the start of the game is set in the RAM. Then, the process proceeds to S6, where the identification code data reading / output processing of the pachinko machine, which is a feature of the present invention, is performed. That is, the user program ROM of the CPU
From the specific address of the area, identification code data as data for identifying a pachinko machine (a code in which a model name is registered) is read, output from an output port, and supplied to a relay box. FIG. 7 shows a communication CPU in the relay box.
5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the embodiment. The process starts when the power is turned on. First, an initial setting process (initialization) is executed in S11. At this time, the identification code data from the connected pachinko machine is received and temporarily stored (the initialization process is not completed until the reception and storage process is completed). Next, in S12, a connection request is output to the external device 1 (IP address is also output at the same time). Next, in step S13, an acknowledgment signal from the external device 1 is waited. If the acknowledgment signal is input, the connection with the external device 1 succeeds, and the IP address is stored in a predetermined area in the external device 1. Then, as will be described later, the preparation for collecting the gaming machine information is completed, and the process proceeds to S14. In step S14, the temporarily stored identification code data is transmitted to the external device, and in step S15, a response to the identification code data reception success from the external device is waited. In S15, if an identification code data reception success response is obtained from the external device, the process proceeds to the next process, and thereafter, is generated periodically at appropriate intervals in the pachinko machine with the progress of the game by the player. Collect game state information (S1
6), a process of transmitting the collected game state information to the external device is executed (S17), and these processes are executed until, for example, the hall is closed (S18). FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the external device. The operation starts when the power is turned on. First, an initial setting process is executed in S21, and the process proceeds to S22. In step S22, an initial value (first unit) is set in a counter n, and in step S23, a connection request (IP address transmission) from the n-th relay box (corresponding to a pachinko machine).
If it succeeds (reception of connection request and acquisition of IP address) (S24), the process proceeds to S25, where connection success (acknowledgement) is transmitted to the relay box, and the process proceeds to S26. In S26, a process of waiting for reception of the identification code data from the n-th relay box is executed, and if the reception is successful (S27), the flow proceeds to S28. In S28, a reception success response is transmitted to the n-th relay box, and the flow advances to S29. In S29, the received identification code data is registered in a predetermined area of the storage means (RAM), and the process proceeds to S30. In S30, it is determined whether or not the reception / registration processing of the identification code data has been completed for all the (relay boxes). If not, the counter n is incremented by one in S31, and the process returns to S23. If it goes to the next process,
For example, during the opening hours of the hall, game state information generated in the pachinko machine as the player progresses the game is collected from the relay box and subjected to arithmetic processing (S32), and the collected / calculated result is displayed on the display means or printed out. Then, the end of the measurement is transmitted to the relay box (S34), and the process is ended. Note that S32 to S34 are conventional normal processing. Although the above has been described with reference to a pachinko machine, the present invention can be similarly applied to other gaming machines, for example, a pachislot machine. As the identification code data, not only the model name but also at least one of the manufacturer name, the date of manufacture, and the set value of the probability can be added, thereby collecting more detailed information. can do. Furthermore, if the model name, manufacturer name, date of manufacture, etc. are used as identification code data, it is easy to find out that the ROM is not a legitimate ROM in the event of an illegal act such as ROM replacement of a pachinko machine or the like. And a fraud prevention effect can be obtained. As described above, according to the present invention,
Gaming machine information can be automatically collected and its management is easy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a control circuit configuration of the pachinko machine. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a memory map of a main control unit 3; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a case where identification code data is composed of ASCII codes. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing output timing of identification code data. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a main process of a main control unit 3 performed by a user reset timer interrupt. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a communication CPU in the relay box. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in an external device. [Description of Signs] P1, P2, P3 Pachinko machines T1, T2, T3 Relay box 1 External device 2 Hub

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A gaming machine information collection system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines; a management device; and a communication unit for enabling data communication between the plurality of gaming machines and the management device. Wherein the gaming machine has storage means for storing gaming machine information and output means for outputting gaming machine information in the storage means to the outside, wherein the communication means is output from the gaming machine. Means for sending game machine information to the management device after connecting to the management device, wherein the management device acquires the game machine information from the communication means in response to a connection request from the communication means A gaming machine information collection system comprising means.