JP2008000302A - Image reproducing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reproducing system with which a user can watch and listen to a preferable content such as a film and the like during a game play by simply setting an image-recorded commercial standard medium and can automatically start and stop the reproduction of the content according to the game status of the game machine. <P>SOLUTION: This image reproducing system has an image-recorded medium reproducing unit 24 which reproduces the images recorded on an image recording medium, an image display apparatus 23 which displays the reproduced images of the image-recorded medium reproducing unit 24, and a reproduction controller 25 which controls the reproducing operation of the image-recorded medium reproducing unit 24. The image recording medium includes image-recorded commercial standard media which contain video content such as movies and the like and are commercially available. The reproduction controller 25 receives game status signals which indicate the game status of the corresponding game machine 10 from a managing apparatus 40 which manages each one of game machines 10 or directly from the corresponding game machine 10, and, according to the received game status signal, automatically controls the start and stop of the reproducing operation of the image-recorded medium reproducing unit 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reproduction system that is provided corresponding to each gaming machine such as a pachinko machine and a slot machine installed in a game arcade and reproduces an image recorded on an image recording medium and displays the image on an image display device.

In recent years, in an amusement arcade where game machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines are installed, an image display device such as a liquid crystal panel is provided for each game machine, and various image displays are performed by these image display devices. The system is known.
For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, on an image display device provided in a pedestal machine, it is possible to view TV broadcasts and contents distributed as services, and to view what should be notified to the player during the game. An image reproduction system that can display an interrupt on the screen is shown.
Further, in Patent Document 3, an optical disk recording area capable of recording an arbitrary image is provided on a member card issued to a member separately from an area where member identification information is recorded, and recording is performed in the optical disk recording area. An image playback system is shown in which the recorded images can be viewed on an image display device provided corresponding to each gaming machine.

JP 2004-275600 A Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-40279 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-210208

However, the image reproduction systems described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a problem that the contents that can be viewed are limited to the television broadcast and the content distributed as a service, and therefore do not necessarily match the player's preference.
On the other hand, in the image reproduction system described in Patent Document 3, an arbitrary image can be recorded in the optical disk storage area of the member card, so that the content preferred by the player can be viewed. However, since it is necessary to write an image to the optical disk storage area of the membership card with a personal computer or the like owned by the player, there is a problem that not only is it troublesome, but also copy protected content cannot be viewed.

In addition, when listening to content such as a movie while playing a game on a gaming machine, there is a possibility that the game will be paused because the player concentrates on the content screen, and the operating rate of the gaming machine will decrease.
On the other hand, if a specific game state such as a big hit, reach, big bonus, regular bonus, assist time, etc. occurs during the game, the player may concentrate on the game and may miss the scene that he wants to see the content .

  The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the problems of the conventional techniques as described above, and a movie or the like can be played while playing a game simply by setting a DVD brought in by a player or rented from a playground. The content of the gaming machine itself can be viewed without causing a decrease in the operating rate of the gaming machine by automatically starting or stopping the content playback according to the gaming state of the gaming machine. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reproduction system in which each player can enjoy a favorite movie or the like while enjoying the game.

In order to achieve the above object, an image reproduction system according to the present invention is provided corresponding to each gaming machine installed in a game hall and receives an image recording medium on which an image is recorded. An image recording medium reproducing device for reproducing an image recorded on the image recording medium, an image display device provided corresponding to each of the gaming machines and displaying a reproduced image of the image recording medium reproducing device, and the image A playback control device that controls the playback operation of the recording medium playback device, wherein the playback control device determines a gaming state of the corresponding gaming machine from a management device that manages each gaming machine or the corresponding gaming machine. When the game state signal shown is input, the start and stop of the playback operation in the image recording medium playback device is controlled according to the game state signal.
In particular, as described in claim 2, it is preferable that the image recording medium reproducing device is provided in a pedestal machine provided corresponding to each gaming machine installed in a game arcade.

According to the image reproducing system of the present invention having such a configuration, by setting an image recording medium (DVD or CD) in the image recording medium reproducing apparatus, a moving image recorded on the recording medium by the reproduction control apparatus by automatic control. Video is played back.
As a result, a player can simply set a DVD or CD that he / she brought in or rented from a game hall on a playback device provided on a stand-by machine adjacent to the game machine, You can watch and watch content such as music, and enjoy your favorite content such as movies while enjoying pachinko and pachislot games.
In addition, according to the present invention, the video / audio reproduction of the recording medium is automatically started and stopped according to the gaming state of the gaming machine, so that the player concentrates only on the content screen. In addition, it is possible to prevent the player from concentrating only on the game, and to enjoy and enjoy the original game of the game machine without causing a decrease in the operation rate of the game machine, etc. Will be able to.

