JP2008229166A - Game machine and audio/visual generation program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine having an audio/visual generation function being independent of a performance control and changing a performance mode by its own determination. <P>SOLUTION: An audio/visual generation board 60b includes a route specification information storage part 301 for storing route specification information for defining the route on which a specific object moves; a change position information storage part 304 for storing change position information for defining a position for changing a performance mode of the specific object; a position computing part 303 for computing a moving position on the route of the specific object in an updating timing of the performance mode; a change determination part 305 for determining whether or not the moving position is equivalent to the change position; and an audio/visual generation part 306/307, when the moving position is equivalent to the change position, for changing the visual and/or the audio of the specific object to those different from the present ones. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to image sound generation for gaming machines, and more particularly, to a technique in which a board located downstream of a board created hierarchically has a certain function.

  Recent gaming machines are configured to effectively produce a gaming state by playing a complex image display and sound reproduction in addition to a game with a game ball in a pachinko machine and a game with a reel rotation in a slot machine. .

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-68072 discloses a gaming machine that displays a game situation by displaying an image of an object. This gaming machine includes position determining means for determining position information about an image displayed object, image display control means for generating an image signal in accordance with the position information, and image display means for receiving an image signal and displaying an image. And an audio signal supply unit that generates an audio signal according to the position information, and an audio output unit that receives the audio signal and outputs the audio (Patent Document 1, paragraph 0007).
According to the configuration of the gaming machine, since the audio signal supply means included in the gaming machine generates an audio signal according to the position information about the object, the position of the object displayed on the image is determined, and accordingly Even when the image signal is generated and the sound corresponding to this position is output, it is not necessary to store the sound signal in advance for all the positions that the object can take. Accordingly, it has been supposed that a variation of selection can be secured for the object position displayed on the image while suppressing an increase in storage capacity (Patent Document 1, Paragraph 0008).
JP 2006-68072 A (paragraphs 0007, 0008)

  However, in the above conventional gaming machine, the sub CPU determines the position information of the object corresponding to the content of the effect and performs display control and audio output control, so the inside of the board is supplied according to the complexity of the effect content. The amount of control information has increased, the amount of program coding (capacity) has increased, and the effort for programming has been increased.

  In particular, even if there is a request for a minor change in the production content that slightly changes the content of the image or sound that changes according to the character display position, the program itself that controls the overall production must be changed. There was a burden on upgrading the game machine version.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine having an image sound generation function that can determine and change the effect mode independently of the effect control, and an image sound generation program therefor.

  In order to achieve the above object, a gaming machine according to the present invention calculates a moving position of a specific object in a predetermined virtual space in a gaming machine that generates a moving image and sound based on predetermined presentation control information. In addition, an image sound generation board is provided that changes the production mode of the specific object by itself regardless of the production control information based on the movement position of the specific object.

  According to the above configuration, the image sound generation board generates an image of the specific object based on the effect control information and generates a sound corresponding to the image, and corresponds to the movement position of the specific object determined according to the effect control information. Thus, the production mode is determined and changed regardless of the production control information, and the corresponding image and sound are generated. Therefore, the effect mode of the specific object can be changed in any way only by changing the image sound generation board.

  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.

  Specifically, in the gaming machine of the first aspect, the image sound generation board has a route specification information storage unit that stores route specification information that defines a route along which the specific object moves, and a position at which the effect mode of the specific object is changed. A change position information storage unit that stores change position information to be defined, a position calculation unit that calculates the movement position of the specific object on the route at the update timing of the production mode, and whether or not the movement position corresponds to the change position And an image sound generation unit that changes the image and / or sound of the specific object to be different from the current one when the movement position corresponds to the change position.

  According to the above configuration, if the path of the specific object is specified, the image sound generation board can generate the image / sound for the specific object by itself, but the moving position of the specific object is set to a specially defined change position. If it corresponds, the image of the specific object, the sound, or both the image and the sound are changed by own judgment.

