JP2007264710A - Image generation device, game machine, image generation program and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image generation device, capable of naturally giving an assistant object into a perspective image from a visual point. <P>SOLUTION: The image generation device for displaying a three-dimensional image comprises a separation determination means (3042) determining whether a specific object determined to follow up the visual point for perspectively converting a virtual three-dimensional image is separated from a track of specific object set in conformation to the visual point or not; an approach control means (3043) approaching, when the specific object is separated from the track, the specific object to the track; and a movement control means (3044) moving the specific object located on the track along the track. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for following a viewpoint object in computer graphics technology. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique for improving position control between an object other than a central character object and a viewpoint.

  Three-dimensional computer graphics are also applied to game devices and game machines in the field of entertainment. In this field, there is a question as to whether a model (object) arranged in a three-dimensional space looks genuine without being unnatural with relatively inexpensive hardware with limited processing capability.

For example, as a three-dimensional computer graphics technique applied to a game device, a three-dimensional image processing device as described in (1) has been known. The apparatus includes a viewpoint determination unit that determines a camera viewpoint position suitable for an operation for determining a motion of a main object that is a main character, and a viewpoint movement that moves the camera viewpoint from the current position to the position determined by the viewpoint determination unit. And an image display unit for displaying an image of the main object viewed from the camera viewpoint. According to this conventional technique, an image of the main object viewed from the camera viewpoint suitable for the operation assumed to be performed by the player is displayed. Therefore, the player needs to perform an operation of moving the camera viewpoint to a desired position. Can concentrate on the operation to determine the movement of the main object, increase the speed of moving the main object in the virtual three-dimensional space, become a thrilling game, improve the fun of the game It was supposed to be possible.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-24624 (paragraphs 0006, 0085)

  However, among the objects arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space, there are auxiliary objects other than the main character, which are to be arranged in the frame of the display screen. Since such an auxiliary object is not a central motif, it is not appropriate to always draw at the center of the display image plane.

  For example, a mirror ball in a hole is typical. The main character is a main character (dancer) dancing on the stage, and the viewpoint is moved and controlled following the main character. However, in order to create an atmosphere, it is extremely effective that the mirror ball is in the display area. However, it is a character, not a mirror ball, that should be placed at the center of the screen. For such an auxiliary object, the viewpoint tracking applied to the main character cannot be applied to an auxiliary object such as a mirror ball.

  In addition, before and after the scene change, the main object, which is the main character, is often imaged from a different angle, but auxiliary objects such as mirror balls are displayed continuously immediately after the scene changes. On the contrary, it is unnatural. In other words, when the viewpoint moves to display the character from a different angle, the mirror ball that was displayed immediately before the scene change is displayed as it is despite being out of the field of view immediately after the scene change. It's strange that a mirror ball that couldn't be found there suddenly appeared. On the other hand, there is a demand for avoiding that a mirror ball having a high visual interest is out of frame for a long time from a display image. For this reason, conventionally, the arrangement of mirror balls has to be determined by the designer's individual work.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image generation apparatus that can naturally float an auxiliary object in a perspective image from a viewpoint.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image generation apparatus according to the present invention is an image generation apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional image, wherein a specific object defined to follow a viewpoint for perspective transformation of a virtual three-dimensional space is provided. The movement trajectory is determined in advance, and the separation determination means for determining whether or not the specific object is separated from the trajectory, and when the specific object is separated from the trajectory, the specific object is approached toward the trajectory It is characterized by comprising an approach control means and a movement control means for moving a specific object located on the trajectory along the trajectory.

  In addition, the image generation program of the present invention allows a specific object, which is determined to follow a viewpoint for perspective transformation of a virtual three-dimensional space, to be separated from the trajectory of the specific object set corresponding to the viewpoint. A function to determine whether or not a specific object is separated from the trajectory, a function to move the specific object toward the trajectory, and a function to move the specific object located on the trajectory along the trajectory Are executed.

  According to the present invention, since the specific object has a trajectory corresponding to the viewpoint and movement control is performed along the trajectory, the specific object image after projection in the perspective (figure) image after projection conversion has a predetermined motion. do. Since the trajectory is provided corresponding to the viewpoint, the trajectory always moves along with the viewpoint when the viewpoint moves. Here, when the viewpoint position is suddenly changed due to a scene change or the like, the trajectory moved corresponding to the viewpoint and the specific object are separated from each other. According to the present invention, since the specific object is controlled so as to approach toward the trajectory in such a case, even if the specific object reaches the trajectory soon after the frame is out of the perspective image, A specific object image is displayed. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent unnaturalness that the specific object is displayed from the beginning when the viewpoint is suddenly moved, and the specific object follows the viewpoint over time. The specific object image can be displayed for most of the time.

  The “specific object” may be limited in advance, or may be selected according to the status of the apparatus (for example, operation content). The specific object only needs to approach the direction of the trajectory, and it can be moved toward a specific point on the trajectory, moved closer to the visual axis passing through the viewpoint, or any approach method can be applied. It is.

  In addition, only one “trajectory” may be set in advance, but a plurality of “trajectories” may be determined, and one of them may be selected according to the state of the apparatus (for example, operation content). Further, since the specific object only needs to be displayed in the fluoroscopic image, it may be arranged near the visual volume in relation to the viewpoint, and can be defined by a mathematical expression. Therefore, the “orbit” does not have to be fixed.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to include an object determination unit that determines whether or not the placement target object is a specific object. According to this configuration, when a plurality of objects are arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space, the specific object to which the present invention is applied can be limited, so that the calculation load is suppressed as much as possible when the calculation capability of the apparatus is limited. It is possible.

  Here, the trajectory for moving the specific object is set in the view volume after the viewpoint coordinate conversion of the three-dimensional space. And it is preferable that the stay period of the space around the visual volume of the specific object is set longer than the stay period of the space around the visual axis. In the present invention, the setting of the trajectory is not limited, and the trajectory can be determined according to the meaning / role of the specific object. However, since the specific object is not a main object arranged at the center of the fluoroscopic image, it is often sufficient to be visible around the fluoroscopic image. If the trajectory is set around the center, the specific object image is displayed so as to stay around the fluoroscopic image for a long time.

  Here, in the present invention, a forbidden area that prohibits the specific object from being placed in the virtual three-dimensional space is provided. When it is determined that the calculated position of the specific object falls within the prohibited area, it is preferable to further include a prohibited area avoiding unit that changes the position of the specific object so that the specific object is arranged outside the prohibited area. Depending on the design of the virtual three-dimensional space, there is a case where an object that is difficult to enter with a specific object is set. For example, other objects such as a floor, a ceiling, a wall, and a character. According to the present invention, an area that is unnatural when a specific object is arranged is set as a prohibited area in advance, and control is performed so that the specific object (a part of the specific object) does not enter the prohibited area. It is possible to prevent an unnatural image from being displayed regardless of the approach route of the specific object at the time of separation.

  Here, in the present invention, when it is determined that the calculated distance between the position of the specific object and the viewpoint is equal to or greater than a predetermined limit distance, the position of the specific object is determined so that the specific object is arranged within the limit distance. It is preferable to further include a limit distance maintaining means to be changed. When the movement distance of the viewpoint is large, the specific object is too far from the trajectory set corresponding to the viewpoint, and it may take a long time to approach the trajectory again. In this respect, according to the present invention, since the upper limit is set to the separation distance so that the specific object is always arranged within the limit distance, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the specific object disappears from the fluoroscopic image for a long time.

The present invention is also a gaming machine provided with the image generating apparatus of the present invention.
Here, the “gaming machine” is not limited, but includes, for example, a rotary gaming machine (hereinafter referred to as “slot machine”), a pachinko machine (including a first kind pachinko machine and a second kind pachinko machine), and the like.

