JP2006263086A - Game machine with fatigue reducing function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine which facilitates the adjustment of the positions of the game balls as reaching on a game board by informing players of the striking force of the game balls by a specified display means. <P>SOLUTION: The game machine 1 is provided with the game board 6 where the playing area 1a is formed and a game ball shooting driver 7 for shooting the game balls into the playing area 1a. It is also provided with display lamps 33a and 33b which make players recognize the information on the position of an operation handle 8 based on the angle of rotation detected by an angle of rotation detector 35 for the operation handle 8 adapted to adjust the striking force of the game balls with the shooting driver 7. The positional information is displayed with a graduation 38 attached to the operation handle 8 and by changes in the sounds generated from a voice generator 12 provided on the game board. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine having a fatigue reduction function including display means for notifying a player of a batting force (position of an operation handle) for launching a game ball onto a game board.

  In general, a gaming machine, such as a “pachinko gaming machine”, is provided with a rotatable operation handle for adjusting the hitting force of a game ball by a launch driving device, and a player operates a game by operating the degree of rotation of the operation handle. The strength at which game balls are fired in the area is adjusted. That is, by adjusting the rotation angle of the operation handle, the game ball reaches a predetermined position on the game board aimed by the player.

However, it is not easy for the player to finely adjust the operation handle only by the operation feeling so that the player always keeps the batting force of the game ball constant and reaches the target position of the game ball. Normally, the rotation angle of the operation handle slightly deviates during the game, and the strength with which the game ball is fired varies. As described above, it is difficult for the player to accurately grasp how much hitting force the operation handle is on the game ball, and adjustment of the hitting force of the game ball is exclusively performed by the player. It was left to the experience and intuition.
JP 2004-329353 A

  In such a case, if the player can easily perceive the hitting force on the game ball, that is, the position of the operation handle by visual or auditory sense, even a beginner can adjust the position at which the launched game ball reaches. It becomes easy. In other words, as a result of being able to adjust the position of the operation handle so that the predetermined position where the game ball should reach can always be aimed, the labor required for the game can be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a game in which the hitting force of the game ball is notified to the player by a predetermined display means, and the position where the game ball reaches on the game board can be easily adjusted. It is an object to provide a machine.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems. That is, in a gaming machine comprising a game board in which a game area is formed and a game ball launch drive device for launching a game ball in the game area, an operation handle for adjusting the hitting force of the game ball by the launch drive device It is characterized by comprising position information display means for allowing the player to recognize the position information.

  According to the present invention, the position information display means allows the player to easily adjust the position of the operation handle to a desired position.

  The position information display means includes one of a display of the position of the operation handle, a display of an impact force when the fired game ball collides with a predetermined location in the game board, and a display of the speed of the fired game ball. Or two or more can be displayed.

Further, a pressure-sensitive sensor is provided in the course of the game ball launched by the launch drive device, and the impact force when the game ball collides with the pressure sensor is measured, and the position information display means is based on the measurement result. Can be displayed.
The pressure sensor can be provided, for example, in a game ball return prevention valve that moves when a game ball collides.

  Further, the speed of the game ball can be measured by a speed sensor provided at a position through which all of the game balls launched in the game area pass, and the position information display means can display the result based on the measurement result. .

Furthermore, the handle position can be displayed on the position information display unit based on the detection result of the operation handle position by the position detection unit that detects the position of the operation handle.
The position information display means may be one or more of a scale attached to the operation handle, lighting of an indicator lamp provided in the gaming machine, and a change in sound emitted from sound generation means provided in the game. It is.
In the above case, storage means for storing the position of the operation handle determined by the player, and when the position of the handle stored by the storage means and the position detected by the position detection means do not match, You may make it alert | report by the said positional information display means.

  The storage means can store an operation handle rotation angle detected during a button pressing operation by operating a button or the like provided on the operation handle. Moreover, the measured value by the pressure sensor and speed sensor at the time of pressing operation, such as a button, can also be memorize | stored.