  In the image reproduction system of the present invention, as described in claim 3, the gaming state signal is an operation signal indicating the operation of the corresponding gaming machine, and the reproduction control device inputs the operation signal. Then, the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device can be started in response to the operation signal being turned on, and the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device can be stopped in response to the operation signal being turned off.

According to the image reproduction system of the present invention having such a configuration, the reproduction and stop control of the recording medium is linked to the operation signal of the gaming machine, and the recording medium is also reproduced while the operation signal is output, When the operation signal is not output, playback of the recording medium can be controlled to automatically stop.
As a result, the problem of the game being suspended due to the concentration of the player on the content screen can be solved, and the operating rate of the gaming machine can be increased.

  According to the image reproduction system of the present invention, the reproduction control device performs the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device after a predetermined time has elapsed after the operation signal is turned off. It can be set as the structure made to stop.

According to the image reproduction system of the present invention having such a configuration, when the recording medium is reproduced / stopped in conjunction with the operating state of the gaming machine, a predetermined time or more has elapsed after the operation signal is not output. Even if the operation signal is still not output, the playback of the recording medium is stopped. Even if the operation signal is not output, if the operation signal is output again, the recording medium continues to be played back. Or it can control to resume.
Thus, for example, even if the game is paused for a short period of time, the reproduction of the content is continued, so that the reproduction of the content is prevented from frequently stopping and the viewability of the content can be improved.

  According to another aspect of the image reproduction system of the present invention, the reproduction control device stops a reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device for a predetermined time in response to the operation signal being turned off. If the image recording medium is not taken out from the image recording medium reproducing apparatus even after the elapse of time, a predetermined medium forgetting notification signal for informing that the image recording medium has been forgotten to be removed can be output.

According to the image reproducing system of the present invention having such a configuration, it is detected that the recording medium is still set in the reproducing apparatus even when a certain time has elapsed after the recording medium is stopped. Then, it is possible to perform predetermined notification, for example, output of a signal to the management device side, lighting of a call lamp of a gaming machine, etc., assuming that the recording medium is forgotten.
As a result, the store clerk at the game hall can recognize that the image recording medium has been forgotten to be taken, and the processing can be performed promptly, and the recording medium can be reliably returned to the original owner.

In the image reproduction system of the present invention, as described in claim 6, the game state signal is a specific game state signal indicating a specific game state of the corresponding gaming machine, and the reproduction control device When the specific game state signal is input, the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device is stopped in response to turning on of the specific game state signal, and the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device in response to turning off of the specific game state signal Can be configured to start.
In particular, the specific gaming state signal includes a big hit signal indicating a big hit state, a reach signal indicating a reach state, a BB signal indicating a big bonus state, an RB signal indicating a regular bonus state, and an assist time. Any one of the AT signals indicating the state may be included.

According to the image playback system of the present invention having such a configuration, the playback and stop control of the recording medium is linked to the occurrence of a specific gaming state of the gaming machine, for example, the occurrence of a bonus game (start, flag establishment, etc.). It is possible to control to stop the reproduction of the recording medium while the specific gaming state such as a bonus game is continued, and to resume the reproduction of the recording medium when the specific gaming state ends.
As a result, when a specific gaming state such as a bonus game occurs in the gaming machine, the player can concentrate on the game and can fully enjoy the bonus game, etc., and the bonus game etc. can be continued. Since the playback of the recording medium is paused while the game is in progress, after the bonus game, etc., the playback can be resumed from the paused point and the content can be viewed. This eliminates the need for operations such as rewinding and fast-forwarding, so that both the gaming machine and the contents of the recording medium can be enjoyed with peace of mind.

  The image reproduction system according to the present invention manages the calling lamp device or the gaming machine provided with the gaming state signal corresponding to the gaming machine or the gaming machine, as described in claim 8. This is an interruption signal indicating interruption of a game in the gaming machine, which is output from the management device. When the interruption control signal is input, the reproduction control device reproduces the image recording medium reproduction device in response to turning on of the interruption signal. The operation can be stopped and the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device can be resumed in response to the interruption signal being turned off.

