JP2006149961A - Broadcasting system for game parlor and copyrighted work broadcasting method in game parlor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To legally broadcast a favorite music number, etc. in a game parlor while avoiding a problem of the piracy. <P>SOLUTION: A computer 5 for in-house broadcasting generates sound data used for the in-house broadcasting when a jackpot is made in a pachinko game machine 4 set in the game parlor. Reproduction of the generated sound data is prohibited for a while. Then, when the code expressing that the use of the sound data is permitted by a copyright holder is inputted in the computer 5 for in-house broadcasting, the prohibition of reproduction of the sound data is released, and it becomes possible to transmit the sound data from the computer 5 for in-house broadcasting to an audio amplifier 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system and method for broadcasting a literary work including music and / or video in an amusement store. In particular, it is closely related to technology that prevents copyright infringement.

  Conventionally, in game stores such as pachinko halls, when a gaming machine hits a jackpot, a broadcasting system has been introduced that announces that the jackpot has occurred. For example, the broadcasting system automatically broadcasts the number of the jackpot that has followed the fanfare. Recently, it has been proposed to broadcast music related to gaming machines instead of such uniform announcements (Patent Document 1).

For example, nowadays there are many game machines that are designed to tie up with animation and celebrities. In such gaming machines, the gaming machine manufacturer has signed a comprehensive license agreement with the copyright holder, that is, the license agreement includes the act of broadcasting animation and music related to celebrities in the amusement store. Sometimes. A gaming machine manufacturer can legally duplicate data of copyrighted works such as music for in-store broadcasting and distribute it along with the sale of gaming machines.
JP 2001-728 A

  On the other hand, conventionally, it has been said that playback performances of recordings such as music CDs can be freely used without the permission of the copyright holders of music except for business forms such as dance halls where music is a major factor. However, as a result of the amendment of the law in 2002, copyright has come to the act of using music CDs as BGM at amusement stores and restaurants.

  As described above, there is no copyright infringement problem when music or the like for which a gaming machine manufacturer has a license agreement is broadcast in a gaming store. The same applies when the gaming machine manufacturer broadcasts music or the like that has its own copyright.

  The problem arises when the gaming machine manufacturer does not have a license agreement and broadcasts music or the like that is not the copyright holder in the preferences of the manager of the gaming store. The manager of the amusement store is not familiar with the copyright law, and there is a risk that the copyright may be inadvertently infringed when broadcasting favorite music or the like as in the above-described known example.

  In view of these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a broadcasting system for a game store that can legally broadcast favorite music and the like while avoiding the problem of copyright infringement. Another object is to provide a method for broadcasting a literary work at an amusement store.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a broadcast system for a game store according to the present invention includes an in-store broadcast device that includes a speaker and / or a monitor installed in a game store and provides audio and / or video to a plurality of players simultaneously. , An operating status identifying means for identifying whether the operating status of a gaming machine installed in the amusement store satisfies a predetermined condition, and for in-store broadcasting that is audio data and / or video data to be reproduced by the in-store broadcasting equipment In-store broadcast data is created by in-store broadcast equipment in accordance with the result of identification by the in-store broadcast data creation means that creates data using audio and / or video master data and the operating status identification means. Broadcasting means for performing in-store broadcasting and managing in-store broadcasting data so that playback by in-store broadcasting equipment is disabled until the copyright holder's permission is obtained An inner broadcast data management unit, further comprising a a primary feature.

  According to the present invention, even if the in-store broadcast data can be created, the in-store broadcast data cannot be immediately reproduced by the in-store broadcast device. Broadcasting of copyrighted works by broadcasting means is permitted only when there is a license for use. Therefore, the copyrighted work is not even broadcast in the store due to the negligence of a game store manager who is not familiar with the copyright. As a result, music and video can be broadcasted in the store legally according to the operating status of the gaming machine.

  In a preferred embodiment, the release means for releasing the in-store broadcast data managed by the in-store broadcast data management means on the condition that permission data indicating that the copyright owner's use permission has been obtained is acquired. Can be provided. In this way, the in-store broadcast data is unprotected only when the license data indicating that the copyright owner's license has been obtained is input to the computer. If this licensed data is created and managed by, for example, a third-party intermediary that undertakes a license agreement with the copyright owner, there is no risk of copyright infringement occurring in the in-store broadcast.