  The image generation program of the present invention is stored in a storage medium and distributed. As such a storage medium, it is a computer-readable medium, such as various types of ROM, USB memory with flash memory, USB memory, SD memory, memory stick, memory card, FD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM. And other physical storage media. In addition, the broad recording medium includes a transmission medium such as the Internet capable of transmitting the program. This is because the program (downloaded) transmitted through the transmission medium is stored in the memory as it is and executed by the computer.

  According to the present invention, since the specific object moves along a trajectory determined with respect to the viewpoint, an image of the specific object with an auxiliary position can be drifted in the fluoroscopic image. And even when the viewpoint is changed, the specific object is controlled so as to approach the trajectory, so that it is possible to prevent the unnaturalness that the specific object is displayed from the beginning when sudden viewpoint movement is performed, and Since the specific object follows the viewpoint over time, the specific object image can be displayed in the fluoroscopic image for most of the time.

  Hereinafter, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the image generation apparatus (method) of the present invention is applied to a gaming machine (slot machine) installed in a game hall or the like will be exemplified. The following embodiments are merely examples of application of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and can be applied with various modifications.

(Definition)
The terms used in this specification are defined as follows.
“Game” refers to a series of operations from the insertion of a medal to the operation of a stop switch before the next medal is inserted.
“Normal game” refers to a “game” executed with an expected value set for a default state.
The “special game” is a “game” that is different from the “normal game” and is advantageous to the player.

“Lottery” refers to a process in which a computer draws a lottery with a predetermined expected value using a random number or the like when a gaming machine reaches a predetermined condition (switch operation state or the like).
“Winning” refers to a case where the result of the “lottery” is a win, in particular, a case where a win is obtained by a computer lottery. In the present embodiment, it is distinguished from “winning” determined mechanically.
“Winning” means that a combination of symbols on the active line indicated by the stopped reels is in a state indicating a specific combination.

The “combination” is to specify the type of winning when the result of the lottery is winning. It is also called “winning role” when the “winning role” or the design is complete.
The “special role” is a role for shifting to “special game”.
The “small role” is a role for paying out to the player the number of medals corresponding to the type of the small role.

“Replay” is a role for giving the right to replay while maintaining the number of medals inserted in the previous game.
The “effective line” indicates the arrangement of the stopped symbols for the sake of convenience, and indicates whether the symbol is a specific “combination” or “losing” depending on the combination of symbols arranged on the effective line. When a plurality of “effective lines” are set, they are collectively referred to as “effective line group”.

(Embodiment)
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a gaming machine including an image generating apparatus according to the basic configuration of the present invention.
First, the case configuration will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, a front panel 20 is attached to a front surface portion of a housing of the slot machine 10 according to the present embodiment so as to be freely opened and closed. It is a display area in which an effect display device 40 having a display function is provided in the upper part of the front panel 20, and an operation unit is provided in the center.

  An effect display device 40 having a display function is provided in the upper part of the housing. The effect display device 40 is configured to include, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and is configured to be able to display images for various effects and information necessary for a game in a display area. The effect display device 40 is provided with one transparent display window 21. The area of the display window 21 is not provided with a liquid crystal for displaying an image, a member constituting the liquid crystal (such as a polarizing plate), or a circuit for controlling the liquid crystal, and transmits light. It is an area that cannot physically display an image.

  Three reels (rotating drums) are arranged in a position inside the housing and visible through the display window 21. From the left side when viewed from the front, the left reel 31L, the middle reel 31C, and the right reel 31R are arranged in this order.

  The reels 31L, 31C and 31R are formed in a ring-shaped hollow structure. The outer periphery of the reel is formed in the width of the reel tape that is affixed to the outer peripheral surface, and a plurality of openings are provided on the outer peripheral surface in accordance with the shape of the pattern printed on the reel tape. The inside of the reel is hollow, and the rotating shaft is supported by a frame extending from the outer peripheral surface.

  Each reel tape on which a winning symbol (a symbol constituting a winning combination) is printed is affixed to the outer peripheral surface of the reel. On each reel tape, for example, 21 symbols are printed at regular intervals. The arrangement of the symbols is different for each reel tape. The design of the reel tape corresponds to the opening provided on the outer peripheral surface of the reel. From the display window 21, the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are observed through the display window. The size of the display window 21 is such that three consecutive symbols in the vertical direction of the outer peripheral surface of each reel can be seen. Is set. In FIG. 1, a circle shown on the reel group 31 (meaning a group of reels 31L, 31C, and 31R) represents one symbol.

  Stepping motors (not shown) are connected to the respective rotation shafts of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R. This stepping motor is capable of rotating the reels 31L, 31C and 31R at an arbitrary speed or stopping at an arbitrary angle (position). When each reel rotates, the symbols of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are visually recognized as moving up and down in the display window 21.

  A back lamp (not shown) is provided inside the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R. Three back lamps are arranged for each reel, and light is emitted through the openings on the outer peripheral surface of the reel for a total of nine symbols visible from the display window 21 when the reels are stopped.

  A broken line on the display window 21 shown in FIG. 1 indicates an effective line group 22 including effective lines 22a, 22b, and 22c. The effective line group 22 includes a horizontal effective line 22a in the horizontal direction, two effective lines 22b in the upper and lower horizontal directions, and two effective lines 22c in the diagonally downward and leftward directions. ing. The symbols attached to the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are spaced so that all nine symbols visible from the display window 21 are positioned on these effective line groups 22 when the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are stopped. Is arranged in.

  A medal slot 23 is provided at a position corresponding to the lower right side of the effect display device 40 in the center of the casing of the slot machine 10. When medals are inserted from the medal insertion slot 23, one to five lines of the effective lines 22a, 22b and 22c are activated according to the number of inserted medals. That is, the inserted number of medals is collected as a premium. When one medal is inserted, one effective line 22a is effective. When two medals are inserted, three horizontal effective lines 22a and 22b are effective. In total, including two effective lines 22c in the direction, five effective lines 22a to 22c become effective. These controls are performed by a later-described main CPU (central processing unit) 51 (see FIG. 2). For example, when three medals are inserted, if a combination of specific symbols on at least one effective line 22a to 22c is stopped when the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are stopped, the combination is selected. It will be a prize for the corresponding role.

  Various operation switches operated by the player are provided at the center of the housing. For example, in this embodiment, a start switch 41, a stop switch group 42, and a bet switch group 43 are provided.

  The start switch 41 is a switch, for example, a button operated by the player when starting the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R. The stop switch group 42 includes a left stop switch 42L that is operated when stopping the left reel 31L, a middle stop switch 42C that is operated when stopping the middle reel 31C, and a right stop that is operated when stopping the right reel 31R. Switch 42R. These stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R are juxtaposed as buttons, for example.

  The bet switch group 43 is a switch group for designating the number of bets (the number of bets) when the player inserts a medal in the credit. The bet switch group 43 includes a 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a and a MAX bet switch (3-bet switch) 43b. It is configured. These bet switches 43a and 43b are also arranged as buttons, for example. When the 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a is operated, one or two medals are bet (collected as a game amount), and when the MAX bet switch 43b is operated, the maximum 3 bets Medals are bet. That is, the number of bets designated by operating the bet switch group 43 is collected from the number of medals that are credited, and the credit is subtracted by the number of bets.

  Further, a medal payout opening 90 is provided at the center of the lower portion of the housing, and speakers 71 are provided on both sides of the medal payout opening 90. During the game (game), various effects, for example, lighting of a back lamp, image display using the effect display device 40, and output of sound from the speaker 71 are performed. Furthermore, as such an effect, there is a case where a notification effect of the possibility of winning is performed.

An outline of the normal game executed in the slot machine having these configurations will be briefly described.
In the slot machine 10, when a player inserts a medal from the medal insertion slot 23 or operates the bet switch group 43, the effective lines 22a to 22c are activated according to the number of bets.