According to the image reproduction system of the present invention having such a configuration, the reproduction and stop control of the recording medium is linked to the on / off of the interruption signal, and when the interruption signal is turned on, the reproduction of the recording medium is stopped, When the interruption signal is turned off, the reproduction of the recording medium can be controlled to resume.
Generally, in game halls, when a player goes to a toilet or a meal, a short interruption may be permitted and the gaming machine may be left in an interrupted state. An interruption signal indicating that the gaming machine is interrupted by the control is output. Therefore, in the present invention, the interruption signal is linked to the reproduction / stop control of the recording medium.

As a result, when a game is interrupted due to a meal break etc., the content playback is automatically interrupted / stopped in conjunction with it, and when the game is resumed after the interruption is stopped, the content is automatically Can be played.
Therefore, the player can take a break with peace of mind, and after the break is over, the player can resume playback of the recording medium from the paused point and watch the content. None of the operations such as rewinding are required.

  In addition, according to the image reproduction system of the present invention, as described in claim 9, when the reproduction control device stops the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device based on the game state signal, the reproduction operation is performed. The image display device can be configured to display a predetermined reproduction stop display that notifies the stop of the image.

According to the image reproduction system of the present invention having such a configuration, when the reproduction of the recording medium is stopped due to the stoppage of the operation of the gaming machine or the like, a predetermined display that prompts the stop of the reproduction or the operation of the game machine is interlocked therewith. It can be displayed, prompting the player to resume the game, and increase the operating rate of the gaming machine.
In addition, even when the player is watching the content, if the playback of the recording medium stops due to the occurrence of a specific gaming state in the gaming machine, a display that notifies the occurrence / start of a bonus game etc. is displayed in conjunction with it By doing so, the player can be surely notified / recognized that the bonus game or the like has started, and the player can fully enjoy the bonus game or the like.

According to the present invention, it is possible to view a favorite content such as a movie while playing a game simply by setting an image-recorded commercial medium in the image recording medium playback device. This saves not only the trouble of writing favorite content to the image recording medium, but also allows viewing of copy-protected content.
In addition, since the reproduction of content can be automatically started or stopped according to the gaming state of the gaming machine, it is possible to prevent the player from concentrating only on the content screen or concentrating only on the game.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an image reproduction system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a gaming machine to which an image reproduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the image reproduction system.
As shown in these drawings, an image reproduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a game arcade where a large number of gaming machines represented by pachinko machines and slot machines (pachislot machines) are installed. The game hall is provided with a plurality of gaming machines 10, a table machine 20 and a call lamp device 30 provided corresponding to each gaming machine 10, a management device 40 for managing them, and the like.

Here, in the game hall of this embodiment, in order to authenticate a registered player (hereinafter simply referred to as a member), a member card in which a unique member ID is recorded is issued to each member. Various member services are provided by use.
The member card may simply record the member ID, but preferably has a prepaid card function used for renting game media.

The gaming machine 10 is a pachinko machine or a slot machine. In the case of a pachinko machine, a game is played by operating the launch handle 11 and firing the game ball in the upper plate 12 onto the game board 13. Then, when a game ball launched on the game board 13 wins one of the winning openings (not shown), a predetermined number of prize balls (game balls) are paid out to the upper plate 12.
Further, when a game ball launched on the game board 13 wins a start opening (not shown), an internal lottery related to a special symbol is performed, and a plurality of special symbols are displayed in a variable manner according to the result. . If these special symbols are stopped in a specific arrangement after reaching a reach state, a big hit state in which a big winning opening (not shown) is continuously opened occurs, and the player may win many prize balls. It becomes possible.

In the case of a slot machine, after inserting a medal, a game is started by pressing a start lever (not shown), and a plurality of reels whose rotation starts in response to pressing of the start lever (see FIG. (Not shown) is stopped by operating a corresponding stop button (not shown), the stop symbol is determined and one game is completed.
Inside the slot machine, an internal lottery is performed at the timing when the start lever is pressed, and when the lottery is won, symbol stoppage in the winning arrangement is allowed. There are two types of prizes: a small role that loses the right to win in a single game, and a big role that can continue to win multiple medals and win many medals. , Big bonus, regular bonus, assist time, etc. are included.