  In the gaming machine according to the second aspect, the image sound generation board includes a path specifying information storage unit that stores path specifying information that defines a path along which the specific object moves, and an effect mode of the specific object at an arbitrary position in the virtual space. An effect mode storage unit that is stored in advance in association with the position, a position calculation unit that calculates a movement position on the route of the specific object at the update timing of the effect mode, and a preset effect attribute at the movement position, An effect attribute specifying unit that specifies the effect attribute of the specific object and an image sound generation unit that generates an image and / or sound of the specific object corresponding to the specified attribute of the specific object. In other words, in the first mode, control is performed so as to change from one production mode to another production mode before and after the specific object passes through the change position.

  According to the above configuration, the image sound generation board can generate the image / sound for the specific object by itself as long as the path of the specific object is specified, but the rendering mode defined in advance according to the movement position of the specific object Referring to Fig. 4, the image of the specific object, the sound, or both the image and the sound are changed by own judgment. In other words, in the second mode, the absolute position of the specific object is monitored, and control is performed so as to apply a preset effect mode.

  Here, the route is configured by one or more links and one or more nodes that are junction points of the plurality of links, and the change point may be set to any one of the nodes.

  According to the above configuration, the route specifying information is information input by the image sound generation board as information for designating a passing node or link, and according to these pieces of information, all movements of the specific object in the virtual space are defined. Is done.

  For example, the gaming machine of the present invention further includes an effect control unit that calculates a route along which the specific object moves and outputs route specifying information that defines the route. According to the said structure, a production | presentation control part will determine the path | route of the movement in the virtual space of a specific object by calculation, such as lottery.

  For example, the gaming machine of the present invention further includes a lottery execution unit that performs a lottery operation based on a random number and outputs lottery result information of the lottery operation, and the effect control unit determines the contents of the effect based on the lottery result information. According to the said structure, the lottery calculation which is the main body of a game machine is implemented in the lottery execution part which is an upstream program function, and the calculation which further determines production | presentation content based on the lottery result is made in an effect control part. The image sound generation unit of the present invention further changes the effect mode on the downstream side according to the movement position of the specific object.

  Here, the effect control unit may determine a link or a node to be passed based on the lottery result information. This is a case where a route is determined by a link and a node.

The image sound generation program according to the first aspect for solving the above problem is stored in a computer.
1) a function for acquiring route specifying information that defines a route along which a specific object moves;
2) a function of acquiring change position information that defines a position for changing the effect mode of the specific object;
3) a function for calculating the movement position of the specific object on the route at the update timing of the production mode;
4) a function for determining whether or not the movement position corresponds to the change position;
5) a function of changing the image and / or sound of a specific object to be different from the current one when the movement position corresponds to the change position;
Is to execute.

The image sound generation program according to the second aspect for solving the above problem is stored in a computer.
1) a function for acquiring route specifying information that defines a route along which a specific object moves;
2) a function of acquiring a rendering mode of a specific object associated with an arbitrary position in the virtual space;
3) a function for calculating the movement position of the specific object on the route at the update timing of the production mode;
4) a function for referring to a preset effect attribute at the movement position and specifying the effect attribute of the specific object at the movement position;
5) a function of generating an image and / or sound of a specific object corresponding to the specified attribute of the specific object;
Is to execute.

  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.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is possible to provide the image sound production | generation board | substrate which changes the production | presentation aspect of a specific object itself irrespective of production control information based on the movement position of a specific object.

  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”.

(Case configuration)
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 is stopped on at least one of the effective lines 22a to 22c 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 operated by the player when starting the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R, for example, a button or a lever. 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 part of the housing, and speakers 71 (left speaker 71L and right speaker 71R) 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, output of sound from the speaker 71, and the like are performed. Further, 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.

(Sub control board 60)
The sub control board 60 includes a sub CPU 61, ROM 62, control RAM 63, image control processor 64, ROM 65, video RAM 66, image data ROM 67, sound source circuit 68, sound ROM 72, amplifier 70, and interface circuit (I / F circuit) 69. Is provided. The sub CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, image control processor 64, and I / F circuit 69 are connected to each other via a bus 73. The ROM 65, the video RAM 66, the image data ROM 67, and the sound source circuit 68 are connected to the image control processor 64, and the amplifier 70 and the sound ROM 72 are connected to the sound source circuit 68.