  When the player who has designated the bet number operates the start switch 41, a winning combination according to the bet number is performed and the reels 31L, 31C and 31R start to rotate. When the player operates the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R, the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R stop rotating according to the operated button. At this time, if the lottery result of the combination being performed simultaneously with the operation of the start switch 41 is a winning combination, the combination of symbols arranged on the activated effective line group 22 is a predetermined combination of combinations. The reels are controlled so as to match the combination of symbols, and medals are paid out according to the winning combination.

(System configuration)
Next, a system configuration such as an internal configuration of the slot machine 10 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the slot machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Inside the casing of the slot machine 10, a main control board 50, a sub control board 60, a reel board 11, a central display board 12, and a power supply board 13 connected to the main control board 50 are arranged.

(Main control board 50)
The main control board 50 is provided with a main CPU 51, ROM 52, RAM 53, and interface circuit (I / F circuit) 54, which are connected to each other via a bus 55.

  The main CPU 51 reads (fetches), interprets (decodes), and executes instructions constituting the program. The main CPU 51 reads out programs, data, and the like stored in the ROM 52, and controls the entire slot machine 10 based on these.

  The ROM 52 stores software programs and data necessary for lottery processing and other game controls based on operations as shown in the flowchart of FIG. The RAM 53 is used when the main CPU 51 performs various controls, and is configured to be able to temporarily store data and the like.

  The I / F circuit 54 performs timing control and the like when signals are transmitted and received between the main control board 50, the sub control board 60, the reel board 11, the central display board 12, and the power supply board 13. It is like that. However, transmission of signals from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60 is performed between the main control board 50 and the sub control board 60, but transmission of signals from the sub control board 60 to the main control board 50 is not performed. It is configured not to be performed.

(Sub-control board 60)
The sub control board 60 is provided with a sub CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, image control processor 64, image data ROM 65, video RAM 66, tone generator circuit 67, amplifier 68 and interface circuit (I / F circuit) 69. The sub CPU 61, ROM 62, control RAM 63, image control processor 64, tone generator circuit 67 and I / F circuit 69 are connected to each other via a bus 70. The image data ROM 65 and the video RAM 66 are connected to an image control processor 64, and the amplifier 68 is connected to a sound source circuit 67.

  The sub CPU 61 reads (fetches), interprets (decodes) and executes instructions constituting the program. Then, the sub CPU 61 reads out programs and data stored in the ROM 62, and controls the entire sub control board 60, in particular, controls the effects for the player. Note that there are no restrictions on the processing capability or development language of the sub CPU 61.

  The ROM 62 stores a software program, data, and the like as shown in a flowchart described later in the sub CPU 61. The RAM 63 is used when the sub CPU 61 performs various controls, and is configured to be able to temporarily store data and the like.

  The sub CPU 61, ROM 62, and RAM 63 have the same functions as the main CPU 51, ROM 52, and RAM 53 provided on the main control board 50, respectively. Note that the ROM 62 and the RAM 63 may be the same as the ROM 52 and the RAM 53, respectively, but those having a larger capacity may be used.

  The image data ROM 65 stores original image data for generating image data such as characters, characters, and backgrounds displayed on the effect display device 40. The video RAM 66 is used when the image control processor 64 generates image data to be displayed on the effect display device 40, and image data generated based on the original image data read from the image data ROM 65 is frame image data. As shown in FIG. The effect display device 40 is connected to the sub-control board 60 so that the frame image data stored in the video RAM 66 can be displayed.

  The sub-control board 60 is further provided with a speaker 71, the above-described back lamp, and the like. The speaker 71 is connected to the amplifier 68. These effect peripheral devices output effects during the game (such as a notification effect of the possibility of winning a role), and are connected only to the sub-control board 60 and connected to the main control board 50. Not.

  The I / F circuit 69 performs timing control and the like when receiving a signal from the main control board 50. As described above, the signal is transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60, but the signal is not transmitted from the sub control board 60 to the main control board 50. That is, only one-way transmission is possible.

(Reel board 11)
A stepping motor (not shown) for driving the left reel 31L, the middle reel 31C, and the right reel 31R is connected to the reel substrate 11. Each stepping motor is further connected to the rotation shafts of these reels 31L, 31C and 31R. Control signals for controlling the operations of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are supplied from the main CPU 51 to the reel substrate 11.

(Central display board 12)
The central display substrate 12 is attached to, for example, a central portion on the back side of the front panel 20.
The central display board 12 includes a selector 81, a 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a, a MAX bet switch (3-bet switch) 43b, a start switch (lever) 41, a left stop switch (button) 42L, and a middle stop switch (button) 42C. A right stop switch (button) 42R, a setting display section 82, and a setting change switch 83 are connected.

  The selector 81 is configured to identify whether or not the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 23 is a genuine one, and to eliminate an illegal medal. The setting display unit 82 is arranged so as to be visible from the back side of the front panel 20, and displays settings relating to probability and payout (for example, settings 1 to 6). The setting change switch 83 is a switch operated when changing the setting related to the probability and the payout.

(Power supply board 13)
A setting change enabling switch 91, a power switch 92, a hopper device 93, and a power device 94 are connected to the power device board 13.

  The setting change enable switch 91 is a switch that is operated when a setting change using the setting change switch 83 is enabled. That is, the setting change using the setting change switch 83 can be performed only when the setting change enable switch 91 is in the ON state. The power switch 92 is a switch for switching on / off the power supply device 94. The hopper device 93 is a device for storing and paying out medals. Based on an instruction from the main CPU 51 via the power supply device board 13, a predetermined number of medals are stored in the medal payout opening 90 from medals stored in advance. It comes to pay out.

(Function block on main control board)
Next, a functional configuration of the main control board 50 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the main control board 50.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, for example, the main CPU 51 executes a program recorded in the ROM 52, whereby the following control unit 101, role lottery unit 103, reel control unit 106, winning determination unit 107. The gaming state control unit 108 and the payout control unit 109 are functionally realized. For example, the RAM 53 functions as the following flag information storage unit 105, and the following lottery table 102 data is stored in the ROM 52, for example.

(Role lottery section 103)
The role lottery unit 103 is a functional block for performing lottery of a role (special role, small role, replay, etc.). The combination lottery unit 103 obtains one random number after generating a random number internally for each game, refers to the lottery table 102 stored in the ROM 52, and determines the combination of the combination based on the area to which the acquired random number belongs. The presence / absence of winning and the winning combination are determined.

  For example, the role lottery unit 103 performs a lottery when the start switch 41 is operated, and determines whether the “game” is “winning” or “losing” and “winning” when it is “winning”. decide. That is, the role lottery unit 103 generates a random number within a predetermined range (for example, 0 to 65535 in decimal notation) when the start switch 41 is pressed, and the predetermined lot is selected when the predetermined condition is satisfied. Get a random value. In the lottery table 102, a special role winning area, a small role winning area, a replay winning area, a non-winning (losing) area, and the like are set at a predetermined ratio with respect to random numbers that can be acquired by the role lottery unit 103. ing.

  Furthermore, if the winning lottery unit 103 “wins” the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R after having pressed each of the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R, an arrangement of symbols representing the winning combination. The stop is controlled so that the winning combination is won. Further, when the lottery result is “losing” (non-winning), stop control is performed so that the symbol arrangement does not represent any combination. In any case, the stop symbol does not change even if the pressing timing of the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R is changed.

  The lottery performed by the combination lottery unit 103 may be performed only once per game and may be determined up to the combination, but may be configured to perform a plurality of lotteries.

  In addition to the configuration led by the role lottery unit 103 in which a lottery is performed at the timing of pressing the start switch 41 or the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R and the lottery result is determined, the reels can be operated without any special pull-in operation. The group 31 may be stopped, and as a result, the winning determination unit 107 may detect the positions where the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are stopped, and determine whether there is a winning or a winning combination. In this case, there is no concept of lottery or winning combination, and the combination lottery unit 103 may not exist. Further, depending on the type of game, whether or not the role lottery unit 103 is led, that is, whether to make a lottery or make a winning determination by reel may be switched.