The inter-machine 20 is a device for renting game media that is installed adjacent to the gaming machine 10 corresponding to each gaming machine 10.
Specifically, the inter-table machine 20 includes a bill insertion slot 21, a card insertion slot 22, an image display device 23, and the like.
When a bill or a prepaid card (member card) is inserted into the bill insertion slot 21 or the card insertion slot 22, a signal corresponding to the amount of the inserted bill or the remaining frequency of the prepaid card is sent to the gaming machine 10, and in the gaming machine 10 Lending operation of game balls is allowed.
The image display device 23 is configured using a liquid crystal panel or the like, and can perform various image displays.

The call lamp device 30 includes a call button 31, a call lamp 32, an information display unit 33, and the like.
When the player presses the call button 31, the call lamp 32 lights up or flashes, and the store clerk can be called.
The information display unit 33 is composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like, and normally displays game history information of the corresponding gaming machine 10, for example, the number of start times of the day, the number of big hits, etc., but can also display an arbitrary character string. It is like that.
For example, when a store clerk sends a meal break signal to the calling lamp device 30 using a remote controller, a character string “meal” is displayed on the information display unit 33. If it does in this way, it can show clearly that the gaming machine 10 is in a game interruption state by a meal break (for example, 30 minutes).

The management device 40 inputs various gaming state signals output from each gaming machine 10 and the inter-table machine 20, and manages the operation of the gaming machine 10, the appearance, the sales of the inter-table machine 20, and the like.
The gaming state signals input from the gaming machine 10 by the management device 40 include operation signals (start signal, out signal, medal insertion signal, launch signal, etc.), reach signal, jackpot signal, BB signal (big bonus signal), and RB signal. (Regular bonus signal), AT signal (assist time signal) and the like are included.

In the image reproduction system according to the present embodiment configured as described above, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an image recording medium reproduction device 24 that reproduces an image recorded on an image recording medium, and an image recording The intermediary machine 20 is provided with a playback control device 25 that controls the playback operation of the medium playback device 24.
Thereby, it is configured such that movie content such as movies, music, and sports recorded on an image recording medium such as a DVD or CD can be displayed using the image display device 23 of the intermediary machine 20. .

Here, the image recording medium accepted by the image recording medium playback device 24 is, for example, a commercially-recorded standard medium such as a DVD or CD that is commercially available with moving image content such as movies, sports, and music recorded. Yes, the player sets an image recording medium acquired as a prize at the amusement hall or an image recording medium purchased or rented at another store in the image recording medium playback device 24 of the intermediary machine 20, thereby making a preference for a movie or the like. Can be viewed.
The image recording medium playback device 24 of this embodiment includes only an eject button 26 that ejects the image recording medium as an operation unit that can be operated by the player. All other operations are performed by the playback control device 25. Is controlled by.
The sound recorded on the image recording medium can be heard through the built-in speaker 27 or the earphone 29 connected to the jack 28.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing the reproduction control according to the operation signal in the image reproduction system according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of forgetting notification in the image reproduction system. 5 is a timing chart showing the reproduction control according to the specific game state signal in the image reproduction system, and FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing the reproduction control according to the interruption signal in the image reproduction system. .
As shown in these drawings, the playback control device 25 receives a gaming state signal indicating the gaming state of the corresponding gaming machine 10 from the corresponding gaming machine 10 or the management device 40, and in accordance with the gaming state signal, an image is displayed. The recording medium playback device 24 is configured to automatically control the start and stop of the playback operation.

As shown in FIG. 3, the game state signal is, for example, an operation signal indicating the operation of the corresponding gaming machine 10, and the reproduction control device 25 reproduces the image recording medium reproduction device 24 in response to the operation signal being turned on. The operation is started, and the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device 24 is stopped in response to the operation signal being turned off.
In this way, playback and stop control of the recording medium is linked to the operation signal of the gaming machine 10, and the recording medium is also reproduced while the operation signal is output, and when the operation signal is not output, the recording medium Can also be controlled to stop automatically. As a result, the problem that the game is suspended because the player concentrates on the content screen can be solved, and the operating rate of the gaming machine 10 can be increased.