  Specifically, the above-mentioned in-store broadcast data creation means creates the in-store broadcast data by duplicating a part of the master data recorded on the media, or master data obtained via a communication network such as the Internet. It can be configured as means for creating in-store broadcast data in a form that duplicates a part of. According to this configuration, for example, in the case of a music CD, only a certain time range of one song can be duplicated by time designation. In a game store, even if a certain gaming machine satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, a big hit), it is not possible to play an entire song. Therefore, it is considered that a limited phrase is inevitably broadcast, and in this case, the configuration according to the present invention is very useful.

  In addition, the above-mentioned in-store broadcast data creation means uses the in-store broadcast data to be created for in-store broadcast so that a manager of the game shop can preview and / or test a part of the copyrighted work that is scheduled to be copied. It can be configured to include means for playback on a device different from the device. Such a configuration is very convenient because it can be confirmed by actually listening to the part to be copied. In addition, since it is played back by a device different from the in-store broadcasting device, it does not correspond to broadcasting to the public.

  Further, the above-mentioned in-store broadcast data management means can be configured as means for managing the in-store broadcast data so that the in-store broadcast data cannot be reproduced by processing the in-store broadcast data or linking the reproduction prohibited data. . The release means described above releases the link with the data for reprocessing or prohibiting the reproduction of the in-store broadcast data in response to obtaining the license data indicating that the copyright owner's license has been obtained. Thus, the in-store broadcast data can be configured as means for canceling the unplayable state. According to such a configuration, the procedure to be performed when the in-store broadcast data can be transmitted to the in-store broadcast device with the permission of the copyright owner is simplified.

  In addition, as a kind of gaming machine, a pachinko gaming machine or a slot machine (rotating type gaming machine) can be exemplified. The operation status identification means can be configured to determine that a predetermined condition is satisfied when data indicating the occurrence of a jackpot is obtained from the gaming machine. The broadcasting means can be configured as means for reading out the in-store broadcast data scheduled to be reproduced for the gaming machine whose occurrence of the jackpot has been confirmed by the operation status identifying means from the recording means and automatically transmitting it to the in-store broadcast equipment. . According to such a configuration, it becomes possible for each amusement shop to excite sales activities through its own in-store broadcasting. The above operating status identification means is based on the number of balls or medals spent in gaming machines and the safe number that is the number of balls or medals paid out from gaming machines. It can also be configured as a means for calculating the number of difference balls (number of balls to be played) obtained by subtracting the out number from the number.

  In another aspect, the literary work broadcasting method of the present invention provides audio data and / or video to be automatically reproduced in the game store when the operating condition of the game machine installed in the game store satisfies a predetermined condition. The in-store broadcast data, which is data, is created on the in-store broadcast computer using the master data of the audio and / or video work, while the in-store broadcast data is used for a license management computer of a third-party intermediary organization The third party intermediary undertakes the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of the in-store broadcast data sent to and sent to the site, and the license data indicating that the copyright owner's license has been obtained is used. On the condition that the in-store broadcast computer inputs the licensed data that is created and sent back to the amusement store and is sent back to the in-store broadcast computer. Is sent Enabling store broadcast data to the broadcast equipment, it is mainly characterized in that to allow store announcements are made by the reproduction-store broadcast data.

  According to the present invention, even if the in-store broadcast data can be created, the in-store broadcast data cannot be immediately reproduced by the in-store broadcast device. On the other hand, the in-store broadcast data can be reproduced only by inputting into the computer permission data indicating that the copyright owner's permission has been obtained. If the above-mentioned license data is created and managed by, for example, a third-party intermediary that undertakes a license agreement with the copyright owner, there is no possibility of copyright infringement occurring in the in-store broadcast. In particular, when the third-party mediator is a manufacturer that provides a game diversion broadcasting system, it is easy to create such permission data.

  Specifically, in-store broadcast data created on a computer is stored in a recording means of a computer so that it cannot be played back on in-store broadcast equipment. Is released, enabling transmission to the in-store broadcasting device. In order to prevent in-store broadcast data from being played back by in-store broadcast equipment, for example, store in-store broadcast data so that it cannot be played back, or store in-store broadcast data and prohibit playback data. An example of the storage method can be illustrated.

  Further, the store ID for identifying the amusement store is attached to the in-store broadcast data and transmitted to the use permission management computer of the third-party intermediary agency via a communication network such as the Internet, or the in-store broadcast attached with the store ID Data is recorded in portable media, sent to a third party, and the third party intermediary undertakes the copyright holder's permission to reproduce the in-store broadcast data sent, and based on the store ID The license data indicating that the copyright holder's permission has been obtained from a third party organization is created on the license management computer and sent back to the amusement shop, and the sent permission data is input to the amusement shop computer. . According to such a method, copyright infringement cannot occur if the manager of the amusement shop is negligent, and this is excellent from the viewpoint of protecting the profits of the copyright holder and avoiding the risk of the amusement shop.