  The sub-control board 60 is roughly divided into an effect control board 60a and an image sound generation board 60b. The effect control board 60a includes the sub CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, and I / F circuit 69, and the image sound generation board 60b includes the image sound processor 64, ROM 65, video RAM 66, image data ROM 67, sound source circuit 68, and amplifier 70. , And a sound ROM 72. The effect control board 60 a operates based on the effect control program stored in the ROM 62, and the image sound generation board 60 b operates based on the image sound generation program stored in the ROM 65.

  The sub CPU 61 is an arithmetic element that controls the operation of the effect control board 60a. The sub CPU 61 reads (fetches) and interprets (decodes) instructions constituting the effect control program stored in the ROM 62, and stores the data stored in the ROM 62. Reading and effect control are performed. Note that there are no restrictions on the processing capability or development language of the sub CPU 61.

  The ROM 62 stores an effect control program and data as shown in a flowchart described later for the sub CPU 61 to execute. 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 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.

  The image sound processor 64 is a dedicated arithmetic element that controls the operation of the image sound generation board 60b. The image sound processor 64 reads (fetches) and interprets (decodes) instructions constituting the image sound generation program stored in the ROM 65, and the image data ROM 67. The data stored in is read out to generate an image. A command is sent to the sound source circuit 68 to generate sound. Note that there are no restrictions on the processing capability or development language of the image sound processor 64.

  The ROM 65 stores an image sound generation program and data as shown in a flowchart described later to be executed by the image sound processor 64.

  The image data ROM 67 stores original image data for generating image data such as characters, characters and backgrounds for image production. 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 the image data generated based on the original image data read from the image data ROM 67 is developed as frame image data. It has come to be. 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 sound source circuit 68 generates sound under the control of the image sound processor 64. Specifically, the sound source circuit 68 includes a sound generation circuit for a predetermined number of channels, for example, eight acoustic channels, and can simultaneously reproduce phrases corresponding to the number of acoustic channels. The sound source circuit 68 reads predetermined sound source data from the sound ROM 72 based on the sound effect information from the image sound processor 64 and generates sound signals for the right channel and the left channel. Then, it is D / A converted and output as an analog sound signal. The amplifier 70 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.

(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 substrate 13, a predetermined number of medals are stored in the medal payout port 90 from the medals stored in advance. It comes to pay out.

(Embodiment 1)
In describing the embodiment of the present invention, the role sharing for each substrate will be described first with reference to FIG. 5, and then the outline of effects provided in the present embodiment and the principle of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 5 shows a connection relation diagram between the main control board 50 and the sub control board 60.
As described above, the main control board 50 and the sub control board 60 are physically separated boards. The sub-control board 60 is composed of an effect control board 60a and an image sound generation board 60b that are functionally separated. The main control board 50 functions as a lottery execution unit of the present invention, and the effect control board 60a functions as an effect control unit of the present invention.

  The main control board 50 is a board that performs a lottery calculation for the gaming machine according to a certain rule, and in relation to the downstream sub-control board 60 in the information flow, whether the result of the lottery is a hit or a loss, It plays a role of providing the winning combination to the effect control board 60a as lottery result information.

  The effect control board 60a refers to the lottery result information, performs an effect lottery calculation that identifies one effect pattern from among a plurality of effect patterns assigned corresponding to each lottery result, and the result It plays the role of providing the image and sound production contents in the form of the production control command CMD to the image sound generation board 60b.

  The image sound generation board 60b plays a role of receiving the effect control command CMD, generating an image and sound corresponding to the effect content uniquely determined, and outputting the image and sound recognizable to the player.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the effect control program 500 installed in the ROM 62 defines the effect control operation of the effect control board 60 a. Further, it is the image sound generation program 501 installed in the ROM 65 that defines the rendering mode of the image sound generation board 60 b, and the displayed image is pronounced based on the image data 502 stored in the image data ROM 67. The sound is based on sound data 503 stored in the sound ROM 72.

  From the viewpoint of preventing fraud, information transmission from the upstream substrate to the downstream substrate in the information flow is permitted, but information transmission in the opposite direction is not permitted. Specifically, the main control board 50 can transmit the result of the lottery calculation performed by itself to the sub control board 60 as the lottery result information. However, the signal transmission from the sub control board 60 to the main control board 50 is not performed. I will not. The effect control board 60a can transmit the effect control command corresponding to the result of lottery calculation for selecting the effect pattern performed by itself to the image sound generation board 60b. No signal is transmitted to 60a. That is, only one-way communication is possible between any of the substrates.

