JP2007014479A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine which enables a smooth progress of games while securing the fairness and playing potentialities of the games. <P>SOLUTION: An internal lottery for determining winning combinations is carried out as directed to start while the rotation of reels 350 begins to start variable display and the variable display of the individual reels 350 is stopped as directed through stop buttons 356. When the display of a display window 314 presents the display mode corresponding to the combination won by the lottery, in accomplishing the winning of the combination won, the counting of time is started by an input of the direction to start and when the time counted exceeds the preset time, the variable display of the reels 350 is forcibly stopped. On this occasion, the input of the direction to stop the variation is invalidated through the stop buttons 356 for all of the reels 350. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachislot machines that use medals, coins, game balls, and the like as game media, slot machines such as parrot machines.

  Conventionally, in game machines, particularly pachislot machines, a predetermined number of game media are inserted and a start lever is operated to execute a winning lottery for the game, and a plurality of symbols are displayed on the peripheral surface. In addition, when a plurality of rows (generally, three rows) of symbol variation reels (display devices) rotate, so-called symbol variation display is started.

  The symbol-variable reels that have started rotating by the operation of the start lever described above can be brought to a position that is almost intended by the player within the range of the number of symbols to be adjusted by the player operating the stop buttons provided correspondingly. Stopped.

  Here, when the start lever is operated, an internal lottery is executed and the winning / losing of the winning combination is determined, and the player performs the stop operation of each symbol variable reel by the stop button, and wins the internal lottery. In some cases, the winnings will be won and the rights will be exercised when the symbols corresponding to the winning are complete.

  Further, according to the result of the internal lottery, the symbol variation reel performs pull-in control of the winning symbol and kick-off control of the non-winning symbol within the range of the number of symbols to be adjusted from the symbol position at the time when the player stops the operation, As a result of internal lottery, if the winning combination is won, it will be easier to display the winning symbol combination by drawing in the winning symbol within the number of adjustment symbols, and if the internal lottery result is out The symbol variation reel is stopped by performing so-called slip control so as not to display the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination.

  Even if the result of the internal lottery is a win, if the symbol variable reel is not stopped and displayed with the symbol corresponding to the winning combination, no winning is made and the above right is not exercised.

  In this type of gaming machine, an effect using a lamp, a display device, sound, or the like is performed according to the progress of the game.

  Conventionally, in a gaming machine, when a stop button is provided with a light emitting element, and the operation procedure is notified by the lighting state of the light emitting element, when the operation of the stop button is enabled, the corresponding light emitting element is caused to emit light and then turn on. It has been proposed to turn off the corresponding light emitting element each time the stop button is operated (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  By the way, in a gaming machine, it is assumed that the symbol variable reel continues to rotate for a long time without operating the stop button. Therefore, if the player does not operate the stop button for a predetermined time (generally 30 seconds) in order to prevent the consumption of the motor for driving the symbol variable reel, the shortening of the service life, and the reduction of the operation rate, It has been proposed to automatically stop the symbol-variable reel on the assumption that the stop button has been pressed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  Here, in order to ensure the fairness of the game, it is desirable to control so that combinations of winning symbols are not aligned on the effective line regardless of the result of symbol lottery. In addition, even when game play such as pushing is taken into account, the player's stop operation is not important, and the game play may be impaired.

For this reason, in automatic stop, it is considered to execute stop control so as to avoid winning even if the symbol corresponding to the winning combination can be drawn.
Japanese Patent No. 2618642 JP 2003-79809 A

  However, in the conventional gaming machine as described above, even if the automatic stop is being executed, since the stop button is valid, whether the stop based on the player's stop operation has been executed or due to the automatic stop There was a problem that the player could misunderstand that the stop was executed and that the player did not win even though the stop operation was performed, causing a trouble.

  If priority is given to the operation of the stop button even during execution of automatic stop, the control becomes complicated, leading to a long development period and an increase in cost, and the above problems are completely solved. I can't do it.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine capable of smoothly playing a game while ensuring fairness and gaming.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 has a display unit capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbol arrays in which a plurality of symbols are arranged, and performs lottery of the combination according to a change start instruction and The display of the symbol row on the display unit is started, the variation display of each symbol row is stopped based on the change stop instruction input to each symbol row, and the display after the change of the plurality of symbol rows is stopped. A game machine that wins the winning combination when the department is in a display state corresponding to the winning combination by the lottery, and starts timing based on the input of the change start instruction; and the counting means When the time measured by the time exceeds a preset time, the forced stop means for forcibly stopping the fluctuation display of the symbol sequence, and when executing the stop of the fluctuation display by the forced stop means, Previous to design row Includes an input disabling means for disabling the input of the change stop instruction, the.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the lottery for the combination is executed in response to the change start instruction, and the change display of the plurality of symbol sequences is started. Thereafter, the change display of each symbol row is stopped based on a change stop instruction input to each symbol row, and after the change stops of the plurality of symbol rows, the display unit responds to the winning combination by the lottery. When the display state is reached, a prize is awarded.

  Here, in claim 1, time measurement is started by the time measuring means based on the input of the change start instruction, and when the time exceeds a preset time, the change display of the symbol string is displayed by the forced stop means. Is forcibly stopped, and at this time, the input invalidation means invalidates the input of the variation stop instruction for all the symbol sequences including those in the variation display.

  That is, when the forced stop is executed, the operation of all the stop buttons is invalidated, so that the game can be smoothly advanced while ensuring the fairness and game play of the game.

  Further, the invention of claim 2 is characterized by further comprising notification means for performing notification that the input of the fluctuation stop instruction has been invalidated by the input invalidation means.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, since it is notified that the input of the variable stop instruction has been invalidated, there is no misunderstanding that the player did not win even though the stop operation was performed. The game can be smoothly advanced while ensuring the sex and game performance.

