JP2007000247A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of enhancing the presentation effect with illumination, and reducing the power consumption of a display lamp. <P>SOLUTION: An illumination display part 40 comprises a plurality of PWM-controllable LEDs, which are mounted on LED boards 41b, 42c, ..., 47b. A CPU of a presentation control board 80 lights the LEDs at a prescribed grade of luminance selected from a plurality of grades of luminance gradation by retaining the pulse period at a constant value and PWM-controlling the LEDs with a prescribed duty ratio. Accordingly, the presentation display with the LEDs can be executed at the appropriate luminance corresponding to the use situation of the game machine. If the LEDs are PWM-controlled with the duty ratio set at 70%, for example, the power consumption can be reduced while the LEDs are lighted with approximately the same luminance as when the LEDs are simply controlled to be turned on. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a pachinko gaming machine or a revolving-type gaming machine that produces a game by performing display control such as lighting a plurality of display lamps according to the gaming situation or the like. .

  In general, a gaming machine such as a pachinko gaming machine or a swivel type gaming machine includes a main control board, an effect control board, an image display unit, an electrical display unit, and a speaker unit. The electrical display unit is composed of a plurality of display lamps (display elements), and performs a game effect by performing a lighting display. For example, a light emitting diode is used as the display lamp. The main control board mainly controls game content and game media payout control. The production control board mainly controls the production of the game. That is, the effect control board determines the contents of the game based on a command (command signal) from the main control board, and controls the image display unit, the electrical display unit, and the speaker according to the determined contents of the game. To do. In particular, when performing a game effect by electrical decoration, the performance control board generates a drive pulse at a predetermined lighting timing and transmits it to the electrical display unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-17968 A

  By the way, in said prior art, the production control board is carrying out lighting display control of the some light emitting diode contained in an electrical-decoration display part by the combination of ON control and OFF control. For this reason, at the time of lighting, the brightness of the light-emitting diode is constant, and it is difficult to cause the illumination display unit to produce a game with increased brightness variations. In addition, since the maximum current is always supplied to the light emitting diode during lighting, there is a problem that the life of the light emitting diode is shortened and the power consumption is large.

  The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can enhance the effect of electric decoration and reduce the power consumption of the display element. .

  In order to achieve the above object, a gaming machine according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of display elements that produce a game by lighting display, and a pulse width corresponding to a predetermined pulse period for these display elements. Control means for lighting and displaying the display element at a brightness selected from a plurality of brightness gradation levels by performing pulse width modulation control by selecting a ratio of the desired ratio. Is.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the gaming machine according to the first aspect, the plurality of display elements include a single color light emitting display element and a multicolor light emitting display element, and the control means includes The monochromatic light emitting display element and the multicolor light emitting display element are controlled by the pulse width modulation so that the single color light emitting display element and the multicolor light emitting display element are lit with substantially the same luminance. Is.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the gaming machine according to the first or second aspect, in the case where the control means performs the pulse width modulation control on the plurality of display elements, the pulse period includes a lighting time and a light-off time. It is characterized by maintaining a constant value regardless of the ratio of.

  In the gaming machine according to the present invention, for each display element, the control means selects the duty ratio, which is a ratio of the pulse width with respect to a predetermined pulse period, to a desired value and performs pulse width modulation control to thereby display the display element. Is lit and displayed at a luminance selected from a plurality of luminance gradations. For this reason, the luminance of the display element can be set to an arbitrary value by changing the duty ratio, so that the display element can perform an effect expression with an appropriate luminance according to the use situation of the gaming machine. Can do. Therefore, the variation of the production | presentation by a display element can be increased, and the production effect by electrical decoration can be heightened. In addition, for example, when a light emitting diode is used as the display element, generally, when the duty ratio is set to 70% or more, the luminance of the display element hardly changes compared to when the duty ratio is set to 100%. For this reason, by setting the duty ratio to 70%, for example, and performing pulse width modulation control of the display element, the display element is lit with substantially the same brightness as that when performing simple ON control, and the power consumption of the display element is increased. As a result, the lifetime of the display element can be extended.

  In particular, when the plurality of display elements include, for example, a single color light emitting display element and a multicolor light emitting display element, the control means includes a single color light emitting display element and a multicolor light emitting display element. The monochromatic light emitting display element and the multicolor light emitting display element may be subjected to pulse width modulation control so that they are lit with substantially the same luminance. Accordingly, it is possible to produce an effect that the display element for monochromatic light emission and the display element for multicolor light emission are lit with substantially the same luminance, and the power consumption of the display element can be reduced.

  The control means may maintain the pulse period at a constant value regardless of the ratio between the lighting time and the light-off time when performing pulse width modulation control for a plurality of display elements. As a result, the control means can perform effect control as if ON-OFF control is being performed while performing pulse width modulation control, so that the display element can perform effects more varied. Can be made.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the gaming machine. Here, a case where the gaming machine is a so-called pachislot machine called a pachislot machine will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spinning cylinder type game machine of the present embodiment includes a first spinning reel 11 a, a second spinning reel 11 b, a third spinning reel 11 c, a display window 12, and medal insertion. Entry 13, credit number display section 14, MAX bet button 15, one-throw-in button 16, bet-number display section 17, start lever 18, first stop button 19a, second stop button 19b, third Stop button 19c, checkout button 21, payout number display unit 22, medal discharge port 23, medal tray 24, image display unit 30, electrical display unit 40, speaker unit 50, and inserted medal detection sensor 61, a MAX bet button operation detection sensor 62, a single-load button operation detection sensor 63, a start lever operation detection sensor 64, a first stop button operation detection sensor 65a, and a second stop button operation. Detection sensor 65b, third stop button operation detection sensor 65c, first cylinder reel driving means 66a, second cylinder reel driving means 66b, third cylinder reel driving means 66c, main control board 70, and production control A substrate 80 and an electrical decoration display sub-control unit 90 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a first spinning reel 11a, a second spinning reel 11b, and a third spinning reel 11c are disposed slightly above the central portion of the spinning cylinder game machine. Each spinning reel 11a, 11b, 11c has a symbol row in which a plurality of symbols are arranged in a row, and is configured to be rotatable. The first cylinder reel 11a is driven by the first cylinder reel driving means 66a, the second cylinder reel 11b is driven by the second cylinder reel driving means 66b, and the third cylinder reel 11c is driven the third time. It is driven by the drum reel driving means 66c. Here, as each spinning reel drive means 66a, 66b, 66c, for example, a stepping motor is used. Control of these spinning reel drive means 66 a, 66 b and 66 c is performed by the main control board 70.