(Control unit 101)
The control unit 101 is a central functional block that controls the operation timing of the combination lottery unit 103, the reel control unit 106 and the winning determination unit 107, which will be described later.

  For example, on the condition that the start switch 41 is operated, the control unit 101 causes the combination lottery unit 103 to perform combination lottery, causes the reel control unit 106 to start the rotation of the reel group 31, and the stop switch. The reel control unit 106 is controlled to stop the reel group 31 on the condition that the group 42 has been operated, and further, the winning determination unit 107 performs the winning determination on the condition that the reel group 31 has stopped. It is.

  Note that the operation of the control unit 101 is not limited to these, and governs general control required for the main control board 50.

(Flag information storage unit 105)
The flag information storage unit 105 is configured to be able to store the type of the winning combination and the fact that the flag is turned on when a flag for a certain combination is turned on by the lottery result of the combination lottery unit 103.

(Reel control unit 106)
The reel control unit 106 is a functional block that controls the rotation and stop of the reel group 31 (reels 31L, 31C, and 31R) based on an instruction from the control unit 101.

  More specifically, the reel control unit 106 has a gaming state (for example, a normal gaming state, a special gaming state, etc.), a lottery result by the combination lottery unit 103, and a stop switch group 42 (stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R). Based on the operated timing, etc., the stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are determined, and the driving of the stepping motor is controlled to stop the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R at the determined positions. It has become.

  For example, if the winning lottery unit 103 results in “losing” and no winning combination is won, each reel is set so that the combination of symbols of any winning combination is not stopped on the activated effective line. The stop positions of 31L, 31C and 31R are determined, and each reel is stopped at the determined position. On the other hand, if a winning combination is selected for a certain role, the symbol combination is determined so that the winning symbol combination is stopped on the active line that is active, and the symbol combination is valid at that time. The stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are determined so as to appear in the effective lines, and each reel is stopped at the determined position.

  In particular, when the special combination is “winned”, the stop combinations of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are controlled so that the combination of the special combination symbols is stopped on the active line that is enabled (for example, (Within 4 symbols), pull-in control is performed so that the symbols related to the special role are aligned as much as possible. However, even if the special role is “winned”, the combination of symbols of the special role will not stop on the activated active line when “winning” for a small role or replay. Then, stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are determined, and stop control is performed.

  Such control when stopping the reels 31L, 31C and 31R may be performed using a reel control table.

(Winning determination unit 107)
The winning determination unit 107 is a functional block for determining the final winning state.
The winning determination unit 107 determines whether or not a combination of symbols in the active line group 22 is arranged in any of the active lines that are active, and if there is an in-line combination, it is determined in the game. It is determined that the winning combination has been won. The lottery of the combination is determined in advance by the combination lottery unit 103. However, when a mechanical reel is used, the reel may not be stopped as scheduled, so the position of the finally stopped reel is detected. Because you have to do it.

  The winning determination unit 107 determines a symbol positioned on the active line by detecting, for example, an angle at the time when the stepping motor is stopped, the number of steps, and the like, and based on this, determines the presence / absence of a winning combination.

  Instead of pre-determining a combination by the combination lottery unit 103 and stopping the reels 31L, 31C and 31R together, the reels are stopped one after another at a retractable position, and finally the actual reels 31L, The positions of 31C and 31R may be detected, and the winning determination unit 107 may determine the combination of symbols and determine the combination.

(Game state control unit 108)
The gaming state control unit 108 is a functional block for controlling the special game from the next game until the predetermined end condition is satisfied when the winning determination unit 107 has won a special role as a result of the determination. It is.

  For example, the game state control unit 108 causes the reel control unit 106 to perform reel control for special games according to the lottery result of the role lottery unit 103 during the special game, or causes the sub control board 60 to perform special game effects. Or let it be done.

(Payout control unit 109)
The payout control unit 109 is a functional block for causing the hopper device 93 to pay out medals according to the winning combination as a result of the determination by the winning determination unit 107.

(Functional block on sub control board)
Next, a functional configuration of the sub control board 60 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the sub control board 60.
The effect pattern selection unit 201 is functionally realized by the sub CPU 61 executing a computer-readable program recorded in the ROM 62. In addition, when the sub CPU 61 executes a computer-readable program recorded in the ROM 62, the effect control unit 202 is functionally realized while controlling the image control processor 64.

  The effects implemented by the sub-control board 60 are effects by an image displayed in the image display area around the display window 21 by the effect display device 40 and effects by sound generated from the speaker 71. Unlike the operations on the main control board 50, these effects do not change the direction of the game itself, such as lottery. However, the effects of the image and sound stimulate the player, and the expectation of winning the prize It plays an important role in improving the quality and eliminating monotony.

(Production pattern selection unit 201)
The effect pattern selection unit 201 is a functional block that selects an effect pattern according to the gaming state.
Specifically, the effect pattern selection unit 201 receives a signal from the role lottery unit 103 of the main control board 50 and selects an effect pattern according to the winning combination or the like, or a winning determination unit of the main control board 50 In response to signals from 107 and the special role game control unit 108, an effect pattern corresponding to a winning combination or a gaming state is selected.

  Here, the effect pattern is determined based on the progress of the game such as whether the start switch 41 is pressed, which stop switch 42 is pressed, and which reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are stopped, as a result of lottery. Is selected in accordance with the type of game, such as a normal game or a special game.

(Production control unit 202)
The effect control unit 202 is a functional block that controls an effect based on the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201.

  The effect control unit 202 creates stereoscopic image data for displaying an image with respect to the selected effect pattern, converts it into two-dimensional image data, and supplies the two-dimensional image data to the effect display device 40. Operates to display an image. In addition, the effect control unit 202 performs control for causing the sound source circuit 67 to generate sound for the selected effect pattern.

(Sound source circuit 67)
The sound source circuit 67 includes a sound generation circuit for a predetermined number of channels, for example, eight sound source channels, and can simultaneously reproduce phrases corresponding to the number of sound source channels. The sound source circuit 67 is controlled by an effect request command output from the effect control unit 202. The sound source circuit 67 reads out and synthesizes sound source data of a corresponding sound source channel from a sound ROM (not shown) corresponding to the effect request command transmitted from the effect control unit 202, and generates it for each of the right channel and the left channel. Then, it is D / A converted and output as an analog sound signal. The amplifier 68 amplifies the analog sound signals of the left and right channels, and sends the stereo sound to the right speaker 71R and the left speaker 71R.

(Detailed function blocks of the production control unit)
Next, a specific configuration of the effect control unit 202 will be described.
The effect control unit 202 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to apply a light effect pattern as part of the effect pattern.
In FIG. 5, the functional block which divided the production | presentation control part 202 from the functional side is shown.
As shown in FIG. 5, the effect control unit 202 includes, as functional blocks, an image control unit 301, a sound control unit 302, an object data storage unit 3031, a light source / viewpoint information storage unit 3032, a texture data storage unit 3033, and trajectory data storage. A unit 3034, an image data generation unit 304, an image data storage unit 305, and a display control unit 306. The image data generation unit 304 includes an object placement unit 3041, a separation determination unit 3042, an approach control unit 3043, a movement control unit 3044, a limit distance maintaining unit 3045, and a rendering unit 3046.

  In the above configuration, the image control unit 301 and the sound control unit 302 are functionally realized by the sub CPU 61 executing a program stored in the ROM 62. The object data storage unit 3031, the light source / viewpoint information storage unit 3032, the texture data storage unit 3033, and the trajectory data storage unit 3034 correspond to the image data ROM 65. The image data storage unit 305 corresponds to the video RAM 66. Each configuration of the image data generation unit 304 and the display control unit 306 are functionally realized by a sub CPU 61 that executes the image generation program of the present invention and an image control processor 64 that operates based on the control of the sub CPU 61.