  Further, the invention of claim 3 is further provided with an operating means which is operated to input the change stop instruction and has a light emitting element therein, and the notification means disables the operating means depending on a light emitting state of the light emitting element. It is characterized by notifying the conversion.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, since the notification is executed by the operating means operated to input the change stop instruction, it is easy for the player to understand, and the game can be advanced more smoothly.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when the change display is forcibly stopped, the input of the change stop instruction for all the symbol sequences including those in the change display is invalidated. It is possible to provide a gaming machine that can prevent misunderstanding by a player while ensuring the performance.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pachi-slot machine 300 includes a main body 302 and an operation / decoration portion 303 as an opening / closing cover provided on the front surface of the main body 302.

  The operation and decoration unit 303 can be classified into a decoration unit 304, an operation unit 306, and a payout unit 310 from the top.

  The decoration unit 304 has a display panel unit 312 on which a printed picture or character is transmitted and illuminated by turning on a backlight unit (not shown). In addition, as a part of the decoration part 304, a three-dimensional decoration lamp 304A is also provided in the left-right direction above the decoration part 304. In addition, speakers 305R and 305L are provided in the vicinity of the decorative lamp 304 for reproducing production sound and the like.

  The display panel unit 312 of the decoration unit 304 includes a liquid crystal display device 313 for displaying a moving image for presentation and a display window 314 for displaying a rotating display symbol. The display window 314 includes a transparent region that is integrally formed with the display panel unit 312.

  Inside the display window 314, there is disposed a symbol variation portion 316 configured with three spinning reels 350A, 350B, and 350C as main portions.

  Also, at the bottom of the display window 314, a 7-segment display 315A for displaying the number of paid-out medals as game media of the pachislot machine 300, a display for setting the remaining number of jack games and the game state (six levels), etc. A section 315B and a 7 segment display section 315C for displaying the number of credits are provided.

  The upper portion of the operation unit 306 projects forward, and a medal insertion unit 320 is provided at the right end of the upper surface (table 306A) of the projecting portion, and credits are paid out in order from the left end of the upper surface. An adjustment button 103, a single bet (insertion) button 352A, and a maximum bet (maximum input) button 352B are provided. Further, a start lever 354, stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C, and the like are provided in this order from the front left end of the protruding portion.

  The payout unit 310 includes a medal discharge port 326 and a tray 328 that receives a medal discharged from the medal discharge port 326.

  The three reels 350A, 350B, and 350C rotate so that the symbols arranged on the peripheral surface can be sequentially seen from the display window 314, and when the rotation is stopped, the middle row of the symbols that can be seen from the display window 314 is displayed. A line connecting the centers of the symbols arranged in the line, a line connecting the centers of the symbols arranged in the upper row, a line connecting the centers of the symbols arranged in the lower row, and two lines connecting the centers of the symbols arranged in two diagonals, respectively. The combination of the symbols stopped on the five active lines of the line indicates the game result.

  Which of the five lines is the effective line depends on the number of medals invested, and when one medal is bet, the line connecting the centers of the symbols arranged in the middle row is the effective line. If three medals are bet, all lines are valid lines. These active lines are displayed for guidance to the player when the display lamp 317 is turned on.

  The stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C are provided below the symbol changing unit 316 and correspond to the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C. That is, the rotation of the corresponding reels 350A, 350B, and 350C can be stopped by operating the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C by the player.

  Further, by operating (tilting) the start lever 354 provided on the left side of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C, the reels 350A, 350B, 350C start to rotate. This rotation is normally such that the three reels 350A, 350B, 350C start rotating simultaneously.

  Further, the operation timing by the start lever 354 is an internal lottery timing which will be described later, and the winning (winning) / off is determined by the operation of the start lever 354.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows a control block diagram for controlling the operation of the pachislot machine 300.

  The control system of the pachislot machine 300 is configured with the main control unit 100 as the center, and the main control unit 100 identifies medals inserted from the medal insertion unit 320, and the number and types of medals inserted (incorrect or And a stop button 356A, 356B, 356C, a MAX bet button 352B, and a single bet button 352A corresponding to the start lever 354 and the above-described reels 350A, 350B, and 350C, respectively. In addition, a settlement button 103 for returning a medal stored (credited) inside the gaming machine when the game is stopped is connected via a sensor (not shown) that detects an operation state.

  The main control unit 100 also includes a main control circuit 110 including a CPU. The main control circuit 110 mainly includes a RAM 128 that temporarily stores game progress and the like, and various programs. A stored ROM 130 is connected, and a clock pulse generation circuit 124 that generates a clock pulse that is a reference for the operation of the main control circuit 110 is connected via a frequency divider 126.

  Further, a random number generator 120 and a random number latch circuit 122 are connected to the main control circuit 110. The main control circuit 110 controls the random number generator 120 in synchronization with the clock pulse input through the frequency divider 126 to sequentially generate random numbers, and the random number latch circuit 122 generates the random number. Get random numbers.

  In the pachislot machine 300, an internal lottery that determines a winning combination at the operation timing of the start lever 354 is performed by the main control unit 100. In the main control circuit 110, when the start lever 354 is operated, the random number The latch circuit 122 is instructed to acquire, sample, and output a random number, and thereby a lottery result is derived according to the random number input from the random number latch circuit 122.

  If the internal lottery is a win (role winning), a winning operation will be awarded when the winning symbols are aligned by the stop operation by the subsequent stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C, and the player can acquire the number of medals according to each symbol. The gaming state is advantageous to the player in accordance with the arranged symbols.

  Here, the combination includes a small combination and a large combination, each having a different degree of advantage for the player. When winning a small role, a predetermined number of medals are paid out according to the role, while when winning a big role, a big game according to the role is executed. In this big game, a plurality of small games can be executed. For this reason, naturally, a big player becomes a more advantageous game state for a player than a small player.