  Note that in this specification, only the video is displayed on the monitor and the audio is not played, but the concept of broadcasting is included.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of a game store broadcasting system 100. The game store broadcasting system 100 is mainly composed of a hall computer 1 (game machine data management device), an in-store broadcast computer 5, an audio amplifier 7, and speakers SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4. The in-store broadcasting computer 5 is connected to an in-store broadcasting device constituted by an audio amplifier 7 and speakers SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4. The connection between the in-store broadcasting computer 5 and the audio amplifier 7 may be wired or wireless. In the present embodiment, the hall computer 1 and the in-store broadcasting computer 5 are configured as separate computers, but they may be combined. That is, it is good also as a structure which manages the data of the pachinko game machine 4 with one computer, or controls in-store broadcasting.

  For example, when an event such as a big hit occurs in the pachinko gaming machine 4, the in-store broadcasting computer 5 receives music from the speakers SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 for music that excites the game and a fanfare that congratulates the occurrence of the event. Control to broadcast. The speakers SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 are arranged so that a plurality of players in the game store can hear such music and fanfare at the same time. The broadcast music and fanfare audio data are stored in the hard disk of the in-store broadcast computer 5 in the form of, for example, a WAVE file or an MP3 file. When broadcasting, the in-store broadcasting computer 5 transmits a digital audio signal to the audio amplifier 7. A signal transmission method between the in-store broadcasting computer 5 and the audio amplifier 7 is, for example, a serial method. The audio amplifier 7 converts the digital audio signal sent from the in-store broadcast computer 7 into an analog audio signal and outputs the analog audio signal to the speakers SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4. Although not shown, the audio amplifier 7 is connected to a microphone for in-store broadcasting, and an attendant at a game store can make an announcement in the store.

  It is the role of the hall computer 1 to identify whether or not an event such as a big hit has occurred in the pachinko gaming machine 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the hall computer 1 is connected to a plurality of pachinko gaming machines 4 through a communication network 10. The communication network 10 may employ serial communication such as RS422 and RS485 standards. On the communication path between the pachinko gaming machine 4 and the hall computer 1, a relay device 2 and a stand-by information display terminal 3 are arranged.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the amusement store broadcasting system 100 of FIG. The in-store broadcast computer 5 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, an input / output interface 105 (I / O), and an HDD 104 (hard disk drive), which communicate with each other via a bus. A printer 106, a monitor 107, a mouse / keyboard 108, a CD-RW drive 109, a speaker 110 and a modem 111 are connected via an input / output interface 105. An audio data management area 104a and a program storage area 104b are allocated to the HDD 104. The audio data management area 104a stores audio data for music and fanfare. However, instead of the HDD 104, the audio data may be stored in a recording device such as an EEPROM or a flash ROM.

  A signal output from the pachinko gaming machine 4 is input to the relay device 2 via the table-specific information display terminal 3. Data relating to the pachinko gaming machine 4 is first collected in the relay device 2. The hall computer 1 collects data of the pachinko gaming machine 4 from the relay device 2 by a polling / selecting method. The hall computer 1 that is the master station asks the relay apparatus 2 that is the slave station whether there is a transmission request (ENQ). The hall computer 1 gives a transmission permission (ENQ) to the relay apparatus 2 that has returned a positive response. Then, the relay apparatus 2 permitted to transmit data transmits data to the hall computer 1. Such a process is sequentially and periodically performed for all the relay apparatuses 2 installed in the amusement store. As a result, the hall computer 1 counts game data output from the pachinko gaming machine 4 side for each pachinko gaming machine 4. The communication between the pachinko gaming machine 4 and the stand-by information display device 3 and the communication between the stand-by information display device 3 and the relay device 2 can be real-time communication.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a safe signal, an out signal, a ball lending signal, a start signal, and a jackpot signal are output to the table-specific information display terminal 3 from the pachinko gaming machine 4 side. By monitoring the switching between active / inactive of the jackpot signal, whether or not a jackpot has occurred in the pachinko gaming machine 4 can be identified from the outside of the pachinko gaming machine 4. Since various signals such as jackpot signals are transmitted to the relay device 2, the hall computer 1 identifies the operating status of the pachinko gaming machine 4 by making an inquiry to the relay device 2.