  The position information display means is provided with a hole in a blank portion in the game area where a nail, an accessory or the like is not provided, and when the position information display means is unnecessary, the position information display means is Without providing, it can be a game board which closed the hole. In this way, it is possible to share parts (game board surface, etc.) between a game board provided with position information display means and a game board not provided with the position information display means.

  According to the gaming machine of the present invention, it is possible to notify the player of the position of the operation handle, and the position at which the launched game ball reaches can be easily adjusted, so that the labor required for the game is reduced as a whole. . Therefore, the player can enjoy more various aspects of the gaming machine accordingly.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the present embodiment, a pachinko gaming machine classified as “first type” in the internal regulations of the Act on the Optimization of Business Administration (the law on customs business etc. and the law on business optimization, etc.) will be described as an example. The present invention can also be applied to a spinning machine such as a slot machine.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gaming machine 1 includes an outer frame 3 fixed to a so-called “island” of a gaming facility that is an installation location thereof, one side held by the outer frame 3, and the outer frame 3 with respect to the outer frame 3. A front frame 4 provided to be openable and closable, and a window frame 5 provided to be openable and closable at the upper front of the front frame 4.

  Main components of the gaming machine 1 are attached to the table frame 4 in a collective manner. The main components provided in the front frame 4 include a game board 6 having a predetermined game area 1a formed on the board surface, a game ball (game medium) to be supplied to the game machine 1, and a game ball paid out from the game machine 1 ( A receiving tray 2 for temporarily storing a prize ball), a firing drive device 7 for launching a game ball on the top of the game board 6, a rotary operation handle 8 for operating the launch drive device 7, and the like. Although not shown here, a game ball payout device for paying out a predetermined number of prize balls into the tray 2 as necessary, a main control device for processing main control related to the game, and output from the main control device. Well-known various devices such as a sub-control device for controlling various devices based on the received command can be exemplified.

  The window frame 5 provided in the front frame 4 includes a window unit 9 that allows a player to look into the previous game board 6 in the frame. The game board 6 is provided with a decoration LED 10 and a decoration lamp 11 along the outer periphery of the window unit 9.

  The game board 6 is made of plywood having a substantially square shape, and is stored and fixed in a game board storage frame (not shown) formed on the back surface of the front frame 4. In addition, a guide rail 21 and a game ball regulation rail 13b are provided on the front surface of the game board 6, and the game area 1a is surrounded by the guide rail 21 and the game ball regulation rail 13b.

  In the game area 1a, various winning devices 25, 26, 27 and 28 in which obstacles such as game nails and windmills, and winning holes through which game balls can enter are formed, and game balls that have not been won are played. An out port 15 that discharges to the outside of the region 1a and a variable display device 100 that displays various symbols based on effects are provided.

  In addition, as a winning device, a general winning device 25 that leads to payout of a predetermined number of winning balls (game balls) by entering a game ball and a jackpot lottery control that will be described in detail later, Examples include the start chuck 26 serving as a trigger for starting a predetermined operation), and a big winning device 27 including an open / close door that is opened when shifting to a special gaming state.

  Each winning device has a built-in sensor for detecting the passage of the game ball, and the output of the sensor is input to the input port of the main control device. Here, an operation in which a game ball enters a winning opening provided in these winning devices 25, 26, 27, and 28 is referred to as winning. In particular, when a game ball enters the start chucker 26, this winning is referred to as “start winning”.

  The normal symbol display device (LED display device) 18 is a display device for displaying a normal symbol for notifying the result of the determination as to whether or not the start control of the start chucker 26 is executed. Symbols such as “×” are displayed. More specifically, “○” is displayed in response to winning / failing determination, and “×” is displayed in response to a loss.