  In addition, a motor drive circuit 132 is connected to the main control unit 100, and the motor drive circuit 132 includes left (L), middle (C), and right (R) reel motors 106A, 106B, Each of the left, middle, and right reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is connected via 106C.

  Further, a reel position detection circuit 134 for detecting the rotational positions of the three reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is connected to the main controller 100. In the main controller 100, the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C are connected. The position of can be grasped at any time.

  Further, in the pachislot machine 300, the symbol variation by the symbol variation unit 316 is started at the operation timing by the start lever 354. When the start lever 354 is operated, the main control unit 100 operates the motor drive circuit 132. The reel motors 106A, 106B, and 106C are respectively started to rotate, and the three reels 350A, 350B, and 350C are rotated, and the three stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C are operated on the basis of the subsequent operations. The rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is stopped.

  Here, in the main control unit 100, when the rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is stopped based on the stop operation by the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C, the predetermined number of symbols is controlled according to the result of the internal lottery. Is supposed to run.

  In other words, when the stop button 356A, 356B, 356C is operated at the stop timing at which the symbol that stops only on the winning line is stopped on the active line when the internal lottery is off, intentionally avoiding the stop at this symbol Therefore, control is performed so that the stop position is shifted (kicked off) and stopped at the off symbol arrangement.

  Also, when the internal lottery is won, even if the winning symbol does not stop at the stop timing operated by the player, if the winning symbol is within the predetermined number of symbols, the winning symbol is intentionally stopped on the active line. Performs control to shift (pull in) the stop position.

  By kicking and pulling in the above, it is possible to make the internal lottery result and the game result uniform, and even if the stop operation timing is slightly shifted, it is possible to align the winning symbols, It prevents people from being lost.

  The main control unit 100 is connected to a hopper drive circuit 136 for operating a hopper 138 provided inside the pachislot machine 300. The hopper 138 stores medals, and the main control unit 100 pays out medals from the hopper 138 via the hopper drive circuit 136 in accordance with the stop pattern specified by the output from the reel position detection circuit 134. Executed.

  Further, a medal detection sensor 140 that detects medals paid out from the hopper 138 is disposed in the vicinity of the hopper 138 and is connected to the main control unit 100 via a payout completion signal circuit 142. The payout completion signal circuit 142 determines whether or not the payout is completed based on the detection signal from the medal detection sensor 140, and generates a payout completion signal when it is determined that the payout is completed. Is input.

  When the payout completion signal is input from the payout completion signal circuit 142, the main control unit 100 ends the medal payout by the hopper 138 via the hopper driving circuit 136.

  Further, a display lamp driving circuit 144 is connected to the main control unit 100, and the 7-segment display unit 315A, the display unit 315B, the 7-segment display unit 315C, and the stop button 356A described above are connected via the display lamp driving circuit 144. The lighting and extinguishing of the display lamp 145 of 356B and 356C and the bet number display lamp 146 which is the number of inserted medals are controlled.

  On the other hand, a sub-control unit 150 is connected to the main control unit 100, and the main control unit 100 inputs a command signal indicating a control state at any time to the sub-control unit 150. In the present embodiment, as communication between the main control unit 100 and the sub control unit 150, only one-way communication from the main control unit 100 to the sub control unit 150 is executed, and the sub control unit 150 performs main communication. Communication with the control unit 100 cannot be performed at all.

  A liquid crystal control circuit 152 is connected to the sub-control unit 150, and the liquid crystal control circuit 152 controls a display state of a liquid crystal display device (LCD) 313 provided for production.

  Further, a lamp driving circuit 156 is connected to the sub-control unit 150, and is provided inside the lamp 112 incorporated in the decorative lamp 304A and the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C via the lamp driving circuit 156. Then, the light emission of the backlight 158 or the like that controls light emission is controlled in accordance with whether or not the stop button 356 can be operated and the effect to be executed. The backlight 158 includes a red LED that emits red light and a green LED that emits green light. A pair of red and green LEDs are incorporated in each stop button 356 and transmit light. The operation member of each stop button 356 that can be configured can be illuminated in red or green.

  In this embodiment, the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C are green when the operation of the stop button is valid, and the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C are red when the operation is invalid. , Each controlled.

  Further, a speaker drive circuit 154 is connected to the sub-control unit 150, and controls the sound (sound effect) output from the speakers 305L and 305R.

  In the sub-control unit 150, the LCD 313, the speakers 305 </ b> L and 305 </ b> R, the backlight 158, the lamp 112 built in the decoration lamp 304 </ b> A, and the display lamp 157 such as an activation line, according to the control state of the pachislot machine 300 of the main control unit 100. The notification effect by the above is executed.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram functionally showing a control system for normal game control in the main control unit 100 according to the present embodiment.

  The main control unit 100 includes a lottery unit 180, and an operation signal indicating that the start lever 354 has been operated is input to the lottery unit 180. The lottery unit 180 executes an internal lottery with the operation of the start lever 354 after a predetermined number of medals have been inserted (bets) as a trigger.

  The lottery unit 180 acquires a random value in synchronization with the operation of the start lever 354, and sends the random value to the winning combination / symbol determination unit 184 via the table selection unit 182.

  The table selection unit 182 stores a table in which information indicating roles / designs corresponding to numerical values that can be acquired by the lottery unit 180 is stored for each gaming state of the pachislot machine 300. Note that the gaming state of the pachislot machine 300 includes, for example, a normal game, a major player's internal election, a major player's operation, and the like.