Further, it is preferable that the reproduction control device 25 stops the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device 24 after a predetermined time t1 (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed since the operation signal is turned off.
In this way, when the recording medium is played back / stopped in conjunction with the operating state of the gaming machine 10, the operating signal is not output even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the operating signal is not output. As long as playback of the recording medium is stopped, even if the operation signal is not output, if the operation signal is output again, it can be controlled to continue or resume playback of the recording medium. .
Thus, for example, even if the game is paused for a short period of time, the reproduction of the content is continued, so that the reproduction of the content is prevented from frequently stopping and the viewability of the content can be improved.

Further, when the playback control device 25 stops the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device 24 in response to the operation signal being turned off, the playback control device 25 displays a predetermined playback stop display for notifying the stop of the playback operation on the image display device 23. It is preferable to make it.
As such a display, for example, a message such as “Playing starts when a ball is launched” or “Playing starts when a start lever is operated” is displayed.
In this way, when the reproduction of the recording medium is stopped due to the stoppage of the operation of the gaming machine 10, the player resumes the game by displaying a predetermined display prompting the stoppage of the reproduction or the operation of the gaming machine 10 in conjunction with the stoppage. The operating rate of the gaming machine 10 can be increased.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the playback control device 25 stops the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device 24 in response to the operation signal being turned off, and then a predetermined time t2 (for example, 10 minutes) elapses. However, if the image recording medium is not taken out from the image recording medium reproducing device 24, a predetermined medium removal notification signal for notifying that the image recording medium has been removed can be output.
In this way, if the state where the recording medium is still set in the reproducing apparatus is detected after a certain period of time has elapsed after the recording medium is stopped, the recording medium is forgotten. For example, it is possible to perform predetermined notification, for example, output of a signal to the management device side or lighting of a calling lamp of a gaming machine.

As a result, the store clerk at the game hall can recognize that the image recording medium has been forgotten to be taken, and the processing can be performed promptly, and the recording medium can be reliably returned to the original owner.
Here, as a method for notifying that the image recording medium is forgotten to be removed, a message such as “Forgetting to remove the image recording medium” is displayed on the image display device 23, or a forgetting signal is sent to the calling lamp device 30. There are a method for displaying a character string such as “forgetting to remove” on the information display unit 33, a method for turning on a notification lamp provided in the interpolator 30, and a method for sending a forgetting signal to the management device 40.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the playback control device 25 plays back the image recording medium playback device 24 in response to the input of a specific gaming state signal (such as a big hit signal, reach signal, BB signal, RB signal, AT signal). The operation can be stopped.
In this way, when a specific gaming state occurs in the gaming machine 10, even if the player concentrates on the game, the scene where the content is desired to be seen is not missed.
In addition, when the playback control device 25 stops the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device 24 in response to the specific game state signal being turned on, it is preferable to display that on the image display device 23. For example, a message such as “It is a big hit” is displayed. In this way, it is possible to make the player recognize the occurrence of a specific gaming state in the gaming machine 10 even when the player is watching the content.

In this way, in this embodiment, the playback and stop control of the recording medium is linked to the occurrence of a specific gaming state of the gaming machine, for example, the occurrence of a bonus game (start, flag establishment, etc.) It can be controlled to stop the reproduction of the recording medium while the gaming state continues and to resume the reproduction of the recording medium when the specific gaming state ends.
As a result, when a specific gaming state such as a bonus game occurs in the gaming machine, the player can concentrate on the game and can fully enjoy the bonus game, etc., and the bonus game etc. can be continued. Since the playback of the recording medium is paused while the game is in progress, after the bonus game, etc., the playback can be resumed from the paused point and the content can be viewed. This eliminates the need for operations such as rewinding and fast-forwarding, so that both the gaming machine and the contents of the recording medium can be enjoyed with peace of mind.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the playback control device 25 receives an interruption signal indicating interruption of the game in the corresponding gaming machine 10 from the corresponding gaming machine 10, the calling lamp device 30 or the management device 40, and receives the interruption signal. The reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device 24 can be stopped according to the on state, and the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device 24 can be resumed according to the turning off of the interruption signal.
In this way, the reproduction and stop control of the recording medium is linked to the on / off of the interruption signal. When the interruption signal is turned on, the reproduction of the recording medium is stopped, and when the interruption signal is turned off, the recording medium Can be controlled to resume playback.