  In addition, this win / no-win determination is referred to as “small hit” by those skilled in the art and in the player, and the opening control of the start chuck 26 is started on the condition of the win for the small hit. Under the execution of the opening control, the movable piece 26b provided on the start chuck 26 moves outward at a predetermined cycle, and the opening of the winning opening 26a is widened compared to the normal time, so that the game ball can easily win the winning opening 26a. Become. During this time, the player can enjoy the game advantageously.

Next, the main control device 50 and the sub control device 60 that are the control system of the gaming machine will be described.
A main control device 50 shown in FIG. 3 is a device that processes main control related to a game, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 50a, which is a basic processing device, and a RAM (Random) that temporarily stores data used for processing in the CPU 50a. (Access Memory) 50c and ROM (Read Only Memory) 50b for storing various programs used for processing in the CPU 50a.

As a program stored in the ROM 50b, a random number lottery execution program used for jackpot lottery control, a display data setting program for selecting and temporarily setting display data (symbols) to be displayed on the variable display device 100, An output control program that generates and outputs a control command (control signal) to be output to each sub-control device based on the result of the big hit lottery can be exemplified.

The main control device 50 is connected to each sub-control device (in this embodiment, the symbol control device 61, the lamp control device 62, the voice control device 63, the payout control device 51, the launch control device 52, etc.) A lottery result of lottery control and an 8-bit control signal indicating the presence or absence of a prize ball are transmitted to each sub-control device by a 2-byte transmission method.
Main controller 50 executes data processing while exchanging data with RAM 50c based on detection information from various sensors and operation signals from each operation unit in accordance with a predetermined control program stored in ROM 50b. To do. Then, control signals corresponding to lamp display control, symbol display control, voice control, game ball launch and payout control, control of the ordinary electric accessory and special prize opening are output.

On the other hand, the lamp control device 62, which is one of the sub-control devices 60, controls the effect using the electrical accessories based on the control command output from the main control device 50.
More specifically, the programs stored in ROM 60a and ROM 60b that store programs for controlling the light emission of decoration LED 10 and decoration lamp 11 provided on the entire surface of the gaming machine are processed based on control commands output from main controller 50. .
Further, a detection signal of the position of the operation handle 8 and a signal from a pressure sensor 30 or a speed sensor 31 described later are sent to the main controller 50, and a control command corresponding to the signal is sent from the main controller 50 to the lamp controller 62. The position information of the operation handle 8 is displayed on the display means (indicator lamps 33a and 33b).

Hereinafter, a position information display means for allowing the player to recognize the position information of the operation handle 8 for adjusting the hitting force of the game ball by the launch drive device 7 will be described.
(Display by the scale of the operation handle)
As shown in FIG. 4, an instruction portion 39 is formed so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the upper portion of the operation handle 8, and a scale 38 is attached to the wall surface of the gaming machine around the portion where the operation handle 8 is attached. The instruction unit 39 is set to display the reference point 0 when the handle rotation angle is 0 degree. As the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 increases, the indicating unit 39 rotates and moves along the scale 38 to indicate a position where the numerical value of the scale 38 is high. The player can visually confirm the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 depending on what scale 38 the reference point of the operation handle 8 points to. Therefore, even if it is a beginner, it becomes easy to maintain the firing speed of the game ball constant while checking the position of the operation handle 8 during the game.

(Indicator display)
Next, an example in which the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 is displayed on the display means provided on the game version via the lamp control device 62 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation position of the operation handle 8 can be obtained by detecting the rotation angle with a known rotation angle detector 35 including a variable resistor or the like provided in the operation handle 8. As the rotation angle detector 35, for example, a detector that detects a rotation angle as a change in resistance value, and a detector that detects a rotation angle as a change in output voltage can be used. The rotation angle detector 35 outputs a detection signal having a voltage level corresponding to the rotation angle of the operation handle 8, and the detection signal 36 is input as a command voltage to the main controller via the switch / sensor input circuit. Is done.

(Display means)
As shown in FIG. 2, indicator lights 33a and 33b, which are display means, are arranged along the upper portion of the guide rail 21 at the upper portion of the gaming surface of the gaming machine. The indicator lamps 33a and 33b may be controlled independently in the same lighting pattern, or may be controlled so that they are sequentially lit from the left end to the right according to the miracle of the ball.