  In the table selection unit 182, information indicating the current gaming state is obtained from the gaming state control unit 186, and a table for determining a role / symbol is selected from the table provided for each gaming state. Based on the table selected by the table selection unit 182, the winning combination / symbol determination unit 184 determines and determines the winning combination (small role (including replay), major role (RB, BB)) and winning symbol. The winning combination and the winning symbol are input to the gaming state control unit 186.

  The gaming state control unit 186 is connected to a gaming program memory 188 in which data indicating various programs corresponding to the gaming state of the pachislot machine 300 is stored. The game state control unit 186 mainly controls the game state by reading and executing game program data corresponding to the game state from the game program memory 188 as appropriate by the game execution control unit 186A.

  The game program memory 188 stores data indicating a normal game program and data indicating a major game program. For example, in the normal game state, the normal game program data is read from the game program memory 188. In the case of the big game state, the big game program data is read according to the internal winning state of BB and RB and the respective game states of BB and RB, and processing is executed based on each program data.

  On the other hand, the main control unit 100 is configured to include a reel drive control unit 194. Based on the start operation of the start lever 354, after a lapse of 4.1 seconds from the start of the previous game, the motor drive unit 132 is provided. Then, the reel motors 106A, 106B, and 106C are driven to start rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C.

  Further, the reel drive control unit 194 performs stop control for stopping the rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C based on the operation of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C.

  Position detection sensors 198A, 198B, and 198C are attached to the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C, respectively, and are connected to the reel drive control unit 194 via the reel position detection circuit 134. The reel drive control unit 194 recognizes the rotational positions of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C, stops the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C in consideration of the slip control, and also stops the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C that have stopped. The symbol array is sent to the gaming state control unit 186.

  Based on the symbol arrangement of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C that have been stopped, the gaming state control unit 186 confirms whether or not a winning combination has been won. If a winning combination is awarded, a predetermined payout is made and a winning combination is made. If the small role is replay, the replay game is executed, and if it is a big role, the game execution control unit 186A reads the big role game program from the game program memory 188 and executes it.

  The major role includes a big bonus (hereinafter referred to as “BB” as appropriate) and a regular bonus (hereinafter referred to as “RB” as appropriate). In addition to the above-mentioned replay, the minor role includes cherry, bamboo, A small part such as a bell is preset.

  Further, as the above-mentioned major player program, a regular bonus game program and a big bonus game program are separately stored.

  As shown in the figure, a flag memory 192 is connected to the gaming state control unit 186 via the flag management control unit 190, and the internal winning state of the combination corresponding to the winning result of the internal lottery described above is flagged. It is managed by the state of.

  Each flag is established by winning an internal lottery. Generally, the state of the small role flag disappears in one game (the flag is not established), but the state of the flag of the major role is thereafter set to each reel 350A, 350B, 350C. Is stopped and displayed on the display window 314 in a predetermined arrangement, and is maintained until winning the winning role.

  Note that the flag memory 192 is connected to the reel drive control unit 194 described above, and the state of the flag stored in the flag memory 192 is based on the operation of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C by the reel drive control unit 194. It is applied as a slip control parameter for pull-in or kick-off during stop control.

  In addition, the sub control unit 150 executes notification effects by the LCD 313, the speakers 305L and 305R, the backlight 158, the lamp 112 incorporated in the decoration lamp 304A, and the like according to the progress of the game by the main control unit 100. Whether or not to perform the effect and the content of the effect are determined at the time of the internal lottery in the main control unit 100, and information regarding the determined effect is transmitted to the sub-control unit 150 as an effect command. It has become. As a result, the sub-control unit 150 appropriately executes an effect based on the effect command.

  Here, in the present embodiment, when the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C continue to rotate when a predetermined period (32 seconds in the present embodiment) has passed since the start of rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C, Regardless of whether or not the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C are operated, automatic stop control for sequentially stopping the rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is executed.

  FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram relating to reel stop control according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the reel drive control unit 194 includes a rotation control unit (not shown) that controls the start of rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C, and a reel that performs rotation stop control of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C. The stop control unit 10 is included.

  The reel drive control unit 194 includes a CPU (not shown) that controls the operation of the entire reel drive control unit 194, and the CPU controls the rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C by the rotation control unit. When started, the reel stop control unit 10 executes stop control.

  The reel stop control unit 10 includes a control target reel specifying unit 12, a pressed position specifying unit 14, and a stop instructing unit 16. The control target reel specifying unit 12 includes stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C and The pressed position specifying unit 14, the pressed position specifying unit 14 are connected to the reel position detection circuit 134 and the stop instruction unit 16, and the stop instruction unit 16 is connected to the flag memory 192 and the motor drive circuit 132, respectively.

  Information indicating the operation state of each stop button 356A, 356B, 356C is input to the control target reel specifying unit 12. The control target reel specifying unit 12 specifies the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C corresponding to the operated stop button 356 as the control target reel, and outputs information indicating the control target reel to the pressed position specifying unit 14. The control target reel specifying unit 12 starts specifying the control target reel when the rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is started, and then the stop button 350 is operated for the reel 350 once specified. However, it is not specified as a reel to be controlled.

  The pressing position specifying unit 14 acquires the rotation position of the reel 350 to be controlled from the reel position detection circuit 134 according to the information indicating the control target reel input from the control target reel specifying unit 12 and uses it as the pressing position. The information indicating the control target reel and the pressed position is output to the stop instruction unit 16.

  Information indicating the gaming state and information indicating the stop position of the stopped reel 350 are also input to the stop instruction unit 16, and a stop position for temporarily storing information indicating the stop position An information storage unit 17; a stop position determination unit 15 that determines a stop position; and a stop symbol information storage unit 19 that stores stop symbol information corresponding to the symbol arrangement of each reel 350A, 350B, 350C. It is configured. The stop position stored in the stop position information storage unit 17 is reset every time rotation of each reel 350A, 350B, 350C is started.