  Therefore, although each board has a flow of instruction information from upstream to downstream, each board operates independently, and each program for causing the main control board 50, the production control board 60a, and the image sound generation board 60b to function. Are independent and each development can be carried out separately. Therefore, for example, it is also possible to provide a gaming machine with a new image / sound effect by combining only the new image sound generation board 60b without changing the program of the effect control board 60a. It is.

  In developing the image sound generation function in this way, while controlling the image sound generation program 501, the image data 502, and the sound data 503, the effect control is performed on the inspection apparatus 510 having hardware equivalent to the image sound generation board 60 b. An operation test of these programs and data can be performed by connecting to the substrate 60a.

  Now, as described above, the production contents on the image sound generation board 60b are uniquely determined by the production control command CMD, and it is prohibited to define the production contents on the image sound generation board 60b. The image sound generation board 60b independently determines and changes the main character (object) displayed for the effect and the effect music determined in correspondence with the main character according to the movement position in a predetermined virtual space. There is a feature of the present invention in addition.

(Outline of production and explanation of principle)
Next, an outline of effects in the present embodiment and the principle of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the virtual space in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 9, the virtual space A is composed of a land area A1 and an ocean area A2. A plurality of types of “train”, “ship”, and “airplane” are applied as the moving body that is the main character. The main character is the land area A1, the marine area A2, or a space network that is set to overlap with the land area A1, the transportation area (for example, “track”, “route”, or “air”). ) Is allowed to move. In particular, a route predetermined so that the main character moves is referred to as a “route”. In the virtual space A, a window area to be clipped so as to be displayed on the effect display device 40 is an image display area W.

  A “railway” on which the “train” moves is set in the land area A1. In the ocean area A2, a “route” along which the “ship” moves is set. In the space area, an “airway” on which the “airplane” moves is set. A plurality of points (nodes) N are provided in the “track” network, “route”, and “air route”. When the horizontal direction in FIG. 9 is the x coordinate and the vertical direction is the y coordinate, an arbitrary node located at the coordinate (x, y) is denoted as N (x, y). A road connecting the nodes N is referred to as a link L.

  Some of the nodes N provided on the “track” are “station”, “port”, and “airfield”. The “port” is connected to the “route” where the “ship” moves, and the “airfield” is connected to the “air route” where the “airplane” moves. The main character is either a track, a route, or an air route on the specific route determined by the effect lottery of the effect control unit (the route that specifies the passing node specified by the “route specifying information”) for the number of frames. It is controlled to move on the route set in the crab.

With reference to FIG. 10, the route defined in the present embodiment will be described.
A route defined by the route specifying information and along which the main character moves can be determined according to an arbitrary rule in a matrix composed of each node N and link L. For example, FIG. 10 shows an example of three routes R1 to R3 each having a different starting point node. The route specifying information for specifying each route can be configured, for example, as defining the passing nodes N in order. Table 1 shows an example of this route specifying information.
In addition to being defined as a set of nodes as described above, the route specifying information may be defined as a set of links that are given in order by adding identification information to links that connect nodes to each other.

  The route can start from an appropriate node in the image display area W and end at an invisible place outside the image display area W. For example, the route shown in FIG. 10 and Table 1 starts from the node N (4, 3) in the image display area W, traverses or crosses the image display area W, and the image display area W on the opposite side. The end point is the node N outside of.

  Now, this embodiment is characterized in that a specific node of the node N is defined as a “change point”, and control is performed so that the effect mode is changed before and after the main character passes through the change point. In the present embodiment, the effect mode is a music sent to the object itself and the background of the main character. Specifically, if the main character that has moved toward the node to be changed is represented by an object image of “train”, for example, the object image of the main character “ship” by passing through the change point Or an “airplane” object image.