  The symbols arranged on each reel 11a, 11b, 11c include, for example, a red number “7” symbol, a blue number “7” symbol, a BAR symbol, a replay symbol, a watermelon symbol, a bell symbol, a cherry symbol, etc. is there. A total of 21 of these symbols are arranged on the outer periphery of each spinning reel 11a, 11b, 11c. Further, the number of symbols and the arrangement order of symbols differ for each of the spinning reels 11a, 11b, and 11c.

  The display window 12 is a transparent window provided at a position corresponding to the reel reels 11a, 11b, and 11c. As shown in FIG. 1, when the player stops the first reel reel 11a, the second reel reel 11b, and the third reel reel 11c, the player moves the reel reels 11a, 11b, and 11c from the display window 12. The three attached symbols can be visually observed.

  The medal slot 13 is an slot for a player to insert a medal (game medium). The inserted medal detection sensor 61 is provided inside the medal insertion slot 13 and detects that a medal has been inserted into the medal insertion slot 13. A detection signal from the inserted medal detection sensor 61 is sent to the main control board 70.

  A credit number display unit 14 is provided immediately below the display window 12. The credit number display unit 14 displays the medal credit number (stored number) within a predetermined range (for example, within 50 cards). When a medal is inserted from the medal slot 13, the main control board 70 counts and stores the number of credits increased from the current number of credits based on the signal from the inserted medal detection sensor 61. And displayed on the credit number display unit 14. Further, when a predetermined combination is established in the game, the main control board 70 adds the number of medals to be paid out corresponding to the combination to the current credit number, and displays the added number on the credit number display unit 14. Let

  The MAX bet button 15 and the single insertion button 16 are game instruction means for instructing to bet medals and play a game (game), and are provided on the lower left side of the display window 12. The MAX bet button 15 is a button for selecting to play a game with three medals, and the one-sheet insertion button 16 is for selecting to play a game with one, two or three medals. It is a button to do. Specifically, by pressing the one-sheet insertion button 16 once, it is selected to play a game with one medal, and when the one-sheet insertion button 16 is pressed twice, two medals are bet. Is selected, and by pressing the one-piece insertion button 16 three times, it is selected to play a game with three medals bet. In other words, pressing the single-load button 16 three times is the same as pressing the MAX bet button 15 once. The MAX bet button operation detection sensor 62 detects that the MAX bet button 15 has been pressed, and the one-sheet insertion button operation detection sensor 63 detects that the one-sheet insertion button 16 has been pressed. Detection signals from the sensors 62 and 63 are sent to the main control board 70. Thereby, the main control board 70 can recognize how many medals are bet to play the game.

  A bet number display section 17 is provided immediately below the left side of the display window 12. The bet number display unit 17 displays the number of medals bet in the game. Specifically, when the one-piece insertion button 16 is pressed once, the main control board 70 turns on the lamp corresponding to the “one” portion of the bet number display section 17. When the one-sheet insertion button 16 is pressed twice, the main control board 70 turns on the lamp corresponding to the “two” portion of the bet number display portion 17. When the one-sheet insertion button 16 is pressed three times or the MAX bet button 15 is pressed, the main control board 70 turns on the lamp corresponding to the “three” portion of the bet number display portion 17.

  In the present embodiment, six winning lines are set for stopping the three reel reels 11a, 11b, and 11c and aligning predetermined symbols. That is, three lines extending in the horizontal direction through each of the upper, middle and lower portions of the display window 12, lines extending from the upper left to the lower right of the display window 12, and from the lower left to the upper right of the display window 12. And a line extending from the middle of the left portion of the display window 12 toward the middle of the central portion and extending from the middle of the central portion toward the lower right. The effective winning line varies depending on how many medals are bet. When a game is played with one medal bet, only one winning line extending in the horizontal direction through the center of the display window 12 is an effective winning line. When a game is played with two medals bet, only three winning lines extending in the horizontal direction through the upper, middle and lower parts of the display window 12 are effective winning lines. When a game is played with three medals, all six pay lines are valid pay lines. When the three reel reels 11a, 11b, and 11c are stopped, when a predetermined symbol is aligned on an effective winning line among the six winning lines and a predetermined combination is established, the game is won, and a predetermined number of Medals are paid out.

  The start lever 18 is operated by the player to instruct to start the game. The number of medals necessary for one game is inserted from the medal insertion slot 13, or the MAX bet button 15 is operated in a state where the number of medals necessary for one game has already been credited, or one The start lever 18 can be operated by performing any one of the required operations of the sheet insertion button 16. Here, one game starts when the start lever 18 is operated, and ends when all the three stop buttons 19a, 19b, and 19c are pressed. The start lever operation detection sensor 64 detects that the start lever 18 has been operated. When the start lever operation detection sensor 64 detects that the start lever 18 has been operated, it sends a game start signal to the main control board 70. The main control board 70 receives a game start signal from the start lever operation detection sensor 64 when receiving a signal from any one of the insertion medal detection sensor 61, the MAX bet button operation detection sensor 62, and the one-sheet insertion button operation detection sensor 63. When a game start signal is received, a game start process is performed after a predetermined time (4.1 seconds) has elapsed since the last game start signal was received. Specifically, the main control board 70 acquires a random number value, performs a lottery process for a role based on the random number value, and starts rotating the three reel reels 11a, 11b, and 11c.

  The first stop button 19a is for instructing to stop the rotation operation of the first drum reel 11a, and the second stop button 19b is for instructing to stop the rotation operation of the second drum reel 11b. The third stop button 19c is for instructing to stop the rotation operation of the third drum reel 11c. The first stop button operation detection sensor 65a detects that the first stop button 19a is pressed, and the second stop button operation detection sensor 65b detects that the second stop button 19b is pressed. The third stop button operation detection sensor 65c detects that the third stop button 19c has been pressed. Detection signals from the respective stop button operation detection sensors 65a, 65b, 65c are sent to the main control board 70. When receiving the detection signals from the stop button operation detection sensors 65a, 65b, and 65c, the main control board 70 stops the rotation operation of the spinning reel corresponding to the stop button operation detection sensor by a predetermined control method. Thus, when the three spinning reels 11a, 11b, and 11c are stopped, a combination is established if the symbols attached to the spinning reels 11a, 11b, and 11c are in a specific combination on the effective winning line. Will do.

  The types of roles are roughly classified into big roles (bonuses) that are big hits and small roles that are big hits. For example, a big bonus (BB), which is a role when a red number “7” symbol or a blue number “7” symbol (BB symbol) is aligned on a valid winning line, In addition, there is a regular bonus (RB) that is a combination when the symbol “BAR” (RB symbol) is aligned on an effective winning line. When becoming a major player, the spinning-type gaming machine shifts to a gaming state advantageous to the player. For example, when BB is established, 15 medals are paid out, and the player enters a BB game where the player can acquire the largest amount of medals. When the RB is established, 15 medals are paid out, and after the BB game, the player enters an RB game where a large amount of medals can be obtained.