  FIG. 13A shows an example of the symbol arrangement of the left reel 350A. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, 21 symbols are arranged on one reel, and a numerical value of 0 to 20 is assigned to each symbol. Used as identification and stop position information.

  FIG. 14 shows stop symbol information corresponding to the symbol arrangement of the left reel 350 </ b> A among the stop symbol information of each reel stored in the stop symbol information storage unit 19. “Up”, “Middle”, “Low”, “Upper right”, and “Lower right” shown in the same figure indicate five effective lines of upper, middle, lower, right-up, and right-down. A symbol stopped on the active line is indicated by 8-bit information. In this 8-bit information, one bit corresponds to one combination, and the bit indicating the combination corresponding to the symbol stopped on each line is set to “1”.

  As shown in the figure, 8-bit information indicating the symbols stopped on each effective line is stored according to the stop positions 0 to 20, respectively. The symbols that stop on the active line can be grasped.

  In FIG. 13B, the left reel 350A is rotating (moving display), the right reel 350C displays replay, bell, and bar, and the middle reel 350B displays watermelon, bell, and 7, respectively. A display window 314 when the vehicle is stopped in the activated state is schematically shown.

  FIG. 15 schematically shows the storage state of the stop position information storage unit 17 when the display window 314 is in the state shown in FIG. That is, as the stop position information, stop symbol information corresponding to the stop position is stored.

  In FIG. 13B, the stop position of the right reel 350C is that the symbols that are stopped on the effective line in the upper stage and the effective line that goes up to the right are the symbols of the replay role. The information shown is “00001000” in which the bit indicating replay is set to 1 as shown in FIG. 15, and the symbol stopped on the middle effective line is “00000010”, the lower and right lower effective lines Since the symbol stopped above is a bar, it becomes “00100000”.

  When there are “1” bits in the logical product (AND) of the three stop position information in a state where the three reels 350A, 350B, and 350C are stopped, the symbols corresponding to the bits are stopped on the valid line. This means that the bit “0” of the logical product is not aligned on the valid line.

  Therefore, in the stop position determination unit 15, the logical product of the stop position information and the stop symbol information stored in the stop position information storage unit 17 among the stop positions within the predetermined number of symbols from the pressed position is the flag memory. In 192, a stop position is determined such that the bit of the symbol corresponding to the flag established is “1” and the symbol bit corresponding to the flag not established is “0”, and the motor drive circuit 132 is determined. The rotation of the reel to be controlled 350 is stopped at the stop position determined by controlling.

  It should be noted that the symbol bit corresponding to the flag established within the predetermined number of symbols from the pressed position is “1”, and the symbol bit corresponding to the flag not established is “0”. When the stop position does not exist, an appropriate stop position is selected and determined from the stop positions at which the symbol bit corresponding to the flag that is not established becomes “0”.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the reel stop control unit 10 includes an automatic stop execution control unit 18. The automatic stop execution control unit 18 includes an execution timing determination unit 20 and a timer 22. The execution timing determination unit 20 counts the timer 22 when rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is started. The value is reset and time measurement for the predetermined period is started.

  By the way, in this embodiment, when any one of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C is operated within a predetermined period from the start of rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, 350C, the automatic stop control is not performed. I have to.

  For this reason, the execution timing determination unit 20 is also connected to the control target reel specifying unit 12, and each time the control target reel is specified by the control target reel specifying unit 12, the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C are operated. An operation signal indicating that this is input. Thereby, in the execution timing determination unit 20, when the count value by the timer 22 reaches a predetermined value (a value corresponding to 32 seconds in the present embodiment), the stop button 356 from the control target reel specifying unit 12 is Whether or not an operation signal has been input is determined, and if no operation signal has been input once after the timer 22 starts counting for a predetermined period, it is determined that the automatic stop execution timing is reached, and a stop instruction unit An automatic stop execution signal is input to 16.

  On the other hand, the execution timing determination unit 20 determines that the automatic stop is not executed when the operation signal is input even once after the timer 22 starts counting for a predetermined period.

  Here, in the stop instructing unit 16 according to the present embodiment, the stop position is determined so that the result of stopping the reels 350A, 350B, 350C by the automatic stop does not become a winning.

  Specifically, when stopping the first reel 350 by the automatic stop (at the time of the first stop) and when stopping the second reel 350 (at the time of the second stop), the normal stop position determination and Similarly, the symbol corresponding to the winning combination is displayed on the display window 314 and the symbol corresponding to the winning combination is not displayed, while the third reel 350 is stopped (the first reel 350). 3), symbols corresponding to all the combinations are not displayed on the active line in spite of the lottery result.

  Therefore, as shown in the figure, the stop instruction unit 16 is configured to further include an automatic stop instruction unit 24 and a third stop position determination unit 26. The automatic stop instruction unit 24 is connected to the execution timing determination unit 20, the stop position determination unit 15, and the third stop position determination unit 26.

  In the third stop position determination unit 26, the stop symbol information stored in the stop symbol information storage unit 19 and the stop position information of the first stop reel and the second stop reel temporarily stored in the stop position information storage unit 17 are stored. Based on the flag memory 192, the stop position of the third stop is determined in consideration of the kicking control so that no symbol corresponding to any combination is displayed on the active line so that no winning combination is won. To do.

  That is, the third stop position determination unit 26 sets all the bits of the symbols to “0” regardless of the state of the flags for all stop positions 0 to 20 regardless of the pressed position or the predetermined number of symbols. The stop position is searched and determined, and the motor drive circuit 132 is controlled to stop the rotation of the reel 350 to be controlled at the determined stop position.