(Image control unit 301)
The image control unit 301 is configured so that various effects can be instructed to the image data generation unit 304 in accordance with the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201. The image control unit 301 determines the story on the image according to the effect pattern, determines the object to be displayed, and determines the movement of the object.

(Sound controller 302)
The sound control unit 302 is configured to control the sound source circuit 67 so as to generate and generate a sound signal corresponding to the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201. The sound controlled by the sound control unit 302 is temporally linked with the image control unit 301 so as to have a close relationship with the progress of the image displayed by the control of the image control unit 301. ing.

(Object data storage unit 3031)
The object data storage unit 3031 stores data (referred to as object data) for defining the shapes of various objects in a local coordinate system (modeling coordinate system, object coordinate system, body coordinate system). It is assumed that the object includes a specific object of the present invention (in this embodiment, “mirror ball”) that is determined to follow the viewpoint for perspective transformation of the virtual three-dimensional space.

  In the surface model applied in the present embodiment, each object is expressed as a collection of polygons that are polygons. An object can be defined if the arrangement of the polygons that make up the object is determined, so the object data is a collection of polygon data that defines the relative position to the reference coordinates (body coordinate system) set for each object. It has become.

  FIG. 8 shows an external view of a mirror ball object 400 that is a specific object of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the mirror ball object 400 is configured by arranging a large number of polygons 402 so as to be spherical. The problem in this embodiment is to display the mirror ball object 400 so as to float around a character object (hereinafter referred to as a “hero character”) that is the center of the production. The mirror ball is merely an example of a specific object, and can be applied to any object that should be moved following the viewpoint.

(Light source / viewpoint information storage unit 3032)
The light source / viewpoint information storage unit 3032 stores viewpoint information and light source information. The viewpoint information is information for specifying a viewpoint for developing an object that has been subjected to modeling conversion and placed in a virtual three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional image. The light source information is information for setting a light source for visualizing an object by rendering processing.

  The viewpoint information is the viewpoint coordinates in the world coordinate system. When the viewpoint position changes according to the effect pattern, a series of viewpoint information over time is recorded. The light source information includes the type of light source (infinite light source, point light source, spot light), light source position, light source brightness, light reach distance, light attenuation characteristics, light Color, ambient light intensity, etc. are set.

(Texture data storage unit 3033)
The texture data storage unit 3033 stores texture data that defines a texture that is mapped (expanded and pasted) to an object that has been subjected to modeling conversion, viewing conversion, and perspective projection conversion.

  The texture is data relating to a pattern / texture mapped on the surface of an object or polygon that is a set of vertex coordinates. The texture data is raster image data created at a predetermined resolution for representing a pattern and the like, for example, data in GIF format or PNG format.

(Orbit data storage unit 3034)
The trajectory data storage unit 3034 stores trajectory data for specifying a trajectory for the mirror ball object 400, which is a specific object, to normally circulate around the viewpoint.

  The trajectory data may be any information that can define the movement of the specific object in the virtual three-dimensional space, and the format is not limited. For example, even if the passing point of a specific object is defined by relative position information with respect to the viewpoint (a set of coordinate values in the viewpoint coordinate system), the trajectory with respect to the viewpoint is defined by a relational expression (a circular orbit with respect to the viewpoint, It may be an elliptical orbit, a periodic function such as a sine curve, or the like. If a geometric center point can be set in the trajectory, information for specifying the center position may be included.

  FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram for setting a trajectory in the present embodiment. FIG. 9 illustrates the position of the trajectory 410 relative to the viewpoint C.

  In FIG. 9, a viewpoint C for expanding a virtual three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional image has a predetermined viewing angle, and an object arranged in a predetermined viewing volume (view volume) 500 is a projection plane (view Screen) 600. Even if the viewing angle is from the viewpoint C, the side near the viewpoint C is restricted by the front clipping plane 502, and the side far from the viewpoint C is restricted by the rear clipping plane 504. Objects placed in the viewing volume 500 are rendered and visualized.

  The trajectory 410 according to the present invention is set substantially within the viewing volume 500. In FIG. 9, the trajectory 410 is set so that the sine curve (sine curve) is continuous to form a “figure 8” trajectory. The mirror ball object 400, which is a specific object, is controlled to move in the shape of an eight along the trajectory 410. The trajectory 410 is a circular trajectory, and is routed so as to pass through the center point 420 twice during laps for convenience. However, how the trajectory is set and in which position in the visual volume 500 is arbitrary, and may be determined depending on the nature of the specific object and the relationship between the main character and the specific object.

FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the viewing volume 500 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 10, in the trajectory 410, the stay period of the peripheral volume space 506 of the mirror ball object 400 that is the specific object is longer than the stay period of the space near the visual axis 508 centered on the visual axis 510. Is set to That is, the total of the portions existing in the visual volume peripheral space 506 in the path length on the trajectory 410 is set to be larger than the total of the portions existing in the visual axis vicinity space 508. This is because a specific object such as the mirror ball object 400 only needs to be visible around the projection plane 600, unlike the main character object.

  The trajectory 410 preferably enters approximately the viewing volume 500, but may partially protrude outside the viewing volume 500. Further, even if the trajectory itself is within the view volume, a part or all of the specific object moving on the trajectory may temporarily go out of the view volume. This is because, unlike the main character object, the specific object such as the mirror ball object 400 does not need to be displayed in the frame at all times, and may be disposed at a position where it can be seen and hidden. In addition, it may be natural as an auxiliary / accompanying object to go out of the visual volume and sometimes disappear.

(Image data storage unit 305)
In the image data storage unit 305, an object arrangement storage layer 3051 stores arrangement information of each object in a virtual three-dimensional space (world coordinate system) after modeling conversion based on object data. The output image storage layer 3052 stores image data in units of pixels in the physical space displayed on the effect display device 40 after rendering processing.

(Object placement means 3041)
The object placement unit 3041 is a functional block for placing one or more objects (models) including the specific object of the present invention in the virtual three-dimensional space.

  Specifically, the object placement unit 3041 identifies one or more objects to be displayed at each drawing timing, and reads object data defining the objects from the model data storage unit 3031. Then, the object placement unit 3041 executes modeling conversion processing on the object data defined in the local coordinate system, and determines the placement of the object in the virtual three-dimensional space defined in the world coordinate system. At that time, the direction and size of the object are also determined by the coordinate conversion process. For example, a vertex coordinate (x, y, z) in a local coordinate system of a certain polygon is changed to a vertex coordinate (X, Y, Z) in the world coordinate system by modeling conversion calculation. This vertex coordinate defines the vertex position in the virtual three-dimensional space.

  Here, although not shown, the object placement unit 3041 includes an object determination unit that determines whether or not the object to be placed is a specific object. If it is determined that the object is a specific object, before setting the light source, the following distance determination unit 3042, the approach control unit 3043, and the movement control unit 3044 are caused to execute a special operation for the specific object to specify the specific object. The final position of the object is adjusted.

  When the positions of all the objects including the specific object are determined in the world coordinate system, the object placement unit 3041 applies the polygons constituting each object based on the light source information stored in the light source / viewpoint information storage unit 3032. To set vertex information for each. That is, the color (luminance) by the light source at the vertex of each polygon is calculated according to the number, type, position, direction, brightness, color, and attenuation characteristic of the light source.

  The vertex attribute can include color information from the light source at each vertex. For example, if the color information represents the color (light) of each vertex with the three primary color components of red (R), green (G), and blue (B), a vector L = <Lr, Lg, Lb> Expressed. However, instead of the color information, the lightness relative value calculated including the light source information in the virtual three-dimensional space may be directly stored as attribute information for each vertex. The color at a point on a surface is represented by the sum of contributions from all light sources that illuminate the surface. The sum of color components from a plurality of light sources is the color at that point. The color on the surface of the polygon is determined by linear interpolation with the color of light at each vertex of the polygon. When the texture is mapped on the surface, the color of the surface is determined by modulating (modulating) the color of the texture with the color of the light at the vertex.