  On the other hand, the small role includes, for example, a role when watermelon symbols are aligned on an effective winning line (watermelon small role), and a role when bell symbols are aligned on an effective winning line (bell small role). , There is a role (cherry small role) when it stops at the left position on the winning line where the cherry symbol is valid. When such a small combination is established, a predetermined number of medals are paid out. In addition, there is a role (replay) when the replay symbols are aligned on a valid winning line. If this replay is established, the revolving game machine will automatically put in the re-playing state, that is, the same number of medals bet on this game, and the player will not insert a new medal. Then, the game can be played again. In this embodiment, since replay does not pay out medals, replay is not included in the small role, but setting of the number of bets for the next game, that is, no new medal insertion operation is required, Assuming that the used medals are paid out, it is possible to treat the replay as a small role. Further, if the symbols constituting the winning combination are not aligned on the effective winning line, the winning combination is lost.

  The number-of-payout display unit 22 displays the number of medals to be paid out in accordance with the established combination. The main control board 70 controls the payout number display unit 22. For example, when the player presses the clearing button 21, the number of medals corresponding to the number of credits at that time is released from the medal outlet 23. The medal tray 24 is a tray for accumulating medals discharged from the medal discharge port 23.

  The image display unit 30 is provided on the upper side of the display window 12. In the present embodiment, a liquid crystal display device is used as the image display unit 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image display unit 30 includes a liquid crystal panel 31 and a liquid crystal control board 32 that controls the liquid crystal panel 31. The image display unit 30 variably displays images of a plurality of characters, numbers, figures, characters, and the like, thereby performing the advance notice of the winning combination, notification of predetermined information, and other game effects. For example, a premium effect for notifying the jackpot confirmation is performed, or the types of symbols to be aligned on an effective winning line are announced. The control of the image display unit 30 is performed by the effect control board 80 based on a command (command signal) from the main control board 70.

  The electrical decoration display unit 40 notifies various game states or provides a game effect by lighting a plurality of display lamps (display elements). In this embodiment, a light-emitting diode (hereinafter also referred to as “LED”) is used as a display lamp. Such light-emitting diodes can be controlled by pulse width modulation (hereinafter also referred to as “PWM”). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrical display unit 40 includes a top LED unit 41a, a top LED substrate 41b, a left upper LED unit 42a, a left side LED unit 42b, and a left side LED substrate 42c. The upper right LED unit 43a, the right side LED unit 43b, the right side LED substrate 43c, the left panel LED unit 44a, the left panel LED substrate 44b, the right panel LED unit 45a, and the right panel LED substrate 45b, It has a left operation unit LED unit 46a, a left operation unit LED board 46b, a right operation unit LED unit 47a, and a right operation unit LED board 47b.

  The top LED unit 41a is provided on the back side of the front door and at the upper part of the outer periphery thereof. The top LED unit 41a is composed of a plurality of single color LEDs. Specifically, it is composed of 60 red LEDs. The top LED unit 41a is mounted on the top LED substrate 41b. In this embodiment, five LEDs are used as a control unit, and LEDs included in the same control unit are subjected to simultaneous control. In other words, by controlling the five LEDs with a 1-bit signal, the five LEDs perform lighting display with exactly the same contents. The five LEDs that are the unit of simultaneous control are referred to as “one block”. Therefore, the top LED unit 41a is composed of 12 blocks of red light emitting LEDs, and the top LED substrate 41b is provided with 12 control signal input terminals corresponding to the 12 blocks.

  The upper left LED unit 42a is provided on the back side of the front door and on the upper left side of the outer periphery. The upper left LED unit 42a is composed of one block of monochromatic (red) light emitting LEDs. The left side LED unit 42b is provided on the back side of the front door and on the left side of the outer periphery thereof. The left side LED unit 42b is composed of five blocks of three-color (red, green, blue) light emitting LEDs. The upper left LED unit 42a and the left side LED unit 42b are mounted on the left side LED substrate 42c. Since the lighting display control for multi-color LEDs is performed for each emission color, 15 (= 5 × 3) bit signals are required for the lighting display control of the five blocks of three-color LEDs. is there. Therefore, the left side LED board 42c has one control signal input terminal for controlling the upper left LED unit 42a and 15 control signal input terminals for controlling the left side LED unit 42b. A total of 16 control signal input terminals are provided.

  The upper right LED unit 43a is provided on the back side of the front door and on the upper right side of the outer periphery thereof. The upper right LED unit 43a is composed of one block of monochromatic (red) light emitting LEDs. The right side LED unit 43b is provided on the back side of the front door and on the right side of the outer periphery thereof. The right side LED unit 43b is composed of five blocks of three-color (red, green, blue) light emitting LEDs. The upper right LED unit 43a and the right side LED unit 43b are mounted on the right side LED substrate 43c. The right side LED board 43c has one control signal input terminal for controlling the upper right LED unit 43a and 15 control signal input terminals for controlling the right side LED unit 43b. A total of 16 control signal input terminals are provided.

  The left panel LED unit 44a is provided behind the front door and inside the left side LED unit 42b. Specifically, five panel portions are formed on the left side of the display window 12, and a left panel LED unit 44a is provided in a portion corresponding to the panel portion. The left panel LED unit 44a is composed of 5 blocks of monochromatic (red) light emitting LEDs. Here, the 25 red light-emitting LEDs constituting the left panel LED unit 44a are provided at positions corresponding to the respective panel portions along the vertical direction for each block. The left panel LED unit 44a is mounted on the left panel LED substrate 44b, and the left panel LED substrate 44b is provided with five control signal input terminals.

  The right panel LED unit 45a is provided behind the front door and inside the right side LED unit 43b. Specifically, three panel portions are formed on the right side of the display window 12, and a right panel LED unit 45a is provided in a portion corresponding to the panel portion. The right panel LED unit 45a is composed of three blocks of monochromatic (red) light emitting LEDs. Here, the 15 red light emitting LEDs constituting the right panel LED unit 45a are provided at positions corresponding to the respective panel portions along the vertical direction for each block. The right panel LED unit 45a is mounted on the right panel LED substrate 45b, and three control signal input terminals are provided on the right panel LED substrate 45b.

  The left operation unit LED unit 46a is provided on the back side of the front door and on the left central portion of the outer periphery thereof. That is, it is provided in the vicinity of the start lever 18 operated by the player. The left operation unit LED unit 46a includes two blocks of monochromatic (red) light emitting LEDs. The left operation unit LED unit 46a is mounted on the left operation unit LED board 46b, and two control signal input terminals are provided on the left operation unit LED board 46b.