This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 11 shows a case where the node is not set as a change point.
Links L1 to L4, which are routes from adjacent nodes, are connected to the node N0. Now, as shown in FIG. 11A, it is assumed that the main character C1, which is the “train” effect mode, moves along the link L1, passes through the node N0, and heads for the link L4. In this case, since all the links connected to the node N0 are “tracks” and of the same type, they are not registered as changes. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 11B, the main character C1 after passing through the node N0 remains in the same “train” effect mode as before passing through the node N0. There is no change in the sound production controlled in accordance with the production mode.

On the other hand, FIG. 12 shows a case where a node is set as a change point.
Links L11 to L14 that are routes from adjacent nodes are connected to the node N1. Among these, the links L11 to L13 are set to “tracks”, and the link L14 is set to “routes”. Among several types of routes that can pass through the node N1, the user enters the node N1 from any of the “track” links L11 to L13 and exits to the “route” link L14, or from the “route” link L14 to the node. When entering N1 and exiting to another “track” link, the type of the route differs before and after the node, so this node N1 becomes a change point.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 12 (a), the main character C1, which is the “train” effect, moves along the “track” link L11, passes through the node N1, and the “route” link. When going to L14, the passing node N1 becomes a change point, and therefore, as shown in FIG. 12B, the main character C2 is assigned to the “route” in the link L14 of the “route” after passing through the node N1. The effect mode of the “ship” is changed. At the same time, the sound effect is changed to music for “ship” in conformity with the change of the main character.

Similarly, FIG. 13 shows another case where a node is set as a change point.
Links L21 to L24, which are routes from adjacent nodes, are connected to the node N2. Among these, the links L21 to L23 are set to “track”, and the link L24 is set to “air”. Among several types of routes that can pass through the node N2, the node enters the node N2 from any of the “track” links L21 to L23 and exits to the “airway” link L24, or from the “airway” link L24 to the node. When entering N2 and exiting to another “track” link, the type of the route differs before and after the node, so this node N2 becomes a change point.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), the main character C1, which is the “train” presentation mode, moves along the “track” link L21, passes through the node N2, and the “air route” link. When going to L24, the node N2 that passes through becomes a change point, and therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the main character C2 is assigned to the “air” in the link L24 of “air” after passing through the node N2. The effect mode is changed to “airplane”. At the same time, the sound effect is changed to music for “airplane” in conformity with the change of the main character.
Table 2 shows nodes to be changed in FIG.
In FIG. 9, since it is the node N to which different types of routes connect, the node that has been changed is marked with a double circle.

Based on the above principle, each substrate in the present embodiment operates by sharing roles.
The main control board 50 performs a lottery calculation regardless of the contents of the effect. The effect control board 60a calculates what character is displayed as the main character, and how much distance (frame) the main character is moved from which starting point in which route in the moving route network. The determined information is output as an effect control command. The image sound generation board 60b performs an image effect and a corresponding sound effect in which the main character is moved from a predetermined starting point in accordance with the effect control command.

(Description of functional block)
Hereinafter, the operation of this embodiment will be described in more detail.
First, the functional blocks implemented in each board will be described based on FIGS. 3 and 4, and then the software operation will be described based on FIGS.

(Function block on main control board)
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 an effect control program recorded in the ROM 52, whereby the following control unit 101, role lottery unit 103, reel control unit 106, winning determination The 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.
The entire main control board 50 functions as a lottery execution unit of the present invention.

(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 area (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 reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are “winned” after each of the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R is pressed, the winning lottery unit 103 arranges 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)
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the sub control board 60.
As described above, the sub control board 60 is separated into the effect control board 60a and the image sound generation board 60b.
The effect control unit 201 is included in the effect control board 60a. The effect control unit 201 is functionally realized by the sub CPU 61 executing an effect control program readable by the computer recorded in the ROM 62.

  The image sound generation board 60b includes a path specifying information storage unit 301, a moving space storage unit 302, a position calculation unit 303, a change position information storage unit 304, a change determination unit 305, an image generation unit 306, and a sound generation unit 307. Contains functional blocks. Among these, the route specifying information storage unit 301 corresponds to a built-in RAM (not shown) of the image sound processor 64. The moving space storage unit 302 and the changed position information storage unit 304 correspond to the ROM 65. The position calculation unit 303, the change determination unit 305, and the image generation unit 306 are functionally realized by the image sound processor 64 executing the image sound program stored in the ROM 65. The sound generation unit 307 is functionally realized by a sound source circuit 68 that operates based on a command from the image sound processor 64.