  Specifically, the out signal is a signal that is output in response to a predetermined number of balls being driven into the pachinko gaming machine 4. The out balls are counted by a sensor provided in the out ball collecting unit 62, for example. For example, when 10 balls are detected, the out-ball collecting unit 62 outputs a 1-pulse out signal to the table-specific information display terminal 3. When the stand-by information display terminal 3 acquires an out signal from the pachinko gaming machine 4 side, the hall computer 1 recognizes that ten out balls have been generated in the pachinko gaming machine 4 via the relay device 2. In the present embodiment, the out signal is output from the out ball collecting unit 62, but a configuration in which the out signal is directly output from the pachinko gaming machine 4 is also possible. The safe signal is a signal that is output in response to a predetermined number of balls being paid out from the pachinko gaming machine 4. When the stand-by information display terminal 3 acquires a safe signal from the pachinko gaming machine 4 side, the hall computer 1 recognizes that ten safe balls have been generated in the pachinko gaming machine 4 via the relay device 2. In addition, the case where the safe signal is output from the main control board 20 of the pachinko gaming machine 4 and the case where the safe signal is output from a ball replenishment facility to the pachinko gaming machine 4 can be employed. In the following, the number of balls that have been driven into the pachinko gaming machine 4 will be referred to as the “out” number, and the number of balls that have been paid out from the pachinko gaming machine 4 will be referred to as the “safe number”.

  The in-store broadcast will be specifically described. The audio data management area 104a of the HDD 104 of the in-store broadcast computer 5 stores an in-store broadcast audio data group (audio data file group). The audio data group for in-store broadcasting includes music data copied by the manager of the amusement store, in addition to those prepared by the manufacturer that delivers the in-store broadcasting computer 5 to the amusement store. The administrator can assign the broadcast contents when an event such as a jackpot occurs to each model or set all models uniformly (see FIG. 7). The broadcast system 100 for amusement stores according to the present invention adopts the configuration described below in order to prevent duplication of music by an administrator as a copyright infringement.

  FIG. 4 shows an outline of a method for preventing duplication of music for the purpose of in-store broadcasting from causing copyright infringement. A computer 50 between the in-store broadcasting computer 5 and the copyright holder is a license management computer 50 owned by a third-party mediator. From the amusement store, data such as music desired to be used is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a flexible disk, and is sent to a third-party mediator. The third-party mediator loads the data sent from the amusement store into the license management computer 50, specifies the copyright holder from the data, and applies for a license to the copyright holder. The copyright owner informs the third party intermediary whether permission is granted. The third-party intermediary organization obtains permission from the copyright owner and then reports the result to the amusement store. In this way, a license agreement between the amusement store and the copyright holder is performed through the mediation of the third party mediation organization.

  Such exchange may be performed using the Internet as shown in FIG. For this purpose, the in-store broadcast computer 5 includes a modem 111 for connecting to the Internet. Further, only one of the amusement shop and the third party mediator, the third party mediator and the copyright holder may exchange the recording medium such as a CD-ROM through the Internet.

  Next, processing performed by the in-store broadcasting computer 5 will be described in detail. The in-store broadcast computer 5 includes an automatic broadcast program, a jackpot audio setting program, an in-store broadcast data creation program, and a protection release program as applications stored in the program storage area 104b of the HDD 104. When the automatic broadcast program receives a notification of the unit number of the jackpot from the hall computer 1, it identifies the group to which the gaming table with that unit number belongs, and the audio data set in the group to which the automatic broadcasting program belongs is assigned to the audio amplifier 7. It is a program for automatic transmission to. The jackpot sound setting program is a program for setting a jackpot sound for each model from the sound data group registered in the in-store broadcast library (actually, the sound data management area 104a). The in-store broadcast data creation program is a program for newly creating in-store broadcast audio data. The unprotect program is a program that cancels the protection of the audio data for which the copyright holder's permission has not been obtained and allows it to be played back. These application programs are read into the RAM 103 and executed by the CPU 101. In addition, these application programs can be described in an object-oriented language such as Visual Basic, Visual C ++ (registered trademark), or Java (registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) available from Microsoft Corporation.

(Big hit voice setting program)
The broadcast content at the time of the big hit can be selected and set for each model from the audio data group prepared in advance in the audio data management area 104a. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the jackpot sound setting button is clicked on the setting screen displayed on the monitor 107, the jackpot sound setting program is activated and the setting screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. “Model name” in the setting screen of FIG. 7 is a group name of gaming machines. A group of gaming machines is determined by a machine number in setting items not shown. "Sound on jackpot" is the music that plays when the corresponding model hits the jackpot. Click on the corresponding item to display a list of selectable voice data, and select one voice data from the list. This is the setting. “Number of times of audio output” indicates the number of times that audio data is reproduced when a big hit occurs. By rewriting this item, the number of playbacks can be increased or decreased.