  Based on the input of the automatic stop execution signal from the execution timing determination unit 20, the automatic stop instruction unit 24 inputs an appropriate stop position determination instruction to the stop position determination unit 15 or the third stop position determination unit 26 to appropriately input the reel 350 </ b> A. , 350B, 350C are stopped sequentially. The automatic stop instruction unit 24 determines the stop position of the first stop and the second stop, determines the stop position of the third stop according to the state of the flag, determines the stop position of the third stop, Regardless of the state, the third stop position determination unit 26 that determines the stop position so as to avoid winning of all the combinations is executed.

  In the present embodiment, when the left reel 350A is stopped at the position where the cherry symbol is displayed on the display window 314, the cherry role is won regardless of the stop position of the middle reel 350B and the right reel 350C. The order of stopping by the automatic stop is the right reel 350C, the middle reel 350B, and the left reel 350A, and the left reel 350A is a third stop reel that determines the stop position so as to kick all the roles. The winning of cherry to the stop is avoided.

  By the way, in this embodiment, when automatic stop is executed, the stop operation by all the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C is invalidated, and the fact that the stop operation is invalid and automatic stop is executed. To the person.

  Therefore, when the execution timing determination unit 20 determines that it is the execution timing of automatic stop, the execution timing determination unit 20 inputs an automatic stop execution command to the control target reel specifying unit 12 and the sub control unit 150.

  When an automatic stop execution command is input, the controlled reel specifying unit 12 operates the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C until the next game is started and the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C start rotating. The specific execution of the reel to be controlled based on is stopped, and the operation of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C is invalidated.

  In addition, when the sub-control unit 150 receives the automatic stop execution command, the sub-control unit 150 controls the backlights 158 of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C via the lamp driving circuit 156, and a stop operation is performed by the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C. Notifying that it is invalid and notifying that the automatic stop is executed by the LCD 313 via the liquid crystal control circuit 152.

  Here, in FIG. 9, the display state of the display window 314 and the stop button 356 are schematically shown. FIG. 4A shows a case where the operation of the stop button 356 is valid, and FIG. 4B shows a case where the operation of the stop button is invalidated when the automatic stop is executed.

  As shown in the figure, when the automatic stop is executed, the colors of all the stop buttons 356 are changed to colors indicating that the stop operation is invalid.

  Also, FIG. 10 schematically shows a state where a message M1 indicating that automatic stop is to be executed is displayed on the LCD 313. The message M1 may be displayed so as to overlap the effect screen being executed, or may be displayed after canceling the effect being executed. As shown in the figure, a message M2 indicating that the operation of the stop button is invalid may be displayed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the execution timing determination unit 20 determines that the automatic stop is not performed, a rotation continuation command is input to the sub-control unit 150.

  When the rotation continuation command is input, the sub control unit 150 notifies the LCD 313 that the automatic stop is not executed via the liquid crystal control circuit 152.

  FIG. 12 shows, as an example, a state in which the LCD 313 notifies that the automatic stop is not executed. As shown in the figure, the LCD 313 displays a message M3 that prompts a stop operation. As shown in the figure, a message M4 indicating that the rotation has continued for 32 seconds or more may also be displayed.

  The operation of this embodiment will be described below.

  FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the game state control process executed by the main control unit 100. Hereinafter, the gaming state control process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step 200, the completion of the betting process based on the bet operation via the bet button 352 is waited, and then the operation of the start lever 354 is validated, and the process proceeds to step 202 to wait for the operation of the start lever 354.

  In the next step 204, an internal lottery of the combination is performed, and thereafter, the process proceeds to step 206, and it is determined whether or not the major combination is won by the internal lottery. If the determination is affirmative, the big character flag corresponding to the type of the big character won is established, and the process proceeds to step 208, the game state is set to the inside of the bonus, and then the process proceeds to step 210.

  On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step 206, the process proceeds to step 210 without setting the gaming state.

  In step 210, rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is started, and thereafter, the process proceeds to step 212 to execute reel stop control processing described later, thereby stopping the rotation of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C.

  That is, when a medal is invested by a bet operation via the bet button, the operation of the start lever 354 is validated, an internal lottery is executed based on the start operation via the start lever 354, and the reel starts rotating.

  In the next step 214, a combination of symbols stopped on the active line (stop symbol) is specified based on the stop positions of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C, and the winning symbol of the winning combination won by the internal lottery is determined. If they match and match, it is determined that the winning combination has been won.

  In the next step 216, it is determined whether or not the result of the winning determination is a winning. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 200 again. If the determination in step 216 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 218, where it is determined whether or not the winning combination is a major player as a result of winning determination in step 214. When an affirmative determination is made at step 218, the routine proceeds to step 222.

  In step 222, the type of the winning actor is determined. As a result of the determination, if it is determined that the RB winning is determined, the process proceeds to step 224. After the game state is set to RB operation, the process proceeds to step 226 to execute the RB game, and then the process proceeds to step 236.

  Note that the RB game ends when an RB game having a high probability of winning a small role is executed and a certain small role is won eight times, or when the number of executions of the RB game reaches twelve.

  If it is determined that the BB winning is determined in step 222, the process shifts to step 230 to set the gaming state to BB operation, and then shifts to step 232 to execute the BB game. Step 236 follows.

  The BB game ends when the RB game is continuously executed and the total payout number in the BB game reaches a preset upper limit value.

  In step 236, the game state is set to normal game, and then the process returns to step 200 again.

  On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step 218, the process proceeds to step 220, where a predetermined number of medals are paid out as a payout corresponding to the winning combination, and then the process returns to step 200 again.

  FIG. 6 shows a process flow of reel stop control (see step 212 in FIG. 5) executed in the gaming state control process. Hereinafter, the reel stop control process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step 240, the timer 22 is reset, and in the next step 242, it is determined whether or not the count value of the timer is smaller than a predetermined value indicating a predetermined period (here, a value corresponding to 32 seconds).