(Production control unit 201)
The effect control unit 201 is a functional block that determines an effect pattern according to the lottery result of the main control board 50 by lottery.
Specifically, the production control unit 201 receives lottery result information from the role lottery unit 103 of the main control board 50, performs a lottery based on a random number according to the winning combination, etc. Or a lottery effect pattern according to the winning combination or gaming state in response to the lottery result information from the winning determination unit 107 and the special role game control unit 108 of the main control board 50. To decide.

  Here, the production pattern is usually a state in which the start switch 41 or each stop switch 42 is pressed, a stop state of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R, a lottery result, a type of determined role, a normal game or a special game, and the like. It is selected according to the gaming state.

Table 3 shows the timing when the production control unit 201 determines the production content and the content of the production command.

  As shown in Table 3, the effect control unit 201 refers to the lottery result from the main control board 50 when the start switch 41 is pressed, and determines the initial effect content by lottery. The initial effect content is transmitted as an effect command.

  In the production command that specifies the initial production contents, there are route specifying information for designating the route for the main character to move, the number of dice to be displayed in the first production to draw out the six dice, and the number of eyes to be produced on each dice , And an effect mode at the time of departure of the main character that starts moving along the route. In the present embodiment, control is performed so as to start from any node N on the “track”, and “train” is the main character. “Train”, “train”, “express”, and “super express” are prepared as the types of main characters of “train”, and one of these is selected according to the lottery result.

  Thereafter, when any one of the stop switches 42 is first pressed (referred to as “first stop”), the effect control unit 201 outputs an effect command instructing the contents of the medium-term effect. In this effect command, a moving image that causes the number of dice already specified in the effect command of the initial effect to be displayed is displayed. When the rolled-out dice stops, it is processed so that the specified number of dice rolls.

  When the last stop switch 42 is pressed (referred to as “third stop”), the effect control unit 201 outputs an effect command for instructing the contents of the late effect. This effect command is to display a moving image for moving the main character already specified by the effect command of the initial effect from the starting point node N specified by the route specifying information. By this effect command, the main character starts moving along the designated route from the node that is the starting point.

(Route specific information storage unit 301)
The route specifying information storage unit 301 is a block that stores route specifying information that defines a route along which a main character that is a specific object moves. As described in Table 1, the route specifying information may be information specifying a series of nodes from the start point to the end point, or information specifying a link.

(Moving space storage unit 302)
The moving space storage unit 302 is a block that stores information defining a moving space for the main character to move.
If an arbitrary point in the virtual space A of this embodiment as schematically shown in FIG. 9 is specified by absolute coordinates (x, y) from a predetermined reference point, the definition information of the moving space is The correspondence relationship between the absolute coordinate and the node N or the link L indicated by the route specifying information is included. By referring to the definition information and the route specifying information, it is possible to display a moving image that moves the main character at a predetermined moving speed along the route when a specific route is designated.

  In this embodiment, the virtual space is defined in two dimensions. However, if the image generation unit supports a stereoscopic image, the definition information of the moving space may be used as information defining the spatial position using three-dimensional coordinates. Good.

(Position calculation unit 303)
The position calculation unit 303 is a block that calculates the movement position of the main character on the route at the update timing of the effect mode.

  The position calculation unit 303 refers to the route specifying information stored in the route specifying information recording unit 301 and recognizes the route through which the main character passes. The position calculation unit 303 calculates the current position of the main character on the route with reference to the definition information of the movement space stored in the movement space storage unit 302. When the third stop is notified from the effect control unit 201, the position calculation unit 303 places the main character at the starting point node specified by the route. Then, the position calculation unit 303 calculates the position for each update timing (for example, vertical synchronization period, frame period) on the assumption that the main character moves along a route designated at a predetermined moving speed. When the node reaches the node N from the link L, the next node N or link L specified by the routing information is referred to determine the moving direction. The logical main character position calculated by the position calculation unit 303 is reflected on the display position of the main character in the image display area W by the image generation unit 306.