  When “Big hit sound list” is selected on the big hit sound setting screen, a list as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed. The voice list in FIG. 8 shows the attributes of the voice data file prepared in the voice data management area 104 a of the HDD 104. “Voice name” is the name of voice data. “Audio output time” is the reproduction time of the corresponding audio data. “Copyright” indicates whether or not the corresponding audio data has a copyright. Judgment of whether or not there is a copyright is “None” for the default (No. 1 to No. 3) audio data, and for the audio data (No. 4 to No. 8) created independently by the manager of the amusement store Uniformly “Yes”. No. 1-No. Fanfares up to 3 were created by the manufacturer of the system 100 of the present invention. No. 4-No. In the case where the use permission of the copyright is received as shown in FIG. 7, “permitted” is recorded in the “license” item, and if there is a time limit, the time limit is recorded. No. For voice data that is not licensed as shown in FIG. 8, it is recorded that “pending”. In addition, unlicensed audio data is highlighted on the list screen and cannot be selected in the “hit sound setting” until use permission is obtained. Further, even if the audio data has been licensed for use, “expired” is recorded when the expiration date is reached. Then, it is displayed in reverse on the list screen and cannot be selected in the “hit sound setting” until it is used again.

(In-store broadcast data creation process)
The manager of the amusement store obtains audio data from a music CD or the like and adds the audio data to the audio data group at the time of the big hit, starts the in-store broadcast data creation program on the in-store broadcast computer 5. The in-store broadcast data creation program is activated by clicking an audio recording setting button shown in FIG. With the activation, a caution message shown in FIG. 9 is displayed as a pop-up. This increases the awareness of the copyright to the manager of the amusement store. Furthermore, according to the system 100 described in detail below, copyright infringement cannot occur.

  Each process for newly registering audio data for in-store broadcasting is executed according to the flowchart of FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 10, a message prompting to set a music CD in the CD-RW drive 109 is displayed on the monitor 107 (S1). Next, after confirming that a music CD is set in the CD-RW drive 109, a music selection screen as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the monitor 107 (S2). In addition, a selectable music CD song number, an audio data name input form, and a message prompting the user to select a song are displayed. The game store administrator inputs the song number of the song to be imported and the name of the audio data, and preparation for data replication is completed. When the record button is clicked, the music data designated from the music CD is taken into the RAM 103 (S3).

  The master data for obtaining audio data for in-store broadcasting is not limited to those recorded on a music CD. For example, there is a commercial transaction method in which music is purchased at an online shop of a record production company established on the Internet, and only the electronic data of the music is downloaded from the server computer that is the online shop's substance. Of course, it is also possible to use the electronic data of music as master data. In addition, a configuration in which voice is recorded through a microphone and data obtained by the recording is used as the master data can be considered. The master data is only for data recorded on a recording medium that is not copy protected. Even when a song is sung, recorded, and broadcast, the copyright may extend. In this case, it is necessary to follow the same procedure as that for obtaining data from a music CD or the like.

  All of the audio data captured in the RAM 103 is not used as in-store broadcast audio data, and only the necessary time and the necessary time zone are extracted as shown in FIG. That is, when the audio data has been taken in, as shown in FIG. 12, an input screen is displayed on the monitor 107 for designating a range desired to be used by the administrator's input in the taken audio data (FIG. 19: S4). The waveform data 20 displayed on the monitor 107 is related to the audio data captured in the RAM 103. With the waveform data 20, the captured audio data can be visually grasped. The administrator selects a range to be used by directly clicking the waveform data 20. As shown in FIG. 12, the selection range is displayed with a circle mark superimposed on the waveform data 20. Moreover, it is possible to directly input the time desired to be used in the input form.

  Thus, when the desired range of use is specified and the “play” button is clicked, the audio data in the specified range is played back. This reproduction is performed using a sound source (not shown) built in the in-store broadcasting computer 5 and an attached speaker 110 (see FIG. 2). The administrator listens to the played music (sound) and clicks “OK” if there is no problem in the specified range. If there is a problem, select the range again. Playback ends after playback of the specified range. The audio data created from the music CD or the like by the administrator can be reproduced only from the setting screen of FIG. 12 until use permission is obtained.