  The right operation unit LED unit 47a is provided on the back side of the front door and on the right center portion of the outer periphery thereof. That is, it is provided in the vicinity of the third stop button 19c operated by the player. The right operation unit LED unit 47a includes two blocks of monochromatic (red) light emitting LEDs. The right operation unit LED unit 47a is mounted on the right operation unit LED board 47b, and two control signal input terminals are provided on the right operation unit LED board 47b.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, several LED contained in the electrical decoration display part 40 is divided into several groups (display group). FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of LED grouping. In the example of FIG. 3, the plurality of LEDs are divided into four groups from the viewpoint of whether the LEDs are monochromatic light emission and where the LEDs are arranged. Specifically, a first group composed of single color LEDs arranged on the outer periphery of the front door, a second group composed of multicolor LEDs, and the inside of the first group. And a third group composed of monochromatic LEDs arranged on the left side of the display window 12 and a monochromatic LED arranged on the right side of the display window 12 inside the first group. Divided into a fourth group. That is, the top group includes the top LED unit 41a, the upper left LED unit 42a, the upper right LED unit 43a, the left operation unit LED unit 46a, and the right operation unit LED unit 47a. The left side LED unit 42b and the right side LED unit 43b belong to the second group. The left panel LED unit 44a belongs to the third group, and the right panel LED unit 45a belongs to the fourth group.

  Control of the illumination display unit 40 is performed by the effect control board 80 based on a command from the main control board 70. Specifically, the effect control board 80 creates a predetermined lighting command signal based on a command from the main control board 70, and transmits the lighting command signal to the illumination display sub-control unit 90. Here, the effect control board 80 creates a lighting command signal that controls the lighting display of a plurality of LEDs for each group. Then, based on the lighting command signal from the effect control board 80, the electrical display sub-control unit 90 performs lighting display control of the plurality of LEDs. Thereby, several LED can be made to produce in one collective pattern for every group. For this reason, in this embodiment, as above-mentioned, several LED is divided into four groups according to differences, such as properties, such as luminescent color, and an arrangement position. Specifically, the LEDs constituting the first group are allowed to perform a single game effect as a whole, such as notification of game status. Further, the LEDs constituting the second group are caused to produce a game effect by so-called full color lighting display. The LEDs constituting the third group and the LEDs constituting the fourth group are each lit and displayed with the contents drawn on the panel portion of the front door corresponding to the LEDs.

  The speaker unit 50 produces a game with sound. Control of the speaker unit 50 is performed by the effect control board 80 based on a command from the main control board 70. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the speaker unit 50 includes a first door speaker 51, a second door speaker 52, and a rear speaker 53. The first door speaker 51 and the second door speaker 52 are provided on the left side and the right side of the upper part on the back side of the front door, respectively. That is, in FIG. 1, the first door speaker 51 and the second door speaker 52 are circles drawn by dotted lines on the upper part of the front door. Further, the rear speaker 53 is provided on the back side of the swivel game machine.

  The main control board 70 mainly controls and manages game contents and medal payout. A plurality of integrated circuit elements are mounted on the main control board 70. Specifically, the main control board 70 includes a ROM 71, a RAM 72, and a CPU (game control means) 73 as shown in FIG. The ROM 71 stores various programs relating to game content control and the like. The RAM 72 is a working memory that temporarily stores data.

  The CPU 73 executes control of game content by executing a program stored in the ROM 71. For example, the CPU 73 performs a lottery process for a combination. Specifically, this lottery process is performed as follows. The ROM 71 stores a lottery table showing the correspondence between the combination and the random number value. When the CPU 73 receives a signal from the start lever operation detection sensor 64, the CPU 73 acquires a random value. Then, it is determined whether the acquired random number value corresponds to any combination in the lottery table, thereby determining whether the combination is incorrect or various types of combinations are selected. CPU 73 transmits a predetermined command to effect control board 80 in accordance with the lottery result.

  Further, the CPU 73 performs a reel control for driving and stopping the spinning reels 11a, 11b, and 11c. The reel control of the CPU 73 includes, for example, reel drive start control and reel drive stop control, as well as, for example, reel pull-in control performed when a winning combination is won, removal control performed when a winning combination is not won, and the like. is there.

  The reel pull-in control means that when a stop button is pressed, the symbol within the range of a predetermined number of frames (for example, 5 frames) from the symbol including the symbols on the winning line that is valid at the timing when the stop button is pressed. This means that when there is a symbol constituting a winning combination, the stop position of the spinning reel is controlled so that the symbol is drawn on the effective winning line. However, if there is no symbol that constitutes the relevant role within the range of the predetermined number of frames at the timing when the player presses the stop button, the reel pull-in control does not work, and the winning symbol is effective. Stop on line. Accordingly, at this time, the symbols constituting the winning combination are not aligned on the effective winning line, and the winning combination is not established.

  The off control means that the stop position of the reel is controlled so that no combination is established in the effective winning line. Therefore, in this case, even if the player presses the stop button aiming at a specific combination, no combination is established and the game result is lost.

  The CPU 73 also manages the gaming state. In the swivel type gaming machine of the present embodiment, the gaming state of the gaming machine is “a general gaming state when the BB is not operating”, “a BB internal state”, “an RB internal state”, or “a general game when the BB is operating”. Various game states such as “state” are set. The CPU 73 controls the transition of the gaming state based on the winning lottery result.

  Further, the CPU 73 performs processing for transmitting a command to the effect control board 80. There are many types of commands that are transmitted from the CPU 73 to the effect control board 80. For example, there are commands related to game effects (effect commands) created based on the result of the lottery process of the combination, commands (operation commands) created when a predetermined operation is performed by the player, and the like.

  In addition, various standards have been established for the spinning machine. One of the standards is that if 4.1 seconds have not elapsed since the start lever 18 was operated, the spinning reels 11a, 11b, and 11c do not rotate even if the start lever 18 is operated next time. For this reason, the CPU 73 performs drive start control of the spinning reels 11a, 11b, and 11c so as to conform to the standard. However, even if the start lever 18 is operated next within 4.1 seconds after the start lever 18 is operated, the CPU 73 detects the inserted medal detection sensor 61, the MAX bet button operation detection sensor 62, one piece. If a signal has already been received from any of the input button operation detection sensors 63, a lottery process based on a random number value is performed.

  Next, the effect control board 80 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the effect control board 80. The effect control board 80 mainly performs control related to game effects. A plurality of integrated circuit elements are mounted on the effect control board 80. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the effect control board 80 includes a ROM 81, a RAM 82, a CPU (effect control means) 83, a tone generator LSI 84, a tone generator data ROM 85, and a power amplifier 86. The ROM 81 stores various types of data such as various types of programs related to control of game effects, pattern data for image effects, and pattern data for electrical effects. The RAM 82 is a working memory that temporarily stores data. In the present embodiment, a CPU 83 having both a parallel communication function and a serial communication function is used. Further, the CPU 83 which is an effect control means corresponds to the control means of the present invention.