  A predetermined number of the indicator lamps 33a and 33b is lit from the left end so as to correspond to the numerical value of the rotation angle of the operation handle 8. As the indicator lamps 33a and 33b, for example, a lamp and a light emitting body such as an LED (hereinafter collectively referred to as a lamp) can be used. In this case, the color of the lamps sequentially arranged from the left end can be changed so that the number of lamps to be lit increases and the lamp color to be lit changes as the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 increases.

  More specifically, for example, when the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 is 30 to 40 degrees, the blue lamps on the left ends of the indicator lamps 33a and 33b are lit, and when the rotation angle is 45 to 60 degrees, the green lamps are turned on. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which is lit. Further, based on a signal from the pressure-sensitive sensor 30 or the speed sensor 31, the color of the lamp that is turned on for each game ball to be fired may be changed.

The display means is not limited to an example in which a plurality of indicator lamps 33a and 33b are sequentially arranged in the right direction from the left end on the upper portion of the guide rail 21. For example, a display unit depicting a board surface of a gaming machine is used as a gaming board 6 It is also possible to provide an indicator lamp on this display portion and turn on the indicator lamp at a required location from the end, or change the color of the lamp provided on the base of the game board. It is also possible to provide an indicator lamp on the rail decoration using an LED substrate.
In these cases, as the indicator lamp, a liquid crystal display can be used in addition to the lamp, and various embodiments can be adopted, and the above-described embodiments can be appropriately changed.
In addition, the display by the indicator lamps 33a and 33b can execute various lighting patterns in conjunction with various effects displayed on the variable display device 100 controlled by the symbol control device 61 as well as the lamp color change. May be.
In addition, when the display unit is formed by an LED substrate, the remaining number of prepaid cards for purchasing a game ball, the player's body temperature, the current time, etc., based on a signal from a touch sensor or the like operated by the player Various information may be switched and displayed.

  The indicator lights 33a and 33b are usually provided in the upper half area of the game board. The lower area of the game board is used for other purposes such as stickers for advertising, etc., and the board surface may be difficult to see. desirable.

  In this embodiment, when the detection signal output from the rotation angle detector 35 is sent to the main control device 50, the main control device 50 sends the control command information of the indicator lamps 33a and 33b to the lamp control device 62. Then, the lamp controller 62 turns on the indicator lamps 33a and 33b based on the command. In this way, the lighting state of the indicator lamps 33a and 33b is controlled according to the numerical value of the rotation angle of the operation handle 8, so that the player can recognize the change in the position of the rotation handle 8.

  When it is advantageous to launch the game ball to the right side of the front center of the game board from the viewpoint of the game situation (for example, a winning tulip on the right side of the game board is open), the indicator light 33a , 33b may be displayed with a specific display instructing “right-handed” to inform the player that the player should be “right-handed”.

As another embodiment, the detection signal 36 indicating the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 is sent to a drive circuit (not shown) of the indicator lamps 33a and 33b independent as a command voltage without using the main controller 50. You may comprise so that it may input directly. In this case, the command voltage is displayed in accordance with the lighting signal sent to the lamp driving circuit 62 by forming a number of lighting signals according to the numerical value of the rotation angle information of the operation handle 8 output by 4 bits, for example. Lights 33a and 33b
Can be lit. In this method, the number of lighting signals corresponding to the numerical value of the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 is formed by a decoder built in the drive circuits of the indicator lamps 33a and 33b, and the numerical value of the rotation angle information of the operation handle 8 is generated by this lighting signal. The number of indicator lamps 33a and 33b corresponding to the number is turned on.

(Notification of the operation handle angle by the change of sound effect)
When the detection signal of the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 is input to the main control device 50 as described above, the main control device 50 sends a control command to the sound control device 63, and the sound generation device is accompanied with the release of the game ball. 12 can be controlled.