  After the vertex information is set, the object placement unit 3041 performs viewing conversion for converting the world coordinate system to the viewpoint coordinate system (viewing coordinate system). By this viewing conversion, the arrangement of each object can be determined with the viewpoint C as the reference coordinates (0, 0, 0). Further, the object placement unit 3041 performs normalization conversion for definition in the normalized coordinate system. By performing this normalization conversion, the coordinate value in the viewing volume 500 is simple, for example, in the range of −1.0 to +1.0 for the x and y components and in the range of 0 to +1.0 for the z component. Can be defined.

(Separation determination means 3042)
The separation determination unit 3042 is a functional block that determines whether or not the mirror ball object 400 that is a specific object is separated from the track 410.

  The distance between the specific object and the trajectory may be an approximate distance and is not exact. For this reason, the position on the specific object side may be the geometric center or an arbitrary point on the surface of the specific object. The position on the orbit side may be a center point when a geometric center is set on the orbit, or an arbitrary point on the orbit.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the mirror ball object 400 that is a specific object is spherical, the center point is determined as the origin of the local coordinate system, and the center point 420 is also set in the trajectory 410. By calculating the distance between these two center points, the distance between the specific object and the trajectory can be grasped.

FIG. 11 illustrates a case where the specific object is separated from the trajectory.
In FIG. 11, at the previous (n−1) th drawing timing, the viewpoint is at the position of 530 n−1, the trajectory is at the position of 410 n−1, and the mirror ball object that circulates on the trajectory is positioned at the position of 400 n−1. Suppose that It is assumed that, at the current (n-th) drawing timing, the scene of the production is changed and the viewpoint position has greatly shifted from 530n-1 to 530n. In accordance with the movement of the viewpoint, the trajectory position at the current drawing timing also moves from 410n-1 to 410n.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the mirror ball object 400, which is a specific object, is not rewritten in accordance with a change in scene or a change in viewpoint position, and thus is calculated for the nth drawing timing. The position of the mirror ball object 400 is 400n, which is the position on the trajectory 410n-1 before the movement.

  Since the separation determination unit 3042 calculates the distance between the specific object and the trajectory, when the specific object is moving on the trajectory, it is determined that the specific object is not separated from the trajectory (the separation distance is zero). However, when the viewpoint position changes at a stroke, the distance between the specific object and the trajectory is the distance between the position of the mirror ball object 400n and the position of the trajectory 410n, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the separation determination unit 3041 outputs a determination result that the mirror ball object 400n at the next drawing timing is separated from the trajectory 410n due to the movement of the viewpoint as described above.

(Access control means 3043)
The approach control means 3043 is a functional block for causing the specific object to approach the trajectory when the specific object is separated from the trajectory.

  Specifically, the approach control means 3043 sets an approach trajectory (for example, a linear trajectory) from the mirror ball object 400 to the trajectory 410 when the mirror ball object 400 is separated from the trajectory 410. Thereafter, the approach control means 3043 performs an arrangement calculation for moving the specific object along the approach trajectory at a constant speed at each drawing timing. By this process, the arrangement of the specific object once separated is controlled so as to follow the track. The approach trajectory may be defined by an equation that specifies a straight line with a base point and an end point in the virtual three-dimensional space, but may be defined by a vector having the position of the specific object at the time of separation as a base point. The moving speed of the specific object on the approaching trajectory is arbitrary, but when the maximum separation distance is determined by the limit distance maintaining means 3045, the specific object is displayed again in the frame when the specific object is maximally separated. What is necessary is just to determine suitably according to how much time is allowed until it comes to be done.

  In the example of FIG. 11, when it is determined that the mirror ball object 400n is separated from the trajectory 410n at the n-th drawing timing, the approach vector 430 from the mirror ball object 400n to the center point 420 of the trajectory 410n is obtained. Defined by operation. Therefore, at each of n + 1 and subsequent drawing timings, the position calculation is repeated so that the mirror ball object 400 approaches the trajectory 410n by the direction and movement distance indicated by the approach vector 430 each time. The mirror ball object 400 is actually drawn from the drawing timing when the mirror ball object 400 is sufficiently close to the trajectory 410 n and a part of the mirror ball object 400 enters the view volume 500.

(Movement control means 3044)
The movement control means 3044 is a functional block for moving a specific object located on the track along the track.
Specifically, the movement control unit 3044 sets a predetermined speed for the orbit on the trajectory for the specific object, and based on the trajectory data stored in the trajectory data storage unit 3034 and the set speed. The position on the orbit at the current drawing timing is calculated. Instead of setting the speed, a movement vector that defines the moving direction and moving distance of the specific object may be set based on the position of the specific object at the previous drawing timing.

  The moving speed of the specific object on the trajectory can be appropriately determined according to the property of the specific object. For example, in this embodiment, the specific object is the mirror ball object 400, which does not move originally, so that the moving speed can be made extremely slow. Also, the speed of the specific object need not be constant. For example, even when only moving on one trajectory 410, it is possible to set so as to move relatively quickly in the visual axis vicinity space 508 and relatively slowly in the visual volume peripheral space 506. The vicinity of the visual axis, that is, near the center of the display image corresponding to the projection plane 600 is an area where the main character is displayed. Therefore, the stay time of the mirror ball object 400 which is a specific object is shortened and moved slowly around the display image. This is because it is reasonable to make the stay longer.

  Here, in the present embodiment, a prohibition area that prohibits the specific object from being arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space is provided. The movement control means 3044 can execute a prohibition process on a specific object moving on the trajectory. That is, when it is determined that the calculated position of the specific object falls within the prohibited area, the movement control unit 3044 changes the position of the specific object so that the specific object is placed outside the prohibited area. (Not shown).

FIG. 12 shows the relationship between the trajectory and the forbidden area.
In FIG. 12, the trajectory 410 set at a certain viewpoint position partially overlaps with the object 440 indicating the ceiling and has a path that also hits the object 442 indicating the still life. In such a case, if the movement of the mirror ball object 400, which is a specific object, is performed without prohibition processing, an unnatural image in which the mirror ball object 400 sinks into the ceiling or is buried in a still life is displayed. If the trajectory in the virtual three-dimensional space is a fixed one indicated by absolute coordinates, it is possible to set the path in advance so that the trajectory does not compete with such other objects during design design. However, since the viewpoint position is interactively set in the game device or the gaming machine, the absolute position of the trajectory cannot be specified.

  Therefore, when the prohibition area avoiding means determines that the specific object moving along the trajectory 410 has a positional relationship that competes with another object (440 or 442) at the current drawing timing, the other object and the specific object are determined. Bypass trajectory is set so that there is no conflict with. In the example of FIG. 12, the bypass trajectory 422 is set for the ceiling object 440, and the bypass trajectory 424 is set for the still-life object 442. Note that the bypass trajectory does not have to be linear, and may be set in a curved line so as to avoid an object that becomes a major obstacle, such as the bypass trajectory 426 in FIG.

(Limit distance maintenance means 3045)
When it is determined that the calculated distance between the position of the specific object and the viewpoint is equal to or greater than the predetermined limit distance, the limit distance maintaining unit 3045 determines the position of the specific object so that the specific object is arranged within the limit distance. This is a functional block to be changed.

  In the present embodiment, the viewpoint position is changed according to the program design or interactively. Therefore, it is conceivable that the viewpoint position at the next drawing timing is sometimes greatly separated. Although the specific object of the present embodiment is controlled so as to follow the track when separated from the track, the time until returning to the track becomes longer as the degree of separation increases. Therefore, the limit distance maintaining unit 3045 performs control so that the specific object is not separated beyond a predetermined limit distance even when the viewpoint position is changed.