  The sound source LSI 84 has a plurality of channels for sending sound source data, and sends the sound source data stored in the sound source data ROM 85 to the speaker unit 50 through a predetermined channel to reproduce and output the sound. is there. The sound source data ROM 85 stores reproduction control data for each sound source data together with a plurality of sound source data. The reproduction control data is data for controlling the sound reproduction output of the speaker unit 50 by controlling the transmission of the sound source data in the sound source LSI 84. The power amplifier 86 amplifies the sound signal sent from the sound source LSI 84 and outputs it to the speaker unit 50.

Information is transmitted between a plurality of integrated circuit elements in the effect control board 80 by a bidirectional serial bus method. Here, the bidirectional serial bus method is a method in which information is sequentially transmitted bidirectionally via a transmission line capable of connecting a plurality of integrated circuit elements in parallel. In particular, in this embodiment, an I ² C bus (Inter-Integrated Circuit Bus) system is adopted as a bidirectional serial bus system.

  The CPU 83 controls the image display unit 30, the electrical display unit 40, and the speaker unit 50 by executing a program stored in the ROM 81. Specifically, when receiving an effect command from the main control board 70, the CPU 83 determines the contents of the effect of the game based on the effect command. Then, the CPU 83 reads out image effect pattern data corresponding to the determined effect content from the ROM 81 and sends it to the liquid crystal control board 32. Thereby, the liquid crystal control board 32 controls display of an image based on the image effect pattern data. Further, the CPU 83 reads the illumination effect pattern data corresponding to the determined effect content from the ROM 81, and then generates a predetermined lighting command signal based on the illumination effect pattern data. Then, the CPU 83 sends the generated lighting command signal to the electrical display sub-control unit 90 and controls the electrical display unit 40 via the electrical display sub-control unit 90. Furthermore, when the CPU 83 sends information about the determined effect contents to the sound source LSI 84, the sound source LSI 84 reads out sound source data and reproduction control data corresponding to the information from the sound source data ROM 85. The sound source LSI 84 controls the transmission of the sound source data based on the reproduction control data. The sound signal transmitted from the sound source LSI 84 is amplified by the power amplifier 86 and then output from the speaker unit 50.

The CPU 83 includes a communication control unit 83a. The communication control unit 83a is mainly for controlling communication performed by the I ² C protocol.

Next, the electrical display sub-control unit 90 will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the electrical display sub-control unit 90. The electrical display sub-control unit 90 plays a role of assisting the control for the electrical display unit 40 in the control of the game effect performed by the effect control board 80. Specifically, the electrical display sub-control unit 90 controls lighting / extinguishing of the electrical display unit 40 based on a lighting command signal sent from the effect control board 80. As shown in FIG. 5, the electrical display sub-control unit 90 includes four substrates 91a, 91b, 91c, and 91d. A plurality of integrated circuit elements such as an LED dimmer 92 are mounted on each of the four substrates 91a, 91b, 91c, and 91d. Here, in each substrate 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d in FIG. 5, only the LED dimmer 92 is shown, and other integrated circuit elements are omitted. In the present embodiment, PCA9552 manufactured by PHILIPS is used as the LED dimmer 92. In each substrate 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d, information is transmitted between the plurality of integrated circuit elements by a bidirectional serial bus method. Also in this case, the I ² C bus method is adopted as the bidirectional serial bus method.

In the present embodiment, in the effect control board 80 and the boards 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d of the electric display display sub-control unit 90, signal transmission between a plurality of integrated circuit elements is performed by the I ² C bus method. As a result, signal transmission between the effect control board 80 and each of the boards 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d of the lighting control sub-control unit 90 is performed by a serial communication method. Therefore, the effect control board 80 and the boards 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d of the electrical display sub-control unit 90 are connected by serial wiring. In particular, in this embodiment, an I ² C bus developed by Philips is used as the serial wiring, and the production control board 80 and the boards 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d of the electrical display sub-control unit 90 are connected to each other. In the meantime, signals are transmitted by the I ² C bus method.

The I ² C bus is generally a bidirectional bus with a simple structure composed of two wires (signal transmission lines). In other words, the I ² C bus is composed of only two bus lines, a serial data line (SDA) and a serial clock line (SCL). A plurality of devices such as circuit boards and integrated circuit elements can be arranged in parallel on the bus line. In addition, since each device connected to the I ² C bus has a unique address, the device can be addressed by software by using the unique address. Further, such an I ² C bus has various advantages such as efficient control between integrated circuit elements, maximum hardware efficiency, and simplification of the circuit. is there.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, two sets of I ² C bus lines, that is, a first SDA and a first SCL, are provided between the effect control board 80 and the electrical display sub-control unit 90. A second SDA and a second SCL are provided. In addition, the effect control board 80 has two sets of input / output ports for sending a lighting command signal to the electrical display sub-control unit 90. The two sets of input / output ports of the effect control board 80 are connected to the first SDA and the first SCL, the second SDA and the second SCL, respectively. On the other hand, the input ports of the two boards 91a and 91b of the electrical display sub-control unit 90 are connected to the first SDA and the first SCL, respectively, and the input ports of the two boards 91c and 91d are the second SDA and the second SDA, respectively. Connected to the second SCL. As described above, two sets of I ² C bus lines are provided between the effect control board 80 and the electrical display sub-control unit 90, and the wiring as described above is applied from the effect control board 80. This is to increase the transmission speed of signals to the substrates 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d of the decoration display sub-control unit 90. As a matter of course, the effect control board 80 and the electrical decoration display sub-control unit 90 may be connected using only a set of I ² C bus lines.

  In the present embodiment, signal transmission is performed between the main control board 70 and the effect control board 80 by a parallel communication method.

  Next, the LED dimmer 92 mounted on each of the substrates 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d of the electrical display sub-control unit 90 will be described in detail.