Generally, in game halls, when a player goes to a toilet or a meal, a short interruption may be permitted and the gaming machine may be left in an interrupted state. An interruption signal indicating that the gaming machine is interrupted by the control is output. Therefore, in this embodiment, the interruption signal and the recording medium playback / stop control are linked.
As a result, when a game is interrupted due to a meal break etc., the content playback is automatically interrupted / stopped in conjunction with it, and when the game is resumed after the interruption is stopped, the content is automatically Can be played. Therefore, the player can take a break with peace of mind, and after the break is over, the player can resume playback of the recording medium from the paused point and watch the content. None of the operations such as rewinding are required.

Next, a specific control procedure of the playback control device 25 in the image playback system of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the image reproduction system according to the embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in this figure, in the reproduction control performed by the reproduction control device 25, it is first determined whether or not an image recording medium is set in the image recording medium reproduction device 24 (S1).
If the determination result is NO, the timers t1 and t2 are cleared (S2), and the process returns to the upper routine.
On the other hand, if it is determined that an image recording medium is set in the image recording medium reproducing device 24, it is determined whether or not a member card is inserted (S3).
If the determination result is NO, a message prompting the user to insert a membership card is displayed on the image display device 23 (S4), and the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device 24 is stopped (S5). That is, in the present embodiment, reproduction display of the image recording medium is provided as a member service.

If a membership card is inserted, it is next determined whether or not an interruption signal is input (S6).
If this determination result is ON, a message indicating that the reproduction is stopped due to the interruption of the game is displayed on the image display device 23 (S7), and the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device 24 is immediately stopped (S5).
If the input of the interruption signal is OFF, the input of the specific game state signal is determined (S8). If the determination result is ON, the image display device 23 indicates that the reproduction is stopped due to the occurrence of the specific game state. (S9) and the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device 24 is immediately stopped (S5).

When no interruption signal or specific gaming state signal is input, the input of an operation signal is determined (S10). If the determination result is on, the timer t1 is cleared (S11) and the image recording medium playback device 24 is cleared. Is reproduced (S12).
On the other hand, when the operation signal input determination is OFF, the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device 24 is continued while the timer t1 is elapsed (S13) and the timer t2 is cleared (S14). When the game machine 10 has elapsed, a message indicating that the reproduction is stopped is displayed on the image display device 23 by stopping the operation of the gaming machine 10 (S15), and the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device 24 is stopped (S5).
Further, after the reproduction is stopped due to the operation stop of the gaming machine 10, it is determined that the timer t2 has elapsed (S16), and if this determination result is YES, a notification of forgetting to remove the recording medium is made (S17).

As described above, according to the image reproduction system of the present embodiment, an image recording medium (DVD or CD) is set in the image recording medium reproduction device 24, and recorded on the recording medium by automatic control of the reproduction control device. The video is played back.
As a result, the player simply sets the DVD or CD that he / she brought in or rented from the game hall on the playback device 24 provided in the intermediary machine 20 adjacent to the gaming machine 10 or the like. You can enjoy watching and watching content such as movies and music, and enjoy your favorite content such as movies while enjoying pachinko and pachislot games.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the playback of video / audio on the recording medium is automatically started and stopped according to the gaming state of the gaming machine 10, so that the player concentrates only on the content screen. Can be prevented from concentrating on the game or concentrated only on the game, and each player can enjoy his / her favorite movie, etc. while enjoying the original game of the game machine without lowering the operating rate of the game machine 10 You will be able to watch and watch.

The image reproduction system of the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment. However, the image reproduction system according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that implementation is possible.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the image recording medium playback device, the image display device, and the playback control device according to the image playback system of the present invention are all provided in the intermediary machine adjacent to the gaming machine. The image reproduction system according to the present invention may not be provided in the interstage machine, and a part or all of the image reproduction system may be provided in another device, for example, a game machine main body side or a calling lamp device. A part or all of the image reproduction system can be provided as a device that is separated and independent from the gaming machine or the inter-table machine.

In the above-described embodiment, the players who can view and view the recording medium by the image reproduction system of the present invention are limited to the members registered as members in the game hall, but this is not registered as members. Of course, non-members (general players) can also be targeted. That is, any player who visits a game hall to which the image reproduction system of the present invention is applied may be able to reproduce and appreciate the recording medium brought and rented by the reproduction apparatus according to the present invention.
The image reproduction system of the present invention is not restricted by whether the player is a member or a non-member. Therefore, for example, a member who can receive a service only for viewing a recording medium by the image reproduction system of the present invention can be registered as a member service so that only the member can view and view the recording medium.