  If the determination in step 242 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 244, where it is determined whether any of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C is pressed, and if the determination is affirmative, In the game, it is determined that the automatic stop process is not executed, the process proceeds to step 245, and after the rotation continuation command is transmitted to the sub-control unit, the process proceeds to step 246 to stop the reel 350 corresponding to the operated stop button 356. Transition.

  On the other hand, if the determination is negative, the process returns to step 242 again.

  In step 246, the reel 350 corresponding to the pressed stop button 356 is specified as the control target reel, and then the process proceeds to step 248 to acquire the reel position of the control target reel from the reel position detection circuit 134 and stop button. Then, the process proceeds to step 250, and a command indicating the reel to be controlled and the pressed position is transmitted to the sub-control unit 150.

  In the next step 252, the stop position of the reel to be controlled is determined according to the pressed position in consideration of the flag state of the flag memory 192, the game state, etc., and then the process proceeds to step 254 to rotate the reel to be controlled. Stop.

  In the next step 256, a command indicating the stop position of the reel to be controlled is transmitted to the sub-control unit 150, and then the process proceeds to step 258 to determine whether or not the rotation of all the reels 350A, 350B, 350C is stopped. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 242 again.

  On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step 242, it is determined that 32 seconds have passed since the rotation of the reel has started, the process proceeds to step 262, an automatic stop process is performed, and then this reel stop control process is performed. The process is ended, and the process returns to the gaming state control process (step 214 in FIG. 5).

  Here, FIG. 7 shows a flow of the automatic stop process (see step 262 in FIG. 6). Hereinafter, the automatic stop process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step 270, the operation of all the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C is invalidated, and then the process proceeds to step 272 to transmit to the sub-control unit 150 that automatic stop is executed (automatic stop command).

  In the next step 274, similarly to the stop control based on the stop operation via the stop button 356, the rotation of the first stop reel (the right reel 350C in the present embodiment) is stopped based on the state of the flag. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 275, and a stop position command indicating the stop position of the first stop reel is transmitted to the sub-control unit 150. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 276, and here again, as in the stop control based on the stop operation via the stop button 356, the second stop reel (in the present embodiment, the intermediate reel 350B) is rotated based on the flag state. Stop. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 277, a stop position command indicating the stop position of the second stop reel is transmitted to the sub-control unit 150, and then the process proceeds to step 278.

  In step 278, stop control is performed so that all the combinations are kicked regardless of the state of the flag to stop the rotation of the third stop reel (the left reel 350A in the present embodiment), and then the process proceeds to step 280. .

  9 and 11 schematically show an example of a change in the display state of the display window 314 by the automatic stop process according to the present embodiment. The case where the bell is won internally will be described with reference to FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 9B, the rotation of the right reel 350C is stopped so as to draw the symbol corresponding to the internally won bell. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11A, the rotation of the middle reel 350B is stopped so that the symbol corresponding to the bell is drawn on the same effective line as the bell of the right reel 350C. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11B, the rotation of the left reel 350A is stopped so as to avoid winning of all the winning combinations including the internally winning bell.

  In step 280, a stop position command indicating the stop position indicating the stop position of the third stop reel is transmitted to the sub-control unit 150, and then the automatic stop process is terminated.

  Here, the sub-control unit 150 appropriately executes the effect process according to the command from the main control unit 100.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of main processing executed by the sub-control unit 150. Hereinafter, the main processing according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step 500, it is determined whether or not a command has been received. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 502. If the determination at step 500 is negative, the main process is terminated.

  In step 502, the type of the received command is analyzed in order to execute processing according to the command. As a result of the analysis of the command type in step 502, if the received command is a command indicating a winning combination, the process proceeds to step 504, and an effect pattern to be executed from a plurality of effect patterns set in advance is executable. A lottery for determination is executed, and thereafter, the process proceeds to step 506, where the effect at the time of operating the start lever and the stop button is set according to the effect pattern determined by the lottery.

  That is, the effect pattern is information indicating a combination of effects that can be executed in synchronization with the operation timing of various buttons, and the lottery for determining the effect pattern is executed in synchronization with the timing of the start lever operation. It is executed with a lottery probability corresponding to the result of the internal lottery.

  In the next step 508, an effect at the time of operating the start lever is started, and then the main process is ended.

  In the process of step 502, if the received command is a pressed reel command, the process proceeds to step 510, where an effect at the time of operating the stop button is started, and then the main process ends.

  In the process of step 502, if the received command is an automatic stop command, the display lamps 145 of all the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C indicate the operation invalidity (this book) under the control of the main control unit 100. In the embodiment, after the display lamp driving circuit 144 controls to shine red), the control of the sub-control unit 150 proceeds to step 516, and the message M1 indicating that the automatic stop process is executed is displayed on the LCD 313. After that, the main process is terminated.

  In the present embodiment, the display lamp 145 is controlled by the main control unit 100, but the display lamp 145 may be controlled by the sub control unit 150.

  If the received command is a rotation continuation command in the process of step 502, the process proceeds to step 518, a message M3 prompting the stop operation is displayed on the LCD 313, and the main process is terminated.