FIG. 13 shows a schematic diagram of setting the limit distance.
As shown in FIG. 13, in this embodiment, the limit distance of the radius R is set based on the center point 420 of the track 410. When the viewpoint position is changed from 530n-1 to 530n and the trajectory position is changed from 410n-1 to 410n at the nth drawing timing, the mirror ball object position at the nth drawing timing is calculated as 400ni, In this case, it is assumed that the distance between the mirror ball object 400ni and the center point 420 of the trajectory 410n is larger than the limit distance R. In such a case, the limit distance maintaining means 3045 moves the position of the mirror ball object to the position 400 nr on the approach path 430 set by the approach control means 3043 and the distance from the center point 420 is within the limit distance R. is there. According to such processing, the maximum separation distance between the specific object and the trajectory is a certain value or less, and even when the specific object approaches at a constant speed, the time until returning to the trajectory can be made a certain time or less. .

  In addition, instead of setting the limit distance, the purpose of keeping the time of separation within a certain time can also be achieved by controlling the approach speed of the specific object according to the distance between the specific object and the trajectory. can do.

(Rendering means 3046)
The rendering unit 3046 performs perspective projection conversion on a virtual three-dimensional space including a specific object with a fixed arrangement. Specifically, the rendering unit 3046 performs a perspective projection conversion operation for converting the object defined in the normalized coordinate system into the perspective coordinate system with reference to the position of the viewpoint C. This perspective projection conversion process is performed for each object.

  The rendering unit 3046 performs hidden surface removal / hidden line removal processing for determining the projection order when objects appear to overlap each other. Then, the shading process is performed on the polygon surface projected on the projection surface with reference to the light source information included in the vertex information. When a texture is defined for the polygon, the rendering unit 3046 reads out the texture data for the texture developed on the surface of the polygon from the texture data storage unit 3033 and maps the texture data. Furthermore, the rendering unit 3046 performs viewport conversion processing for converting into a viewport, which is a physical display space of the apparatus, as necessary. The generated image data is stored in the output image storage layer 3052 of the image data storage unit 305.

(Display control unit 306)
The display control unit 306 reads out the frame image data stored in the output image data storage layer 3052 of the image data storage unit 305 at every drawing timing and transfers the frame image data to the effect display device 40. Based on the transferred frame image data, the effect display device 40 displays an image corresponding to the frame image data in the display area.

(Operation on the main control board)
Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing control by the main control board 50.
In FIG. 6, when a player inserts a medal and the start switch 41 is operated, the control unit 101 detects that the start switch 41 is turned on, and the combination lottery unit 103 performs a combination lottery process. (Step S101 / YES, Step S102). On the other hand, when the start switch 41 is not operated by the player and it is not possible to detect that the start switch 41 is turned on, the control unit 101 performs step S101 until it detects that the start switch 41 is turned on. Repeat the process.

  In the combination lottery process in step S102, the combination lottery unit 103 acquires a random number and performs a combination lottery process by comparing the acquired random number with the lottery table. As a result of the lottery, when any winning combination is won, the winning combination flag is turned on in the flag information storage unit 105. The lottery result by the combination lottery unit 103 is transmitted as winning combination information to the sub-control board 60 via the I / F circuit 54 (step S103).

  The reel control unit 106 determines whether any one of the stop switch groups 42 has been operated (step S104). When any one of the stop switches is operated (step S104 / YES), reel control is performed so that the winning combination can be won, and the rotation of the reel corresponding to the operated stop switch is stopped (step S104). S105).

  If no winning combination has been won in the winning lottery process in step S102 (when “losing” has been won), the reel control unit 106 has not won any winning combination in step S105. The reel control corresponding to is performed.

  Subsequently, the reel control unit 106 determines whether all the stop switches are operated and all the reels are stopped (step S106). When all the reels have not stopped yet (step S106 / NO), the processing from the detection processing of presence / absence of the stop switch operation in step S104 is repeated.

  When all the reels are stopped (step S106 / YES), the winning determination unit 107 determines the presence / absence of winning based on the combination of symbols arranged on the activated effective line (step S107). As a result, if there is any winning (step S107 / YES), a winning process corresponding to the winning combination is executed (step S108).

  When the winning combination is a “special combination”, the game state control unit 108 performs a transition process for executing the “special game” from the next game until a predetermined end condition is satisfied.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that there is no winning (step S107 / NO), the process returns to step S101.

  Subsequently, during the “special game”, the gaming state control unit 108 provides the reel control unit 106 with a “special game” so as to provide the player with a gaming state corresponding to the big bonus game or regular bonus game that is the “special role”. The reel control during “game” is performed, or the sub-control board 60 is performed for “special game”. When the specified number of games of the big bonus game or the regular bonus game is finished, a process of shifting to the “normal game” is performed.

  If the winning combination is not “special combination”, if the flag of the special combination is stored in the flag information storage unit 105 in the on state, the storage state of the flag in the flag information storage unit 105 is carried over to the next game. .

  When the winning combination is “replay”, the winning determination unit 107 causes the control unit 101 to carry over the bet (the number of bets) in the game to the next game. On the other hand, when the winning combination is neither “special combination” nor “replay”, the payout control unit 109 causes the hopper device 93 to pay out the number of medals corresponding to the winning combination.

(Operation on sub-control board)
Next, the operation of the sub control board 60 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing control by the sub-control board 60.
In FIG. 7, first, the effect pattern selection unit 201 reads the effect pattern from the main control board 50 and transfers it to the effect control unit 202 (step S201). In step S202, the image control unit 301 of the effect control unit 202 determines whether it is the drawing timing. If it is not yet the drawing timing (NO), the process is terminated.

  Here, the drawing timing is a predetermined timing in time for the next frame image data update process, and is appropriately determined by the system. The drawing timing may be set every frame period, or may be set every one or more frame periods.

  When the drawing timing comes in step S202 (YES), the process proceeds to step S203, and the specific object determination unit of the image data generation unit 304 determines whether or not the object to be placed next is a specific object. . When the object is not a specific object (NO), the object placement unit 3041 of the image data generation unit 304 executes a normal modeling process in step S215, and the rendering unit executes a rendering process in step S216.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S203 that the object is the specific object, that is, the mirror ball object 400 of this embodiment (YES), the process proceeds to step S204, and the approach control means 3043 determines whether or not the separation flag is turned on. Determine. Here, the separation flag is a flag that is set when the separation determination unit 3042 determines that the specific object is separated from the trajectory, and is reset when it is determined that the specific object is not separated.

  When the separation flag is on (S204; YES), since it is the approach control stage, the process proceeds to step S205, and the approach control means 3043 moves the specific object at the current drawing timing on the approach vector (line). Calculate the position. When the separation flag is off (S204; NO), the process proceeds to step S206, and the movement control means 3044 calculates the position Op of the specific object on the trajectory 410. The position Op of the specific object on the trajectory calculated here includes a case where the viewpoint position suddenly moves (position 400n in FIG. 11).

  In step S207, the separation determination unit 3042 calculates the distance L between the position Op of the specific object calculated in step S206 and the trajectory 410, and determines whether the distance L is greater than 0 (zero). To do. When the distance L is greater than 0 (S207; YES), it means that the viewpoint has moved and the specific object has deviated from the trajectory. Therefore, the separation determination means 3042 sets a separation flag in step S208, and the step In S209, an approach vector (430 in FIG. 11) is calculated. On the other hand, when the distance L is 0 (zero) in step S207 (NO), it means that the specific object is on the trajectory, so the separation determination means 3042 resets the separation flag in step S210.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S211, and the limit distance maintaining unit 3045 determines whether or not the distance L exceeds the limit distance R. If the distance L exceeds the limit distance R (YES), the limit distance maintaining unit 3045 changes the position of the specific object to be within the limit distance R in step S212. If the distance L is within the limit distance R (S211; NO), it means that the distance L is not too far, so the process proceeds to step S213 as it is.