  Even if audio data for in-store broadcasting is created, if there is no way to listen, it is very inconvenient. However, if in-store broadcasting equipment such as the audio amplifier 7 can be played back, the problem of copyright infringement will arise. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a sound source (not shown) is provided in the in-store broadcast computer 5 so that private audition can be performed in the office of the amusement store instead of the in-store broadcast device, and the speaker 110 is provided. Connected.

  When “OK” is clicked on the audio recording setting screen of FIG. 12, only the time range specified by the administrator is left out of the acquired audio data, and the remaining audio data cannot be reproduced on the in-store broadcasting device. The reproduction prohibition data is added to the audio data and stored. Specifically, first, only audio data in a specified time range is extracted to create an audio data file, and then the audio data file, for example, a header portion, is transmitted from the in-store broadcasting computer 5 to the audio amplifier 7. Write prohibited data (reproduction prohibited data). Thereafter, the created audio data file is stored in the audio data management area 104a of the HDD 104 (FIG. 19: S5). The reproduction prohibition data written in the audio data file does not have to be special data, but it is important that the manager of the game shop cannot easily delete it.

  In this way, since newly created audio data cannot be used for in-store broadcasting, copyright infringement cannot occur. However, once the copyright holder's permission has been obtained, it can be reproduced by following a predetermined procedure. Details of this procedure will be described later.

  Note that, as in the present embodiment, in addition to a procedure in which all the data of one song is once fetched in the RAM 103 and only data in a necessary time zone is left, only a necessary time zone may be fetched in the RAM 103 from the beginning. In that case, the act of the administrator auditioning the capture range is particularly desirable because it is nothing but playback of the music CD itself. It is also conceivable that the audio data taken into the in-store broadcasting computer 5 from a music CD or the like is processed with a special algorithm and converted into a format that cannot be reproduced by the in-store broadcasting device. In this case, the program for restoring the data can be executed only when the use permission from the copyright holder is obtained.

  Next, as shown in S6 of FIG. 19, a third party that mediates the copyright permission as well as the process of registering the newly created audio data file in the in-store broadcasting library (audio data management area 104a) of the HDD 104. Mediation request data to be sent to the agency is created and recorded. Specifically, the guidance screen shown in FIG. 13 is displayed on the monitor 107 to prompt the administrator to insert the CD-ROM into the CD-RW drive 109. After confirming that the CD-ROM is inserted into the CD-RW drive 109, the mediation request data is recorded on the CD-ROM. As shown in FIG. 17A, the intermediation request data recorded on the sending CD-ROM is uniquely given to the in-store broadcasting computer 5 in order to specify the date and time when the CD-ROM was created and the amusement store. The game store ID, the name of the audio data to be licensed, the audio data ID assigned each time a CD-ROM for delivery is created, and the main body of the audio data are included. The third-party brokerage agency enters into a license agreement with the copyright holder based on such brokerage request data. In addition to a CD-ROM, a flexible disk, a DVD, or the like can be used as a medium for recording mediation request data. In addition, data may be sent directly from the in-store broadcasting computer 5 to the use permission management computer 50 via the Internet.

  When each process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 19 is completed, an end guidance screen shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the monitor 107. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the data indicating the attribute of the registered audio data is also rewritten. For example, no. “Pops B” in FIG. 8 is newly added audio data, which clearly indicates that the application for a license is in progress, and cannot be selected on the jackpot audio setting screen in FIG. In the jackpot setting screen described with reference to FIG. No. 8 “Pops B” can be confirmed. The selection of “pops B” of 8 is prohibited. In other words, the jackpot audio setting program described above refers to the attribute of the audio data registered in the in-store broadcasting library (attribute indicating the presence or absence of permission for use), so that the audio data can be reproduced as a jackpot audio. The in-store broadcast data is managed so that reproduction by the in-store broadcast device is disabled until the copyright owner's license is obtained.

(Processing on the license management computer)
The mediation request data sent from the amusement store is input to the use permission management computer 50 of the third party mediation organization. FIG. 18 shows a management screen displayed on the monitor of the use permission management computer 50. The use permission management computer 50 has a management database and manages voice data for which a mediation request for use permission has been received from an amusement store. The management database has items such as a game shop ID and manages individual audio data. Since the audio data itself has a large amount of data, it may be stored separately from the management database.

  When the data import button is clicked on the management screen of FIG. 18, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM sent from the game store is read into the use permission management computer 50. A new record is created in the management database of the license management computer 50 based on the read data content such as the game shop ID. In addition, when reproduction of audio data is selected, audio data is reproduced. At this time, the screen described with reference to FIG. 12 may be displayed so that the audio data can be edited. After reproducing the audio data and confirming the contents of the song, the third-party mediator makes a license agreement with the copyright holder of the reproduced music, as shown in FIG. At this time, the audio data may be sent directly to the copyright holder and a license agreement may be signed. Since the copyright holder can know how the music is used, it can be used with confidence.

