JP2003250969A - Game machine control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine management system which instantly detects the abnormal change of a set value to give warning and enables setting of a set value corresponding to an actual state by utilizing a remote control apparatus for a game saloon. <P>SOLUTION: The system is provided with: a remote monitoring apparatus 10 for collecting information from a plurality of game machines via game machine controllers 21, 22 and 23 and displaying it; a signal converter provided with a communication line 24 connecting the game machines with the remote monitoring apparatus and converting the set value for allowing the game machines to decide the number of IN and OUT medals, etc., the kind of entered bonus and the level of entering probability to a digital signal; and one-way communication equipment for transmitting the converted signal. On the basis of the digital signal received from the respective game machines by the remote monitoring apparatus 10, a pay out ratio of each machine is calculated and displayed on a display device 12. An illegal behavior is detected by the abnormality of the pay out ratio and warning is given. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a management system for centralizing and managing electronic game machines in a game arcade, and particularly collecting setting value information online to monitor cheating in a remote management room. A gaming machine management system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At a game hall that provides entertainment by providing ball-ball type game machines such as pachinko machines and rotating-type game machines such as pachislot machines, a game machine remote consisting of a hall computer etc. in a management room where a manager exists. A monitoring device is installed to monitor the usage status of each gaming machine and collect and display the data used for the operation of the gaming hall. In the past, IN for balls and medals
Data on the number of OUTs and the number of appearances of events such as BB (Big Bonus) and RB (Regular Bonus) are collected and analyzed, and the operating status of the holes and the appropriateness of the payout are judged to analyze the management status. It was useful for setting the probability of the next day.

These gaming machines can set winning probabilities such as bonuses by setting values, and the hall manager appropriately selects the setting value of each machine and adjusts the payout rate to secure profit. At the same time, we are aiming to optimize profits by inspiring customers to play. For example, in a pachi-slot machine, the setting values are prepared from 1 to 6, and for example, with the setting value 1, the winning probability of a bonus stage called BB (big bonus) or RB (regular bonus) is 1 / 66.3. Setting value for 6
Then, it changes stepwise such as 1 / 59.8.

The setting value of each machine is changed every day, but when deciding the payout rate of the entire game hall, which setting value should be allocated to which machine to achieve this,
I have to rely on the intuition of the administrator, and the allocation is not always rational. It should be noted that it is not allowed to change the setting value of the machine base during business in order to eliminate arbitrary operation on the hall side. In addition, it is not permitted to adjust the control circuit inside the machine stand from outside the machine stand, and only the circuit configuration in which such an action is impossible is approved.

Further, the set value set must be kept unknown to the player. This is because the planned profit will not come out if only the machines with favorable settings are played. Since the structure is such that the player does not know the set value, even the hall personnel cannot recognize the set value during business. Therefore, in order to confirm the effect of the set value, it is necessary to perform a complicated calculation again based on the management table that records the set value.

Further, even when the set value is changed by the goto act, the person concerned with the hall cannot immediately detect this, and the goto act is checked only after checking the gaming table after the business end and checking with the management list. You will know. In addition, since the number of medals in and out of each machine and the number of bonuses are reported to the gaming machine monitoring device, it is possible to estimate the presence or absence of goto by checking this, but it is a statistical event and data It cannot be detected during the goto act because it needs to be accumulated. Therefore, it is difficult to identify a fraudulent person who has changed the set value, and it is difficult to prevent a goth act.

Further, conventionally, the payout rate expected when the set value is set on the machine is not calculated based on the design value of the machine and reflects the actual value. Therefore, it has not been set up to account for differences due to the machine base such as the layout in the hall and the individuality of the game machine.

[0008]

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to utilize a remote management device in a game arcade to immediately detect when a set value is changed by an abnormal means. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine management system capable of issuing a warning and performing a set value setting more suitable for the actual situation.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a gaming machine management system of the present invention in a gaming machine equipped with a plurality of gaming machines includes a remote monitoring device for collecting and displaying information from the gaming machines, A signal conversion device that includes a communication line that connects the gaming machine and the remote monitoring device, and that converts a set value that determines the IN / OUT number of balls or medals, the type of bonus won, and the level of winning probability into a digital signal. And a unidirectional communication device for transmitting the converted digital signal,
The remote monitoring device is characterized by calculating a payout rate for each machine based on a digital signal received from each gaming machine and performing fraudulent monitoring.