  The LED dimmer 92 serves as a drive control unit that drives and controls lighting of a plurality of LEDs based on a lighting command signal from the effect control board 80. As the LED dimmer 92, one that can output a 16-bit signal is used. The connections between the boards 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d of the electrical display sub-control unit 90 and the boards 41b, 42c, 43c, 44b, 45b, 46b, 47b of the electrical display 40 are electrical displays. It is determined in consideration of the convenience of wiring, such as connecting the substrates in the vicinity of the arrangement positions of the substrates of the unit 40 to one substrate of the sub-control unit 90 for electrical display. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the 16 output terminals of the LED dimmer 92 mounted on the board 91a of the electrical display sub-control unit 90 are each 16 pieces provided on the right side LED board 43c. Connected to the control signal input terminal. Here, the 16 control signal input terminals include one control signal input terminal for the upper right LED unit 43a and 15 control signal input terminals for the right side LED unit 43b. The 16 output terminals of the LED dimmer 92 mounted on the board 91b are connected to 16 control signal input terminals provided on the left side LED board 42c, respectively. Here, the 16 control signal input terminals include one control signal input terminal for the upper left LED unit 42a and 15 control signal input terminals for the left side LED unit 42b. Further, the 16 output terminals of the LED dimmer 92 mounted on the board 91c are respectively 12 control signal input terminals provided on the top LED board 41b, and 2 pieces provided on the left operation unit LED board 46b. Control signal input terminals and two control signal input terminals provided on the right operation unit LED board 47b. Further, 8 output terminals out of 16 output terminals of the LED dimmer 92 mounted on the board 91d are respectively 5 control signal input terminals provided on the left panel LED board 44b, and a right panel LED board. It is connected to three control signal input terminals provided at 45b.

  In the present embodiment, the LED display unit 40 includes a plurality of LEDs that can be PWM-controlled, and the LED dimmer 92 is based on a lighting command signal sent from the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 in block units. For each LED, ON control, OFF control, or PWM control can be performed. The ON control is simply control that keeps the LED on, and the OFF control is control that simply keeps the LED off. The PWM control is a control for outputting a driving pulse signal to the LED and changing the lighting time of each LED in accordance with the pulse width. That is, the LED is turned on when the pulse signal is ON, and the LED is turned off when the pulse signal is OFF. In order to perform such PWM control, the LED dimmer 92 includes a pulse oscillator that generates a pulse signal.

  In addition, the LED dimmer 92 is provided with a lighting control register that stores information necessary for controlling the lighting of the LEDs. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a lighting control register provided in the LED dimmer 92, and FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a pulse signal transmitted by the LED dimmer 92. As shown in FIG. 6, the lighting control register includes a first PSC setting register, a first PWM setting register, a second PSC setting register, and a second PWM setting register. And a control method setting register. The first PSC setting register and the first PWM setting register, and the second PSC setting register and the second PWM setting register are PWM control registers, respectively. That is, the LED dimmer 92 is provided with two sets of PWM control registers. The PSC setting register stores a register value (PSC) that determines a pulse period (pulse interval), and the PWM setting register stores a register value (PWM) that determines a duty ratio. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the duty ratio is the ratio of the pulse width to the pulse period, that is, the ratio of the time during which the LED is lit during the period of one pulse period. In the present embodiment, 8-bit registers are used as the first PSC setting register, the first PWM setting register, the second PSC setting register, and the second PWM setting register, respectively. Therefore, the register value PSC for determining the pulse period and the register value PWM for determining the duty ratio can be set in 256 steps from 0 to 255, respectively. Therefore, the pulse period and the duty ratio can be set in 256 stages. Specifically, the pulse period (sec) is calculated from the relational expression (PSC + 1) ÷ 160 based on the value PSC stored in the PSC setting register. For example, when PSC = 0, the pulse period is about 6 ms, and when PSC = 255, the pulse period is about 1.6 s. The duty ratio is calculated from a relational expression of PWM ÷ 256 based on the value PWM stored in the PWM setting register. For example, when PWM = 0, the duty ratio is 0%, and when PWM = 255, the duty ratio is about 99.6%.

  As described above, the duty ratio represents the ratio of the time to light the LED with respect to the pulse period. Now, let us consider a fixed pulse period (for example, about 6 ms). For example, it is assumed that the LED drive voltage is 12 V and the LED is PWM controlled with a duty ratio of 50%. In this case, it is felt to the human eye that the LED is lit with the same brightness (luminance) as when driven with a driving voltage of 6V. That is, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 can adjust the luminance of the LED by selecting the duty ratio to a desired value and performing PWM control on the LED. In particular, in the present embodiment, PWM can be set in 256 levels, so that the LED is lit and displayed at a predetermined level of brightness selected from 256 levels of brightness gradation by PWM control of the LED. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 performs PWM control of the LED while maintaining the pulse period at a constant value regardless of the ratio between the lighting time and the light-off time, that is, the duty ratio value. I have to. Thereby, with respect to the LED, it is possible to perform effect control as if ON-OFF control is being performed while performing PWM control. For this reason, it is possible to perform a variety of effects on the LEDs. By the way, when PWM control is performed, unless the pulse cycle is set as small as possible, lighting / extinguishing of LEDs can be easily identified by human eyes, and light from the LEDs flickers. If such flickering of light occurs, it is not possible to obtain a sufficient effect by electrical decoration. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent the light from the LED from flickering, when performing PWM control, the pulse period is about 6 ms (PSC = PSC = the minimum value that can be set by the LED dimmer 92). It is fixed to 0). As a result, a value of PSC = 0 is always stored in the first PSC setting register and the second PSC setting register. Note that the upper limit of the pulse period that can be seen by human eyes without flickering from the LED is considered to be about 0.02 s. Therefore, in general, it is desirable to set the pulse period to 0.02 s or less.

  In the control method setting register, a setting value is stored as to which of the ON control, the OFF control, and the PWM control is used for the lighting control for the LEDs connected to the respective output terminals of the LED dimmer 92. As the control method setting register, a register capable of storing 2-bit data for each of the 16 output terminals is used. That is, the control method setting register stores one of “00”, “01”, “10”, and “11” (binary value) for each output terminal. Specifically, the set value of “00” means that OFF control, that is, extinguishing control (duty ratio = 0%) is performed on the LED connected to the output terminal. A set value of “01” means that ON control, that is, lighting control (duty ratio = 100%) is performed on the LED connected to the output terminal. The setting value “10” means that the LED connected to the output terminal is subjected to PWM control according to the values stored in the first PSC setting register and the first PWM setting register. The set value of “11” means that the LED connected to the output terminal is subjected to PWM control according to the values stored in the second PSC setting register and the second PWM setting register.

  When the LED dimmer 92 performs the ON control on the LED, the content of the PWM control register is ignored, and an on signal is always generated from the pulse oscillator and transmitted to the LED. Similarly, when performing LED OFF control, the LED dimmer 92 ignores the contents of the PWM control register and always generates an OFF signal from the pulse oscillator and sends it to the LED. Further, when performing LED control on the LED, the LED dimmer 92 sets the pulse period and the duty ratio based on the values stored in one of the two PWM control registers. A pulse signal according to the obtained pulse period and duty ratio is generated from the pulse oscillator and sent to the LED. Therefore, when this LED dimmer 92 is used, PWM control using one of the two types of duty ratios can be performed for each LED.