Specifically, the sound emitted from the game ball is generated by the sound processor of the sound generation device 12 and emitted as a sound effect from the sound generation device 12, and this sound effect is controlled by the sound control device 63. That is, as the value of the command voltage increases, the sound processor and the speaker are controlled so that the volume of the game ball emitted from the sound generator 12 increases and / or the timbre changes.
In this way, the speed at which the game ball is fired increases as the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 increases. However, since the sound of the game ball changes correspondingly, the player can easily rotate the operation handle 8. Change in angle can be recognized.

  As yet another embodiment, the position of an arbitrary operation handle 8 selected and determined by the player during the game may be stored. During the game, since the game ball is often launched aiming at a predetermined position on the game board, the position of the operation handle preferred by the player is naturally determined. In such a case, the player operates a switch (not shown) provided on the operation handle 8 so that the position of the operation handle 8 desired by the player is stored in the RAM 50c of the main controller 50. . The stored position of the handle is compared with the position detected by the handle position detecting means, and it is detected whether or not they match. When the position of the operation handle 8 does not match the stored position, It is possible to notify that the notification sound is generated or the generated sound is changed and the position of the operation handle 8 is deviated from the predetermined position. The switch is not necessarily provided on the operation handle 8, and may be provided on a part of the gaming machine near the operation handle 8.

Hereinafter, notification based on other parameters related to the rotational position of the operation handle will be described.
(Notification of operation handle angle by pressure sensor)
In this embodiment, a pressure sensor 30 is provided at a location where a game ball launched from the game ball launch drive device 7 collides to detect the repulsive force of the game ball, and based on this, the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 is determined. As shown.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pressure-sensitive sensor 30 is provided in a game ball return prevention valve 13a provided at the tip of the guide rail 21, and a game ball launched from the game ball launching device 7 is played back by the game ball return prevention valve 13a. Measure the pressure at the time of impact. According to such a pressure-sensitive sensor 30, since the pressure immediately before the game ball is launched into the game area 1a is detected, a parameter closely related to the position at which the game ball is launched can be obtained. .
The pressure sensor 30 may be one that reads and outputs a digitized sensor output from an analog-digital converter, and in this case, corresponds to an output signal value such as an output voltage of the pressure sensor 30. The digital signal can be converted in accordance with the display method in the indicator lamps 33a and 33b.

In this example, the increase / decrease of the rotation angle is not directly displayed on the display means based on the measured value of the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 but is proportional to the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 in the normal use range. The display means is controlled based on the measured value of the pressure-sensitive sensor 30 in That is, information indicating a numerical value corresponding to the output of the pressure-sensitive sensor 30 is output to the lamp control device 62 that is a drive control device of the indicator lamps 33a and 33b.
Further, this notification based on the measurement value of the pressure sensor 30 may be executed by the change of the sound effect as described above.

(Notification of operation handle angle by speed sensor)
As shown in FIG. 2, you may make it provide the speed sensor 31 which measures the speed of the game ball launched from a launching device. The speed sensor 31 is provided in the vicinity of the position where the game ball of the guide rail 21 passes, and the method is not particularly limited as long as the speed of the game ball can be measured.

The speed sensor 31 is normally provided in place of the pressure sensor 30 described above, but may be provided together with the pressure sensor 30. It is provided to measure the velocity of the game ball that has been launched from the firing drive 7 and passed through the guide rail 21.
The speed of the game ball measured by the speed sensor 31 is converted into a digital signal corresponding to an output signal value such as an output voltage in accordance with the display method in the indicator lamps 33a and 33b, as in the case of the pressure sensor 30 described above. You may do it.

In this embodiment, the speed of the game ball that is proportional to the rotation angle of the operation handle 8 is detected in the normal use range, and the angular position of the operation handle 8 is indicated based on this. is there.
This notification based on the measurement value of the speed sensor 30 may be executed by changing the sound effect as described above.