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

(Changed position information storage unit 304)
The changed position information storage unit 304 is a block for storing changed position information defining the changed position of the effect mode of the main character, that is, the changed point.
For example, as shown in Table 2, the change position information can be information specifying a node to which links that are different routes are coupled. However, the route specifying information may be configured to include the link type (route type) together with the information specifying the link.

(Change determination unit 305)
The change determination unit 305 determines whether or not the movement position of the main character calculated by the position calculation unit 303 corresponds to the change position.

  The change determination unit 305 refers to the change position information stored in the change position information storage unit 304, and corresponds to the node in which the movement position of the main character calculated by the position calculation unit 303 is registered as the change point of the effect mode. It is determined whether or not. As a result, when it is determined that the main character is located at the node registered as the change point, the change determination unit 305 notifies the image generation unit 306 and the sound generation unit 307 of the effect mode of the main character to be changed. . For example, if it is determined that the main character that has moved along the “track” enters the “route” after passing through the node, the main character is notified to change from “train” to “ship”. If it is determined that the main character that has moved on the “track” enters the “air route” after passing through the node, the main character is notified to change from “train” to “airplane”.

  If the change location information is not particularly prepared and the route specifying information includes the type of link, the change determination unit 305 refers to the route specifying information stored in the route specifying information storage unit 301, When one link goes from one link to another link, it operates to determine whether or not the link type changes.

(Image generation unit 306)
The image generation unit 306 changes the image of the main character to a different one from the current one when the moving position of the main character corresponds to the changed position, and if the moving position of the main character does not correspond to the changed position, An image of the main character is generated.

  In other words, when the change determination unit 305 has notified the change of the production mode, the image generation unit 306 reads the original image data of the main character in the designated production mode, and the position calculation unit 303 newly calculates it. After specifying the display position of the image display area W corresponding to the moved position, frame image data in which the main character is arranged at the position is generated. In addition, when the change determination unit 305 has not been notified of the change in the production mode, the original image data of the main character that has been displayed so far is similarly read, and the frame image data in which the main character is similarly arranged is read. Generate.

  The image generation method differs depending on whether the image generation unit is a two-dimensional image generation device or a three-dimensional image generation device, but an image for displaying the main character as a moving image can be generated using a known image generation technique. There is no substitute for it.

(Sound generation unit 307)
The sound generation unit 307 changes the sound of the main character to a different one from the current one when the moving position of the main character corresponds to the changed position, and if the moving position of the main character does not correspond to the changed position, An acoustic signal for generating the sound of the main character is generated.

  For the main character, different music pieces are prepared as sound source data depending on the type. The sound generation unit 307, when notified of a change in the effect mode of the main character, reproduces an audio signal on a predetermined sound channel using the sound source data assigned to the new effect mode. If the change of the main character's effect mode has not been notified, the sound signal of the music that has been played up to then is continuously used to play back the sound signal on the same sound channel.

(Operation in main control board (lottery execution unit))
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 in step S101, and the combination lottery unit 103 determines the combination. A lottery process is performed (YES, step S102). On the other hand, in step S101, when the start switch 41 is not operated by the player and it is not detected that the start switch 41 is turned on (NO), the control unit 101 turns on the start switch 41. The process of step S101 is repeatedly executed until this is detected.

  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).

  In step S104, the reel control unit 106 determines whether any one of the stop switch groups 42 has been operated. If any one of the stop switches is operated (YES), the reel control unit 106 proceeds to step S105, performs reel control so that the winning combination can be won, and corresponds to the operated stop switch. Stop the rotation of the reel. Next, the process proceeds to step S <b> 106, and the winning determination unit 107 transmits information indicating that the stop switch has been pressed to the sub-control board 60 every time one of the stop switch groups 42 is operated.

  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, in step S107, the reel control unit 106 determines whether all the stop switches are operated and all the reels are stopped. When all the reels have not stopped yet (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 in step S107 (YES), the winning determination unit 107 proceeds to step S108 and determines the presence / absence of winning based on the combination of symbols arranged on the activated effective line. As a result, if there is any winning (YES), winning processing corresponding to the winning combination is executed (step S109). In step S <b> 110, the winning determination unit 107 transmits winning information including winning details to the sub-control board 60.

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 S108 that there is no winning (NO), the process returns to step S101.