  In step S213, the prohibition area avoiding means of the movement control means 3044 determines whether the trajectory overlaps the prohibition area or whether a specific object moving on the trajectory is arranged in the prohibition area. If it is determined that it has entered (YES), in step S214, the arrangement of the specific object is changed or a bypass trajectory is set. If it is not in the forbidden area (S213; NO), there is no problem of contention, and the process proceeds to step S215.

  As described above, the position changing process for the specific object in the present embodiment is completed. In step S215, the object placement unit 3041 performs modeling conversion, viewing conversion, and normalization conversion of the specific object. In step S216, the rendering unit 3046 performs perspective projection conversion, performs a predetermined rendering process, and generates image data for output. The image data stored in the output image storage layer 3052 is transferred to the effect display device 40 by the display control unit 306 at each drawing timing, and is drawn by the effect display device 40.

  FIG. 14 shows an image display example of the mirror ball object 400, which is a specific object whose trajectory is set by the process as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 14, a mirror ball object 400 that is a specific object is arranged at a position corresponding to the visual volume peripheral region of the image display region (projection plane) 600. The light effect patterns 500L and 500M are arranged on the surface of the mirror ball object 400 as necessary. In the image display area, a hero character 604 representing a dancer is displayed on an object 602 indicating a stage at a position corresponding to the visual axis proximity area. Since the viewpoint moves so that the main character 604 is at the center of the viewing angle, the main character 604 is displayed near the center of the image display area.

  Here, the mirror ball object 400, which is a specific object, moves along a trajectory (not shown) set corresponding to the viewpoint in a state where the viewpoint position does not change. When the mirror ball object 400 is moving on the trajectory, an image as shown in FIG. 14 is displayed. On the other hand, when the viewpoint position moves greatly (when the positional relationship is as shown in FIG. 11), the mirror ball object 400 is out of frame for a while and does not appear in the image display area. However, due to the proximity control, the frame is again entered into the image display area after a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, the mirror ball object 400 is displayed as if it is floating without leaving the periphery of the main character 604.

(Advantages of this embodiment)
This embodiment has the following advantages.
(1) According to the present embodiment, since the trajectory of the specific object is determined in accordance with the viewpoint and is controlled to move along the trajectory, the specific object usually moves in advance around the image display area. Here, if the viewpoint position is suddenly changed due to a scene change or the like, the specific object is controlled so as to approach the trajectory, so even if it is out of the frame, the specific object will soon reach the trajectory. As a result, the specific object image is displayed again. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent unnaturalness that the specific object is displayed from the beginning at the time of sudden viewpoint movement, and the specific object follows the viewpoint over time. The specific object image can be displayed for most of the time.

  (2) According to the present embodiment, since it is determined whether or not each object is a specific object, the calculation capability of the device is limited by limiting the specific object to which the present invention is applied. It is possible to suppress the calculation load as much as possible.

  (3) According to the present embodiment, since a prohibited area is set for the specific object, for example, when the specific object such as a floor, a ceiling, a wall, or a character overlaps with the specific object, It is possible to prevent an unnatural image from being displayed regardless of the path of the trajectory and the approach route of the specific object at the time of separation.

  (4) According to this embodiment, since the upper limit is set to the separation distance so that the specific object is always arranged within the limit distance R, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the specific object disappears for an unnecessarily long time. is there.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the above and can be implemented with various modifications.

  For example, the specific object (mirror ball object) is fixed in advance, but may be appropriately changed and selected according to the status of the apparatus (for example, the operation content). That is, the specific object that floats around the screen can be changed according to the situation.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the specific object was moved toward the center point of a track | orbit, it is not limited to this. The specific object only needs to approach the direction of the trajectory, move toward a specific point on the trajectory, move closer to the visual axis passing through the viewpoint, or change to any approach method Also good.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although only one orbit was fixedly set, it is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of trajectories may be determined, and one of them may be selected according to the status of the apparatus (for example, operation content). Furthermore, since the specific object only needs to be arranged near the view volume in relation to the viewpoint, it is not necessary to set a fixed trajectory, and the trajectory can be defined by a mathematical expression.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a gaming machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to a general apparatus including a computer capable of executing a program related to the image processing apparatus / method. For example, the present invention can be applied to a game device or a simulation device.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention has been explained in full detail with reference to drawings, a concrete structure is not restricted to said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

The front view of the slot machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention The block diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of the slot machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the main control board Functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the sub-control board Detailed functional block diagram of the production control unit in the embodiment Flow chart showing control by main control board 9 is a flowchart showing the vertex attribute setting process of the sub control board in the first embodiment. Example of mirror ball object of embodiment Relationship diagram of viewpoint, visual volume, trajectory, and specific object Plan view of visual volume Diagram of relationship between trajectory and object in virtual three-dimensional space immediately after the viewpoint moves Explanatory drawing of prohibited areas in trajectory and trajectories to be changed (bypass trajectory) Illustration of limit distance Example of display screen in the example

Explanation of symbols

10 slot machine 21 display window 31 reel 31L left reel 31C middle reel 31R right reel 40 effect display device 50 main control board 51 main CPU
52, 62 ROM
53, 63 RAM
54, 69 I / F circuit 60 Sub control board 101 Control unit 102 Lottery table 103 Role lottery unit 105 Flag information storage unit 106 Reel control unit 107 Winning determination unit 108 Game state control unit 201 Production pattern selection unit 202 Production control unit 301 Image Control unit 302 Sound control unit 3031 Object data storage unit 3032 Light source / viewpoint information storage unit 3033 Texture data storage unit 3034 Trajectory data storage unit 304 Image data generation unit 3041 Object placement unit 3042 Separation determination unit 3043 Approach control unit 3044 Movement control unit 3045 Limiting distance maintaining unit 3046 Rendering unit 305 Image data storage unit 3051 Object arrangement storage layer 3052 Output image storage layer 306 Display control unit

Claims (8)

In an image generation apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic image,
A trajectory in which a specific object that is determined to follow the viewpoint for perspective transformation of the virtual three-dimensional space is determined in advance,
Separation determining means for determining whether or not the specific object is separated from the trajectory;
An approach control means for approaching the specific object toward the trajectory when the specific object is separated from the trajectory;
An image generation apparatus comprising: movement control means for moving the specific object located on the trajectory along the trajectory.   Furthermore, the image generation apparatus of Claim 1 provided with the object determination means which determines whether an arrangement | positioning target object is the said specific object.   The trajectory for moving the specific object is set in the viewing volume after the viewpoint coordinate conversion of the three-dimensional space, and the staying period of the specific object in the peripheral space of the visual volume is that of the visual axis peripheral space. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image generation apparatus is set longer than a stay period.   A prohibition area that prohibits the specific object from being placed in the virtual three-dimensional space is provided, and when it is determined that the calculated position of the specific object falls within the prohibition area, the specific object The image generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a prohibition area avoiding unit that changes a position of the specific object so as to be arranged outside the prohibition area.   When it is determined that the calculated distance between the position of the specific object and the viewpoint is equal to or greater than a predetermined limit distance, the limit for changing the position of the specific object so that the specific object is arranged within the limit distance The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a distance maintaining unit.   A gaming machine comprising the image generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. On the computer,
A function for determining whether or not a specific object determined to follow the viewpoint for perspective transformation of the virtual three-dimensional space is separated from the trajectory of the specific object set corresponding to the viewpoint;
A function of approaching the specific object toward the trajectory when the specific object is separated from the trajectory;
A function of moving the specific object located on the trajectory along the trajectory;
An image generation program for executing A machine-readable recording medium on which the image generation program according to claim 7 is recorded.

Images