  The above-described rotation angle detection means (scale, rotation angle detector, pressure sensor and speed sensor), notification means (indicator lamp, sound) and display means (lamp, liquid crystal, etc.) of the operation handle 8 are appropriately combined. Can be implemented.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the indicator lights 33a and 33b which are position information display means are provided in the game area where no nails, accessories or the like are provided. Therefore, in the manufacture of the game board surface, a hole can be formed at a place where the indicator lamps 33a and 33b are to be installed, and the indicator lamps 33a and 33b can be embedded in the hole. And in the case of the game board which does not need to provide the indicator lights 33a and 33b, the hole part is plugged up with a board etc. without providing this, and the game board surface without an indicator light can be manufactured.
In this way, it is possible to share parts (game board surface, etc.) between the game board provided with the indicator lamp and the game board not provided with the indicator light.

  According to the gaming machine of the present embodiment, the player can perceive the position of the operation handle visually or auditorily, so that even a beginner can easily control the arrival position of the launched game ball. And it increases the fun of the game itself.

It is a whole perspective view of the gaming machine of the present invention. It is an enlarged view of the game board provided in the gaming machine. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of a gaming machine. It is a figure which shows the example of the operation handle with which the scale which shows a rotation angle was attached | subjected. It is a figure which shows the example of the operation handle provided with the rotation angle detector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Game machine 1a Game area 2 Sauce tray 3 Outer frame 4 Table frame 5 Window frame 6 Game board 7 Launch drive device 8 Operation handle 9 Window unit 11 Decoration lamp 12 Sound generator 13b Game ball regulation rail 14 Guide rail 18 Normal symbol display device (LED display device)
20 hinge 21 guide rail 25 general winning device 26 start chucker 27 large winning opening 28 winning device 30 pressure sensor 31 speed sensor 33a indicator lamp 33b indicator lamp 35 rotation angle detector 36 detection signal 38 scale 50 main controller 60 sub controller 62 Lamp control device 63 Voice control device 100 Variable display device

Claims (8)

In a gaming machine comprising a gaming board in which a gaming area is formed, and a launch driving device for a gaming ball that launches the gaming ball in the gaming area,
A gaming machine having a fatigue reduction function, characterized by comprising position information display means for causing a player to recognize position information of an operation handle that adjusts the batting force of a game ball by the firing drive device.   The position information display means includes a display of the position of the operation handle, a display of impact force when the launched game ball collides with a predetermined location in the game board, and a display of the speed of the launched game ball. The gaming machine having a fatigue reduction function according to claim 1, wherein one or two or more are displayed.   A pressure-sensitive sensor is provided in the course of the game ball launched by the launch drive device, and the impact force when the game ball collides with the pressure-sensitive sensor is measured. Based on the measurement result, the display by the position information display means A gaming machine having a fatigue reduction function according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine has a fatigue reduction function.   The speed of the game ball is measured by a speed sensor provided at a position where all of the game balls launched by the launch driving device pass, and the position information display means displays based on the measurement result. A gaming machine provided with the fatigue reducing function according to claim 1.   The fatigue according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a handle position is displayed on the position information display means based on a detection result of the operation handle position by a position detection means for detecting the position of the operation handle. A gaming machine with a mitigation function.   Storage means for storing the position of the operation handle determined by the player, and if the position of the handle stored by the storage means does not match the position detected by the position detection means, the position information display 6. A gaming machine having a fatigue reduction function according to claim 5, wherein notification is provided by means.   The position information display means is one or more of a scale attached to the operation handle, lighting of an indicator lamp provided in the gaming machine, and a change in sound emitted from sound generating means provided in the gaming machine. A gaming machine having a fatigue reduction function according to any one of claims 2 to 6.   The position information display means is provided with a hole in a blank portion in the game area where a nail, an accessory or the like is not provided, and when the position information display means is unnecessary, the position information display means is A gaming machine having a gaming fatigue reduction function according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the gaming board has a hole closed without being provided.

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