  When the license agreement is established with the copyright holder, the license management computer 50 updates the management database for the voice data for which the license is obtained. As a result, in the management database, permission is obtained for a record of certain audio data, and the time limit for permission is recorded. Subsequently, a reply CD-ROM (which may be another recording medium such as a flexible disk) for reporting that the use permission has been obtained to the game store is created. As shown in FIG. 17 (b), the data content recorded on the reply CD-ROM includes the data creation date and time, as well as data indicating permission / inhibition and data indicating the license expiration date. There are two types of data indicating permission / inhibition. One is data indicating that the use permission has been obtained, and executes processing for making it possible to play back the audio data stored in the in-store broadcast computer 5 in an unplayable state. Includes a special code to trigger. The other is data indicating that the license has not been obtained, and the audio data stored in the in-store broadcast computer 5 of the amusement store in an unplayable state is deleted from the in-store broadcast library (audio). Including a code that triggers execution of the process of deleting the data itself from the HDD 104. In addition, the data representing the license expiration date includes data indicating the expiration date when the usage license is provided, and includes data indicating that if the expiration date is indefinite.

(Audio data protection release processing)
After the return CD-ROM arrives from the third-party intermediary organization, the protection cancellation processing is performed so that the audio data stored in the in-store broadcast computer 5 in an unplayable state can be played back. When the manager of the game store clicks the permission button on the sound list screen at the time of jackpot in FIG. 8, the program of the above-mentioned protection release processing is executed. The monitor 107 displays the permission setting screen shown in FIG. 15 and prompts the user to set the returned CD-ROM in the CD-RW drive 109. When the CD-ROM is set, the CD-ROM data is automatically read. If the read data includes data indicating that the use permission has been obtained, that is, if a code that triggers execution of processing for enabling reproduction of unplayable audio data is included, the processing is performed. Execute. Specifically, the process is a process of deleting the reproduction prohibition data associated with the audio data main body from the audio data file, or a process of restoring the audio data to a format that can be reproduced by the in-store broadcasting device. To do. The processed audio data can be transmitted to the audio amplifier 7 and can be selected in the jackpot audio setting process. If the read data includes data indicating that the use permission has been obtained, the attribute of the audio data file is also updated to record that the permission has been obtained and the expiration date.

  On the other hand, when the data read from the CD-ROM includes unlicensed data, a process of deleting (erasing) the corresponding audio data from the audio data management area 104a of the HDD 104 is performed. Further, even if a certain period (for example, half a year) has elapsed since the creation of the CD-ROM for sending, the corresponding music data may be deleted in the same manner.

  In the present embodiment, the audio data is stored in the audio data management area 104a in a state where the audio data cannot be reproduced even if the application for the use permission is in progress. According to this configuration, the audio data main body is not actually required for the data (FIG. 17 (b)) returned from the third party intermediary to the game shop. In this case, a medium having a small capacity can be used. Also, the information required for the license agreement, such as the title of the music CD used, the title of the song, and the start time and end time of the audio data to be licensed, are stored in a recording medium sent to the third party mediator by the game store. If so, the audio data itself need not be stored.

  On the other hand, in the above-described in-store broadcast data creation process, the in-store broadcast audio data created from the music CD or the like is retained in the memory (RAM 103) and is not recorded in the HDD 104 but sent to a third-party intermediary organization. There is a method of recording only in the ROM. If the copyright holder's permission is obtained, the audio data body is returned together with the CD-ROM from the third-party intermediary organization. At this time, the audio data is transferred to the audio data management area 104a of the HDD 104 for the first time. According to this method, the in-store broadcasting computer 5 is suitable because there is no audio data main body for which a license for use has been applied. However, even in this case, it is necessary to record data indicating that the application is in progress. In addition, since it is possible to take in audio data designated by the copyright owner (such as when the copyright owner applies for a change in use mode), the configuration is rich in flexibility.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the event occurrence is notified from the hall computer 1 to the in-store broadcasting computer 5 when a big hit occurs in the pachinko gaming machine 4. That is, the occurrence of an event is caused by the big hit of the pachinko gaming machine 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the probability variation state where the probability of jackpot is increased when the number of hits per day ((safe number)-(out number)) reaches a predetermined number, or when the number of jackpots per day reaches a predetermined number An event can be generated when a user enters the event.