The gaming machine management system of the present invention automatically inputs the IN / OUT number of medals and the like, the number of winnings for each type of bonus, and the set value of the machine for each machine to payout the machine. The rate is calculated and displayed momentarily to present important indicators for the amusement hall management, and it is possible to analyze it in association with the set values of the machine, so it is possible to determine the set value level of the entire game hall or By grasping the relationship between the set value and the payout, it can be used as a guideline for determining the set value for each machine. Furthermore, since information can be obtained immediately when the set value changes,
It is possible to warn of misconduct such as Goto master without delay. Note that the gaming machine management system of the present invention does not allow access to the machine base from the management system side using the one-way communication means, thus satisfying the regulations for gaming machines.

Further, the gaming machine management system of the present invention, when detecting that the setting value has been changed in the remote monitoring device, verifies whether or not it is a period during which the setting value cannot be changed, and changes the setting value. When it is not possible, an alarm can be displayed. Further, the gaming machine itself may be provided with a device for detecting an illegal setting value change and giving an alarm, and an alarm signal issued by the gaming machine may be received to give an alarm. Note that the verification means provided in the remote monitoring device and the alarm device provided in the gaming machine can be used together.

Further, the remote monitoring device has a memory for storing the target payout rate for each set value, calculates the payout rate per time unit of each gaming machine, and sets the target of the set value set for that gaming machine. It is preferable to display an alarm when the payout rate is higher than the payout rate. The target payout rate for each set value can be determined based on the payout rate for each set value accumulated for the target gaming machine. If the set value of the gaming machine is determined based on the actual payout rate obtained by aggregating for all the gaming machines of the same type, it is possible to set with higher accuracy reflecting the actual situation. Further, when the actual value of the payout rate with respect to the set value is different for each machine, it is possible to determine the set value based on the result of aggregation for each machine.

In addition to the control room, the warning display can be performed not only on the gaming machine that is the target of the warning. By displaying an alarm on the machine base in this manner, it is possible for the staff member to take immediate action, and it is expected that the cheating will be restrained and the fraud will be reduced. The game machine management system can be used for a ball-type game machine such as a pachinko machine, but can be effectively used particularly when a rotating-body game machine such as a pachi-slot machine is targeted.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings based on an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a gaming machine management system of this embodiment, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are drawings showing examples of display screens in a remote monitoring device of this embodiment. The gaming machine management system of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, is a remote monitoring device 10 placed in a management room,
Each of the gaming machines installed in the hall is provided with gaming machine control devices 21, 22, 23, and a communication bus 24 connecting the gaming machine and the input / output interface 12.

The game machines are arranged in groups within the game arcade. Gaming machine control devices 21a, b, c, ...
22a, b, c, ..., 23a, b, c, ...
Controls overall control of individual gaming machines. In addition, turning on the power, starting the game of customers, the number of IN / OUT medals, the operation of the device for continuously increasing the number of continuous effects such as the big bonus (BB) and the regular bonus (RB), and the change of set values The relevant data is automatically transmitted to the remote monitoring device 10 via the communication bus 24. The signals carrying these pieces of information are sent in one-way communication using an output unit that only outputs. It is not allowed to set the machine conditions during business hours. In order to meet such regulations, in principle, no input unit is provided so that a control signal cannot be sent from the control room to the machine base.

Incidentally, in order to prevent the gaming machine control devices 21, 22, 23 from being directly accessed from an external device, the circuit portion for transmitting these pieces of information to the remote monitoring device 10 is made independent of the control circuit. For example, they may be aggregated on an external centralized terminal board and one-way communication from the control circuit to the transmission circuit may be performed to create a state in which backward access is physically impossible. In addition, although some information has been conventionally imported into a gaming machine management system for use, at least some of the information such as setting values that are lacking in the conventional system and added in this embodiment are: A communication line different from the conventional communication line may be used. Regarding the additional information In the case where the additional communication path is used, the conventional external centralized terminal board can be used with only a slight modification, so that it can be obtained at a lower cost. Note that a photocoupler can be used to easily and surely secure unidirectional communication property for the communication path to be added.