In the embodiment described above, a pachinko machine or a pachislot machine (slot machine) has been described as an example of a gaming machine installed in a game hall to which the image reproduction system of the present invention is applied. However, a game to which the present invention is applicable. The machines are not particularly limited to pachinko machines or slot machines, and the type, installation mode, number of installations, etc. of the gaming machine are not particularly limited, and should be applied to any gaming machine or amusement hall. Can do.
Generally, as a gaming machine installed in a game hall, in addition to a pachinko machine and a slot machine, for example, various game machines that use a game medium such as balls and coins such as an arrangement ball machine and a sparrow ball machine. Even in a game hall where these game machines are installed in any manner, the image reproduction system of the present invention can be applied.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be suitably used as an image display device provided in a table machine provided corresponding to each gaming machine such as a pachinko machine and a slot machine installed in a game hall.

1 is a front view of a gaming machine to which an image reproduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 1 is a block diagram of an image reproduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a timing chart which shows reproduction | regeneration control according to the operation signal in the image reproduction system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart which shows forgetting-notification control in the image reproduction system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart which shows the reproduction | regeneration control according to the specific game state signal in the image reproduction system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart which shows reproduction | regeneration control according to the interruption signal in the image reproduction system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the image reproduction system which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Game machine 20 Inter-machine 21 Bill insertion slot 22 Card insertion slot 23 Image display apparatus 24 Image recording medium reproduction apparatus 25 Reproduction control apparatus 30 Call lamp apparatus 40 Management apparatus

Claims (9)

An image recording medium playback device that is provided corresponding to each gaming machine installed in a game arcade, accepts an image recording medium on which an image is recorded, and plays back an image recorded on the image recording medium;
An image display device that is provided corresponding to each of the gaming machines and that displays a playback image of the image recording medium playback device;
A playback control device for controlling the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device,
The playback control device
When a gaming state signal indicating the gaming state of the corresponding gaming machine is input from a management device that manages each gaming machine or the corresponding gaming machine, playback in the image recording medium playback device is performed according to the gaming state signal An image reproduction system for controlling start and stop of an operation.   The image reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the image recording medium reproduction device is provided in a table machine provided corresponding to each game machine installed in a game arcade. The gaming state signal is an operation signal indicating the operation of the corresponding gaming machine,
When the operation signal is input, the reproduction control device starts a reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device in response to the operation signal being turned on, and reproduces the image recording medium reproduction device in response to the operation signal being turned off. The image reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the operation is stopped.   The image reproduction system according to claim 3, wherein the reproduction control device stops the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device after a predetermined time has elapsed after the operation signal is turned off.   The reproduction control device removes the image recording medium from the image recording medium reproduction device even after a predetermined time has elapsed after stopping the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device in response to the operation signal being turned off. The image reproduction system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein if not, a predetermined medium removal notification signal for notifying removal of the image recording medium is output. The gaming state signal is a specific gaming state signal indicating a specific gaming state of the corresponding gaming machine;
When the specific game state signal is input, the playback control device stops the playback operation of the image recording medium playback device in response to turning on of the specific game state signal, and the image in response to turning off of the specific game state signal. 6. The image reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein a reproduction operation of the recording medium reproduction device is started.   The specific game state signal includes any one of a big hit signal indicating a big hit state, a reach signal indicating a reach state, a BB signal indicating a big bonus state, an RB signal indicating a regular bonus state, and an AT signal indicating an assist time state. Item 7. The image reproduction system according to Item 6. The game state signal is an interruption signal indicating interruption of a game in the gaming machine, which is output from the corresponding gaming machine, a call lamp device provided corresponding to the gaming machine, or a management device that manages the gaming machine. Yes,
When the interruption signal is input, the reproduction control device stops the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device in response to turning on of the interruption signal, and reproduces the image recording medium reproduction device in response to turning off of the interruption signal. The image reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the operation is resumed.   When the reproduction control device stops the reproduction operation of the image recording medium reproduction device based on the gaming state signal, the reproduction control device causes the image display device to display a predetermined reproduction stop display for notifying the stop of the reproduction operation. Item 9. The image reproduction system according to any one of Items 3 to 8.

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