In the present embodiment, the signal transmission between the effect control board 80 and the electrical display sub-control unit 90 is performed by the serial communication method using the I ² C bus. When the display unit 40 is controlled, a lighting command signal may be sent to each LED dimmer 92. Here, a command command is used as the lighting command signal. The lighting command signal transmitted from the CPU 83 to each LED dimmer 92 includes a first PSC setting value, a first PWM setting value, a second PSC setting value, and a second PWM setting value. And the setting value of the lighting control method for each LED. The setting value of the first PSC and the setting value of the first PWM are respectively stored in the first PSC setting register and the first PWM setting register of the LED dimmer 92, and the second PSC setting value and the first PWM setting value are stored. The set values of the second PWM are stored in the second PSC setting register and the second PWM setting register of the LED dimmer 92, respectively. Here, in this embodiment, the set values of the first and second PSC are always zero. Then, the setting value of the lighting control method for each LED is stored in the control method setting register of the LED dimmer 92.

  Next, the procedure of the process for controlling the lighting of each LED in the spinning cylinder game machine of the present embodiment will be described.

  When the effect command generated based on the result of the lottery process of the combination is sent from the main control board 70, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 determines the content of the game effect, and the electrical decoration corresponding to the determined content The effect pattern data is read from the ROM 81. And CPU83 produces | generates the lighting command signal for controlling the electrical decoration display part 40 based on the pattern data for electrical decoration effects. Here, the content for lighting display of a plurality of LEDs for each group is defined in the pattern data for electrical decoration effect. The lighting command signal includes the address of the LED dimmer 92, the first PSC setting value and the first PWM setting value, the second PSC setting value and the second PWM setting value, and each LED. And the setting value of the lighting control method for.

  The CPU 83 generates the lighting command signal and then transmits it to the electrical decoration display sub-control unit 90. This lighting command signal is received by the LED dimmer 92 corresponding to the address included therein. When the LED dimmer 92 receives the lighting command signal addressed to itself, the LED dimmer 92 first sets the first PSC setting value and the first PWM setting value included in the lighting command signal, respectively, Write to one PWM setting register. Next, the LED dimmer 92 writes the second PSC setting value and the second PWM setting value included in the lighting command signal to the second PSC setting register and the second PWM setting register, respectively. Thereafter, the LED dimmer 92 writes the setting value of the lighting control method for each LED included in the lighting command signal to the control method setting register.

  Next, the LED dimmer 92 sends a control signal (pulse signal) to each LED according to the set value of the lighting control method for each LED. Specifically, when the lighting control method is ON control, the LED dimmer 92 ignores information written in the two sets of PWM control registers and always turns on a pulse signal (duty ratio = 100). %) To the LED. Thereby, the LED is always lit. When the lighting control method is OFF control, the LED dimmer 92 ignores the information written in the two sets of PWM control registers and always outputs an OFF pulse signal (duty ratio = 0%). Send to the LED. Thereby, the LED is always turned off. Furthermore, when the setting value of the lighting control method is “10” and the lighting control method is PWM control, the LED dimmer 92 writes to the first PSC setting register and the first PWM setting register. Read the value that determines the pulse period and the value that determines the duty ratio. On the other hand, when the setting value of the lighting control method is “11” and the lighting control method is PWM control, the LED dimmer 92 writes to the second PSC setting register and the second PWM setting register. Read the value that determines the pulse period and the value that determines the duty ratio. Then, the LED dimmer 92 obtains a pulse period and a duty ratio from the values read out in this way, generates a pulse signal corresponding to the obtained pulse period and the duty ratio from a pulse oscillator, and sends it to the LED. Thereby, the LED is lit and displayed by PWM control.

  After that, the CPU 83 transmits a lighting command signal created based on the illumination effect pattern data to each LED dimmer 92 of the illumination display sub-control unit 90 at a predetermined timing. And each LED dimmer 92 controls the electrical decoration display part 40 according to the transmitted lighting command signal. Thus, the plurality of LEDs included in the illumination display unit 40 perform predetermined lighting display for each group.

As described above, in the swivel type gaming machine of the present embodiment, a plurality of LEDs can be lit and displayed for each group, and each LED is in a predetermined stage selected from 256 levels of luminance gradation. Since it can be lit and displayed with luminance, variations in effects by the electrical display unit 40 can be increased. Specifically, by dividing a plurality of LEDs into four groups according to differences in properties such as emission color and arrangement position, the LEDs constituting each group have different production patterns for each group. A lighting display can be performed. In addition, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 selects the desired duty ratio for each LED and performs PWM control so that each LED can be lit and displayed with different brightness for each LED. it can. In particular, a multicolor light emitting LED can be lit in various shades by changing the luminance of each color. Here, in the present embodiment, LEDs capable of emitting three colors of red, green, and blue are used as multicolor LEDs. Since it is possible to adjust the luminance in 256 steps for each color, it is theoretically possible to express 256 ^three colors using such a three-color LED. However, due to the nature of the LED, when the duty ratio is set to 70% (PWM = 180) or more, the luminance of the LED is almost the same as when the duty ratio is set to 100%. With this in mind, it can be said that in practice, when using an LED of the three color light emitting, it is possible to express the 180 ^three colors.

  In addition, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 generates a series of lighting command signals such that the duty ratio changes in a constant pattern and sequentially transmits the LEDs in order to perform PWM control of the predetermined LEDs, so that the LEDs are fixed. It can be blinked with a period. Further, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 creates and sequentially transmits a series of lighting command signals that gradually increase (or decrease) the duty ratio in order to perform PWM control of a predetermined LED, thereby transmitting the LED. It is possible to perform lighting display control that gradually increases the brightness (or darkness).

  In general, the brightness of the LED differs depending on the manufacturer and model number. When such LEDs manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers are used in a gaming machine, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 performs PWM control with a predetermined duty ratio for each LED, so that all LEDs Can be lit and displayed with substantially the same luminance.

  Furthermore, utilizing the fact that the luminance of the LED can be controlled, the CPU 83 of the effect control board 80 can cause the illumination display unit 40 to perform the following effect of the small role winning notification. For example, it is assumed that such a small role winning notification is performed using the top LED unit 41a, the left panel LED unit 44a, and the right panel LED unit 45a. When receiving the effect command from the main control board 70, the CPU 83 determines the contents of the game effect based on the effect command. At this time, if the effect command includes a content indicating that a predetermined small role has been won in the current lottery, the CPU 83 reads out the pattern data for lighting effect corresponding to the selected small role from the ROM 81, A predetermined lighting command signal is generated based on the illumination effect pattern data. Specifically, the CPU 83 turns on the top LED unit 41a in red at a luminance of 100% as the lighting command signal when the bell small role is won in this lottery, and the left panel LED unit 44a and the right panel LED unit 45a. Are generated, each of which includes contents that light up white at a luminance of 100%. Here, the luminance of 100% is the maximum light emission luminance of each LED used in the spinning machine of this embodiment, and the duty ratio is set to any value of 70% or more as described above. This is the luminance value when set. If the watermelon small role is won in this lottery, the top LED unit 41a is lit red with a luminance of 80%, and the left panel LED unit 44a and the right panel LED unit 45a are white with a luminance of 80%. Generate something that includes content to light up. Here, the luminance of 80% is a luminance value when the duty ratio is set to a value of about 55%. Further, when the cherry small role is won in this lottery, the top LED unit 41a is lit in red with a luminance of 80% as the lighting command signal, and the left panel LED unit 44a and the right panel LED unit 45a are each set with a luminance of 60%. To generate content that can be lit white. Here, the luminance 60% is a luminance value when the duty ratio is set to a value of about 40%. When the CPU 83 sends the lighting command signal to the electrical display sub-control unit 90, the plurality of LEDs perform an effect according to the content of the lighting command signal. Thereby, the player can easily know which small role is won in the current game according to the brightness of the top LED unit 41a, the left panel LED unit 44a, and the right panel LED unit 45a.