The communication bus 24 connects adjacent game machines arranged as islands in series, and then collectively connects to the remote monitoring device 10. The communication bus 24 performs unidirectional communication for transmitting a signal to the remote monitoring device 10. However, in the case where an alarm signal is sent from the remote monitoring device 10 to display an alarm on an individual machine stand, some signals can be sent in the opposite direction. Remote monitoring device 1
0 has a hall computer 11, a display device 12, and an input / output interface 13. Hall computer 1
1 processes the data for each machine supplied through the input / output interface 13 and displays it on the display device 12 as management data useful for game hall business.

For example, it is possible to perform a display such that the operating state of the machine base in the game arcade, that is, the condition of the customer can be determined at a glance. The machine in which the customer is playing can be determined by detecting the insertion of the medal. When the IN / OUT of the medal is interrupted, the customer has left. As shown in FIG. 2, the detected results are displayed at a glance by displaying the machine stand arrangement 31 on the screen of the display device 12, and showing the machine stand 32 and the machine stand 33 in operation in different colors. It is convenient because you can know the status. In addition, it is also convenient to grasp the operating state of the entire gaming machine in the game arcade by displaying the number of machine frames with customers at each time and showing the change over time in a graph. In addition,
A switch 35 for switching to another display screen is displayed in the lower part of the display screen of FIG. 2, and by clicking the switch 35 with the pointing device, it is possible to jump to the selected screen.

In addition, an abnormal machine base 3 such as a machine base in which a fraudulent activity is detected is displayed by using a screen showing the operating state of the machine base arrangement 31.
It is possible to display 4 by blinking so as to call the attention of the observer. Abnormality is detected from the relationship with the set value. The set value can be set in 6 steps from 1 to 6,
The winning probability of the bonus is determined for each set value,
The prizes predicted based on the winning probability, that is, the number of medals paid out, or the ratio of the number of medals paid out, which is called the payout rate, is determined.

If the actual payout rate is higher than the predicted payout rate, the profit expectation is missed and the profit is reduced, which is a problem. Therefore, it is preferable to determine an appropriate threshold value and issue a warning when the payout rate error is larger than the threshold value. Also, if there is a fraudulent activity, the actual number of medals paid out will be larger than the predicted value. Therefore, a change in the payout rate obtained from the ratio of the number of INs to the number of OUTs within an appropriate time period is monitored, and if there is an abnormality, it is possible to issue a stronger alarm as suspicion of fraudulent activity. It should be noted that this alarm may be fed back to the machine that has an abnormality and displayed on an alarm device attached to the machine. The set value of each machine is taken into the hall computer 11 via the communication bus 24 and the input / output interface 13 from the gaming machine control devices 21, 22 and 23 every time a change is made or whenever an inquiry is made.

Further, the remote monitoring device 10 can edit the operation information collected for each machine stand and display it in an easy-to-see manner, as illustrated in FIG. FIG. 3 is a payout management table displayed in a tabular format in which information is described one by one for each machine. For example, machine number and model name, medal IN number and O
The number of UTs, the payout rate (POR) as a result calculated by finding the IN / OUT number for each unit time, the planned payout rate planned from the set value, the difference between the planned payout rate and the actual payout rate, and the setting Set value,
Display the operating time and operating rate of the machine in vertical columns. A switch 35 for switching to another display screen is displayed at the bottom of the display screen.

Using this table, it is possible to know the operating state for each machine. If the total amount is also displayed, it is possible to clearly judge the profit situation of the entire game arcade. If the actual payout rate is higher than the planned payout rate, the line 36 of the machine may be switched to the warning color to warn the user for a warning. If there is a large abnormality and it is suspected to be a dishonest act, the color should be changed to a more intense color or blinking to prompt prompt action.

Note that it is also possible to give a warning on this screen or the screen shown in FIG. 2 based on the result of judgment taking other conditions into consideration. For example, an alarm is displayed even when an abnormal alarm signal generated upon judgment on the gaming machine side is received. Further, if a change in the set value is detected and it is in business, it is an illegal change act, and it is also illegal when a set value different from the correct set value stored in the remote monitoring device 10 is input. The act is suspected and needs to be checked. When these events occur, they can be displayed on the monitor display device 12.