  As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the display window 314 capable of variably displaying the symbols of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C in which a plurality of symbols are arranged is provided, and the variation caused by the operation of the start lever 354 is provided. In response to the start instruction, internal lottery for a plurality of winning combinations is performed and the display of the reels 350A, 350B, 350C on the display window 314 is started. Based on the change stop instruction input via the display, the change display of each reel 350A, 350B, 350C is stopped, and after the stop of change of all the reels 350A, 350B, 350C, the display window 314 is won by the internal lottery. When winning the winning combination when the corresponding display state is reached, based on the input of the change start instruction When the timer 22 starts measuring time and the measured time exceeds a preset time, the fluctuation display of the reels 350A, 350B, and 350C is forcibly stopped. At this time, all the reels 350A, 350B are stopped. Since the input of the variable stop instruction via the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C to 350C is invalidated, the game can be smoothly advanced while ensuring the fairness and game play of the game.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the notification that the input of the variable stop instruction via the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C has been invalidated is executed, the player won a prize even though the stop operation was performed. Without misunderstanding that there was no game, it is possible to smoothly advance the game while ensuring fairness and playability of the game.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the input invalidation is notified by the backlight 158 provided inside the stop buttons 356A, 356B, 356C, it is easy for the player to understand, and the game can be played more smoothly. Can be advanced.

  In this embodiment, since two color LEDs are provided as the backlight 158 in the respective stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C, the state of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C is expressed more clearly. Can be notified.

  That is, in the present embodiment, a mode has been described in which the color of the stop buttons 356A, 356B, and 356C is simply changed to red or green by valid / invalid. For example, when the operation of the stop button 356 is valid, the color is green. The backlight 158 may be turned off when the rotation of the reel 350 is stopped by the player's operation, and may be controlled to be red when the operation of the stop button 356 is disabled by the automatic stop.

  In this embodiment, the embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a gaming machine provided with three reels 350A, 350B, and 350C has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two reels are provided. It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a gaming machine equipped with the game machine or a gaming machine equipped with four or more reels.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given of a mode in which a winning is avoided by performing a stop control that performs normal stop control at the time of the first stop and the second stop, and performs a stop control that kicks off all the combinations at the time of the third stop. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any stop control may be performed as long as a winning is avoided as a result.

  In this embodiment, 8-bit stop symbol information indicating symbols stopped on each effective line is used as stop position information stored in the stop position information storage unit 17, and each reel is stored in the stop symbol information storage unit 19. In the above description, the stop symbol information corresponding to the array of symbols is stored and the stop position is determined so that the value of each bit of the logical product (AND) of the stop symbol information becomes “1” or “0”. The present invention is not limited to this, and the stop position is determined by selectively using the stop control table storing the number of sliding frames according to the pressed position according to the flag state, the game state, etc. It can also be applied.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a mode has been described in which the use of the color of the stop button 356 and the LCD 313 to notify that the operation of all the stop buttons has been invalidated in order to execute the automatic stop. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to display means such as an LCD, notification is appropriately performed by means such as a lamp or LED for notifying by lighting state or means for notifying by reproducing sound. be able to.

  It should be noted that the configuration of the pachislot machine (see FIGS. 1 to 4) and the flow of each process (see FIGS. 5 to 8) in the present embodiment are examples and can be changed as appropriate.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the mode in which the main control unit 100 measures the time from the start of rotation has been described. However, the sub control unit 150 receives the winning combination command input from the main control unit 100. The elapsed time may be measured. Although a time difference due to command transmission, processing speed, etc. occurs between the processing of the main control unit 100 and the processing of the sub control unit 150, it is understood that the command transmission requires about 3.6 msec. Therefore, it is assumed that the error of the time measured by each control unit is within 4.5 msec. Such an error is difficult for humans to notice and is considered to be no problem.

It is a perspective view of the pachi-slot machine concerning an embodiment. It is an operation control block diagram of a pachi-slot machine according to an embodiment. It is the block diagram which showed functionally the control system mainly having the normal game in the main control part. It is a functional block diagram regarding the reel stop control according to the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the game state control process which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the reel stop control process which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the automatic stop process which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the main process performed in the sub-control part which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the change of the display state of a display window and the color of a stop button at the time of execution of an automatic stop process. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state by which the message was displayed on LCD by the main process. It is a schematic diagram which shows the change of the display state of a display window at the time of execution of an automatic stop process. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the state notified that the automatic stop was not performed by LCD. (A) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a symbol arrangement of the left reel, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a state in which two reels are stopped and one reel is continuously displaying a variable display. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the state by which the stop symbol information was stored in the stop symbol information storage part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state by which the 1st stop position and the 2nd stop position were memorize | stored in the stop position information storage part when a display part is in the state shown to FIG. 13 (B).

Explanation of symbols

22 Timer (time measuring means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Main control part 132 Motor drive circuit 134 Reel position detection circuit 150 Sub control part (notification means)
158 Backlight (light emitting element)
186 Game state control unit 186A Game execution control unit 188 Game program memory 190 Flag management control unit 192 Flag memory 194 Reel drive control unit (forced stop means)
300 Pachi-slot machine 313 LCD
314 Display window (display unit)
352A Single bet button 352B Max bet button 354 Start lever 350A, 350B, 350C Reel (design row)
356A, 356B, 356C Stop button (operation means)

Claims (3)

A display unit capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbol strings in which a plurality of symbols are arranged, and performing lottery drawing in accordance with a variation start instruction and starting display of variation of symbol strings on the display unit. In response to a change stop instruction inputted respectively, the display of the change of each symbol row is stopped, and after the change of the plurality of symbol rows is stopped, the display unit is in a display state corresponding to the winning combination by the lottery. A gaming machine that wins the role in the event that
Clocking means for starting timing based on the input of the change start instruction;
Forcibly stopping means for forcibly stopping the change display of the symbol row when the time measured by the time measuring means exceeds a preset time;
An input invalidating means for invalidating the input of the fluctuation stop instruction for all symbol sequences when executing the suspension of the fluctuation display by the forced stop means;
A gaming machine equipped with. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising notification means for performing notification that the input of the variable stop instruction has been invalidated by the input invalidation means. It is operated to input the fluctuation stop instruction, and further comprises an operating means having a light emitting element inside,
The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the notification means notifies invalidation of the operation means according to a light emitting state of the light emitting element.

Images