  Further, as described above, due to the nature of the LED, when the duty ratio is set to 70% or more, the luminance of the LED hardly changes compared to when the duty ratio is set to 100%. For this reason, by setting the duty ratio to 70%, for example, and performing PWM control on the LED, the LED is turned on with substantially the same brightness as when performing simple ON control, and the power consumption of the LED is reduced to save energy. Can be achieved. For example, when a red, green, and blue three-color LED is fully lit to emit white light, the luminance of the three-color LED is much higher than that of a single-color LED. In such a case, for a three-color LED, the duty ratio for each color is set to about one third of the duty ratio for a single-color LED, and PWM control is performed, so that the three-color LED and the single-color LED are monochromatic. The light emitting LED can be lit with substantially the same luminance. As a result, the power consumption of the three-color LED can be reduced to save energy.

  In the swivel type gaming machine of the present embodiment, the CPU of the effect control board selects the duty ratio to a desired value for each LED and performs PWM control, so that the LED is selected from a plurality of levels of luminance gradation. It is lit and displayed at the selected predetermined brightness level. For this reason, since the brightness of the LED can be set to an arbitrary level by changing the duty ratio, the LED can be made to produce an effect with an appropriate brightness according to the use situation of the gaming machine. . Therefore, the variation of the production | presentation by LED can be increased and the production | presentation effect by electrical decoration can be heightened. Moreover, due to the nature of the LED, if the duty ratio is set to 70% or more, the luminance of the LED hardly changes compared to when the duty ratio is set to 100%. For this reason, by setting the duty ratio to 70%, for example, and performing PWM control of the LED, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the LED while lighting the LED with substantially the same brightness as when performing simple ON control. As a result, the lifetime of the LED can be extended.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible within the range of the summary.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a revolving game machine using medals as a game medium has been described. For example, a pachinko ball called a parot machine, a pacilot machine, or the like is used as a game medium. You may apply to the used slot machine game machine. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a pachinko gaming machine.

  As described above, in the gaming machine according to the present invention, the control means performs pulse width modulation control for each display element by selecting a duty ratio, which is a ratio of the pulse width to a predetermined pulse period, to a desired value. As a result, the display element is lit and displayed at a luminance selected from a plurality of levels of luminance gradation. For this reason, the luminance of the display element can be set to an arbitrary value by changing the duty ratio, so that the display element can perform an effect expression with an appropriate luminance according to the use situation of the gaming machine. Can do. Therefore, the variation of the production | presentation by a display element can be increased, and the production effect by electrical decoration can be heightened. In addition, for example, when a light emitting diode is used as the display element, generally, when the duty ratio is set to 70% or more, the luminance of the display element hardly changes compared to when the duty ratio is set to 100%. For this reason, by setting the duty ratio to 70%, for example, and performing pulse width modulation control of the display element, the display element is lit with substantially the same brightness as that when performing simple ON control, and the power consumption of the display element is increased. As a result, the lifetime of the display element can be extended. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a gaming machine such as a pachinko gaming machine or a revolving gaming machine that performs a game effect by turning on a plurality of display elements according to a gaming situation or the like.

It is a schematic front view of the gaming machine which is one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the gaming machine of this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of grouping of LED. It is a schematic block diagram of an effect control board included in the gaming machine of the present embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of the electrical control display sub-control unit included in the gaming machine. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the register | resistor for lighting control provided in LED dimmer. It is a figure for demonstrating the pulse signal which an LED dimmer sends out.

Explanation of symbols

11a 1st reel reel 11b 2nd reel 11c 3rd reel 12 Display window 13 Medal slot 14 Credit number display 15 MAX bet button 16 Single slot button 17 Bet number display 18 Start lever 19a First Stop button 19b Second stop button 19c Third stop button 21 Settlement button 22 Payout number display part 23 Medal discharge port 24 Medal tray 30 Image display part 40 Illumination display part 41a Top LED unit 41b Top LED board 42a Upper left LED unit 42b Left side LED unit 42c Left side LED board 43a Upper right LED unit 43b Right side LED unit 43c Right side LED board 44a Left panel LED unit 44b Left panel LED board 45a Right panel LED unit 45b Right panel LED board 46 a Left operation unit LED unit 46b Left operation unit LED board 47a Right operation unit LED unit 47b Right operation unit LED board 50 Speaker unit 61 Inserted medal detection sensor 62 MAX bet button operation detection sensor 63 Single sheet input button operation detection sensor 64 Start lever Operation detection sensor 65a First stop button operation detection sensor 65b Second stop button operation detection sensor 65c Third stop button operation detection sensor 66a First drum reel drive means 66b Second drum reel drive means 66c Third drum reel drive Means 70 Main control board 71 ROM
72 RAM
73 CPU (game control means)
80 Production control board 81 ROM
82 RAM
83 CPU (production control means)
83a Communication control unit 84 Sound source LSI
85 Sound source data ROM
86 Power amplifier 90 Sub-control part 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d for electrical decoration display Substrate 92 LED dimmer

Claims (3)

A plurality of display elements that produce a game by lighting display;
For these display elements, the pulse width modulation control is performed by selecting the pulse width ratio with respect to a predetermined pulse period to a desired value, so that the display element is lit at a luminance selected from among multiple levels of luminance gradation. Control means for displaying;
A gaming machine comprising: The plurality of display elements include a single color light emitting display element and a multicolor light emitting display element,
The control means controls the pulse width modulation of the single color light emitting display element and the multicolor light emitting display element so that the single color light emitting display element and the multicolor light emitting display element are lit with substantially the same luminance. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein: 2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when performing the pulse width modulation control on the plurality of display elements, the pulse period is maintained at a constant value regardless of a ratio between a lighting time and a lighting time. Or the gaming machine of 2.

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