Further, the remote monitoring device 10 can analyze and display the actual results of the set values, as illustrated in FIG. In this management system, the set value set in each machine is automatically taken in by communication, so the medal I
The set value when there is an N.OUT input can always be confirmed. Therefore, the payout rate is calculated and displayed by integrating the number of medals IN / OUT for each set value for each machine. The table shows the machine number and model name, the payout rate calculated from the IN / OUT number of medals accumulated at each set value, the number of days or hours when the set value was taken, the total operating time and operating rate of the machine. Columns are provided. A screen changeover switch 35 is provided in the lower part of the screen.

The actual value of the payout rate calculated for each set value of each machine may differ from the design value of the machine,
It can be trusted as a value that is close to the actual value taking into consideration the individuality of the machine under that environment. Therefore, the actual value of the payout rate after sufficiently accumulating the data can be adopted as the previously planned payout rate. Further, the average value calculated for each set value for all machines of the same model may be used as the planned payout rate of the set value. As the average value, a more appropriate value can be used as the planned payout rate of the set value by absorbing statistical variations and minute differences between machines. By setting the set value for each machine by using the payout rate according to these actual conditions, it is possible to perform the game hall management in which the plan and the result are more compatible.

Since the payout rate is a statistical phenomenon, the larger the data accumulated, the higher the reliability. Therefore, for each set value, a column 37 for entering the number of days or hours when the set value is taken is provided so that the reliability of the calculated payout rate can be confirmed. In addition, displaying the total operating time and operating rate for each machine will be a material for eliminating the uneven distribution of customers and improving overall efficiency. Since the relationship between the set value and the payout often differs depending on the model, it is preferable to divide the total for each model.

Further, since the gaming machine management system of this embodiment can accumulate a large amount of payout rate performance data corresponding to the set values of the machine, it is possible to set the set value of each machine in the game arcade. It is possible to estimate with high accuracy what will happen to the payout of the entire game hall. Therefore, by simulating various combinations using this system, it is possible to know the combination of set values that is most effective for the purpose.

In the description of the above embodiments, specific examples of the display screen are shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, but the present invention is not limited to these specific examples, and the display items and the display format are appropriately modified. However, it goes without saying that it is within the technical idea of the present invention. Further, for the purpose of simplifying the setting of the planned payout rate, a design value may be used. Further, even when the actual value is used, it is practical to use the actual value after sufficient reliable data is accumulated using the design value while the number of data is insufficient.

[0029]

As described above, the gaming machine management system of the present invention obtains information such as set values directly from the gaming machine by the remote management device in the game arcade, and sets the set values by an abnormal means. When it is changed, it can be detected immediately and an alarm can be given, and a more realistic set value can be set to provide a practical index for performing a more advanced amusement hall management.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a gaming machine management system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of a display screen in the remote monitoring apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the remote monitoring device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing yet another example of a display screen in the remote monitoring device of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Remote monitoring device 11 hall computer 12 Display 13 I / O interface 21,22,23 game machine control device 24 communication bus 31 Display of game machine island 32 Display of gaming machines without customers 33 Display of gaming machines with customers 34 Display of abnormal machine base 35 Changeover switch 36 Display of abnormal machine base 37 hours

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A gaming machine comprising a plurality of gaming machines, a remote monitoring device for collecting and displaying information from the gaming machine, and a communication line connecting the gaming machine and the remote monitoring device. Alternatively, the remote monitoring device is provided with a signal conversion device for converting a set value for determining the IN / OUT number of medals, the type of the won bonus and the level of the winning probability into a digital signal and a unidirectional communication device for transmitting the digital signal. A game machine management system, wherein the game machine management system calculates a payout rate for each machine based on the digital signal received from each game machine and monitors fraud. 2. The gaming machine management system according to claim 1, wherein an alarm is displayed when the set value changes during a period in which the set value cannot be changed. 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine includes a device that detects and warns against an unauthorized change in a set value, and sends an alarm signal generated by the device to the remote monitoring device. Game machine management system. 4. The remote monitoring device comprises a memory for storing a target payout rate for each set value, calculates the payout rate per time unit of each gaming machine, and sets the set value set for that gaming machine. The gaming machine management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an alarm is displayed when the payout rate is higher than the target payout rate. 5. The target payout rate for each set value is
5. It is determined based on a payout rate for each set value accumulated for the target gaming machine.
The described gaming machine management system. 6. The gaming machine management system according to claim 2, wherein when the warning is displayed, the warning is simultaneously displayed on the gaming machine that is the target of the warning. 7. The gaming machine management system according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is a spinning-type gaming machine.