  In addition, although this embodiment showed the example using a copyrighted work of music for in-store broadcasting, it is also conceivable that an image is streamed on the screen together with the music, or only an image is streamed on the screen. In that case, a large screen is provided in the amusement store together with the speakers SP1, SP2, SP3 and SP4, and a video tuner as an in-store broadcast device is connected to the in-store broadcast computer 5. The video data can be stored in the HDD 104 of the in-store broadcast computer 5 in the same manner as the audio data.

  In this embodiment, a pachinko gaming machine is exemplified as the gaming machine, but a slot machine can be exemplified in addition to the pachinko gaming machine.

1 is an overall schematic diagram of a broadcast system for a game store according to the present invention. The block diagram of the broadcasting system for amusement stores. The figure which shows the kind of signal output from the pachinko game machine side. The figure which shows the outline of the method to prevent duplicating music for in-store broadcasting before it becomes a copyright infringement. The figure which shows the aspect which exchanges a license agreement using the internet. The figure explaining the detail of the broadcast system for amusement stores. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. Explanatory drawing following FIG. The conceptual diagram which shows the attribute of the audio | voice data file registered into the store broadcast library. The conceptual diagram which shows the content of the data written in a recording medium. An example of a license management screen on a license management computer. The flowchart of the data creation process for store broadcasting, and the data protection process for store broadcast.

Explanation of symbols

1 Hall computer (operation status identification means)
4 Pachinko machine 5 In-store broadcasting computer (voice management device)
7 Audio amplifier (In-store broadcasting equipment)
SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 Speaker (In-store broadcasting equipment)
50 license management computer 101 CPU (literature data management means, in-store broadcast data creation means, in-store broadcast data protection means, release means, broadcast means)
103 RAM (recording means)
104 HDD (recording means)
110 Speaker

Claims (6)

In-store broadcasting equipment that includes a speaker and / or monitor installed in a game store, and simultaneously provides audio and / or video to a plurality of players;
Operating status identifying means for identifying whether or not the operating status of the gaming machine installed in the game shop satisfies a predetermined condition;
In-store broadcast data creation for creating in-store broadcast data, which is the audio data and / or the video data to be reproduced by the in-store broadcast device, using master data of the audio and / or video work. Means,
Broadcast means for performing in-store broadcasting for reproducing the in-store broadcast data by the in-store broadcast device according to the identification result by the operating status identifying means;
In-store broadcast data management means for managing the in-store broadcast data so that reproduction by the in-store broadcast device is disabled until the copyright owner's permission is obtained;
A broadcast system for an amusement store characterized by comprising:   Release means for canceling the in-store broadcast data unmanageable state managed by the in-store broadcast data management means on condition that permission data representing that the copyright owner's use permission has been obtained is further acquired. The amusement store broadcasting system according to claim 1, further comprising:   The in-store broadcast data creating means creates the in-store broadcast data by copying a part of the master data recorded on a medium, or the master data obtained via a communication network such as the Internet. 3. The amusement store broadcasting system according to claim 1, wherein the in-store broadcasting data is created by duplicating a part.   4. The in-store broadcast data creating means includes means for reproducing the created in-store broadcast data on a device different from the in-store broadcast device. Broadcasting system for amusement stores. The in-store broadcast data management means is configured as means for managing the in-store broadcast data so that the in-store broadcast data cannot be reproduced by processing the in-store broadcast data or linking the reproduction prohibited data.
The release means rebinds the in-store broadcast data or associates it with data that prohibits playback in response to obtaining the permission data indicating that the copyright owner's permission has been obtained. 3. The amusement store broadcasting system according to claim 2, wherein the inability to reproduce the in-store broadcast data is canceled by canceling the release.   In-store broadcast data, which is audio data and / or video data to be automatically reproduced in the amusement store when the operating status of the gaming machine installed in the amusement store satisfies a predetermined condition, While creating on the in-store broadcasting computer using the master data of the copyrighted work, the in-store broadcasting data is sent to a license management computer of a third-party intermediary organization, and the received in-store broadcasting data is reproduced. The third party intermediary undertakes the copyright owner's license, and creates license data on the license management computer indicating that the copyright owner's license has been obtained. From the in-store broadcasting computer to the in-store broadcasting device, provided that the license data sent back is input to the in-store broadcasting computer. The transmission-store broadcast data is capable of, work broadcast method in a gaming facility, characterized in that the so-store announcements are made by the reproduction of the store broadcast data.

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