  In the winning process, the game state control unit 108 provides the reel control unit 106 with a game state corresponding to the big bonus game or regular bonus game that is the “special role” during the “special game”. The reel control during “special game” is performed, or the sub-control board 60 is caused to perform the effect 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 (production control board))
The sub control board 60 includes an effect control board 60a and an image sound generation board 60b, which operate independently of each other. First, processing based on an effect control program executed on the effect control board 60a will be described.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing effect control executed by the effect control board 60a.
In this control process, the effect control unit 201 determines the timing of transmitting each of the initial, middle, and late effect control commands shown in Table 3, and transmits the effect control command corresponding to the determination time.

  In step S <b> 201, the effect control unit 201 determines whether lottery result information is notified from the main control board 50. If the lottery result is not notified (NO), the process proceeds to step S204 without doing anything. When the lottery result information is notified (YES), the process proceeds to step S202, and the effect control unit 201 executes the effect content lottery based on the lottery result. Each lottery result here (winning combination, lose, or other winning state) is assigned one or more effects by image and sound. The lottery of the production contents performed by the production control unit 201 is a lottery for selecting one of the plurality of production contents when there are a plurality of production contents assigned to each lottery result. For example, a random number is used.

  When one effect content is determined, the effect content by the image is determined correspondingly. That is, the type of the main character, its route, the number of dice to be displayed first, the number of dice eyes, etc. can be specified. Therefore, the effect control unit 201 transmits an initial effect control command (including route specifying information, information on the dice, character identification information, and the like) that specifies them to the image sound generation board 60b in step S203.

  Next, in step S204, the effect control unit 201 determines whether the operation content for the stop switch group 42 transmitted from the main control board 50 is the first stop, that is, the stop switch operated at the beginning of the game. Determined. If it is determined that it is not the first stop (NO), the process proceeds to step S206 without doing anything. When it determines with it being the 1st stop (YES), the production | presentation control part 201 outputs the middle period production | generation control command which produces | generates the moving image of dice | development.

  Next, in step S206, the effect control unit 201 determines whether the operation content for the stop switch group 42 transmitted from the main control board 50 is the third stop, that is, whether the stop switch is operated at the end of the game. Determined. If it is determined that it is not the third stop (NO), the routine returns without doing anything. When it determines with it being the 3rd stop (YES), the production | presentation control part 201 outputs the late stage production | generation control command which instruct | indicates the movement start of the main character.

(Operation on sub-control board (image sound generation board))
The operation of the image sound generation board 60b that receives the effect control command from the effect control board 60a and executes the effect of image and sound will be described. This process is a process based on an image sound generation program executed on the image sound generation board 60b.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing image sound generation processing executed by the image sound generation board 60b.
In step S301, the position calculation unit 303 in the image sound generation board 60b determines whether an effect control command has been received. When the production control command has not been received (NO), the process proceeds to step S303. When the effect control command is received (YES), the position calculation unit 303 moves to step S302, and operates an effect flag indicating whether the effect control command corresponds to an initial effect, a medium-term effect, or a late effect. That is, when the effect control command is an instruction for an initial effect, an initial effect flag is set and other flags are reset. If it is an effect control command for instructing a medium-term effect, a medium-term effect flag is set and other flags are reset. If it is an effect control command for instructing a late effect, a late effect flag is set and the other flags are reset.

  Next, in step S303, the position calculation unit 303 determines whether or not an initial effect flag is set. If the initial effect flag has not been set (NO), the process proceeds to step S306. If the initial effect flag is set (YES), processing related to the initial effect is performed. In step S305, the position calculation unit 303 stores the route specifying information included in the initial effect control command in the route specifying information storage unit 301.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S305, in which the image generation unit 306 draws the number of dice designated by the initial effect control command, and performs initial effect control at the position of the node corresponding to the starting point of the route specified by the route specifying information. Image data for drawing the main character of the type specified by the command is generated. In addition, the sound generation unit 307 reads sound source data uniquely specified according to the type of the main character, and starts playing the music corresponding to the main character. Through these processes, when the start switch 41 is pressed, the dice and the main train “train” are drawn, and the music is sent out.

  Next, in step S306, the position calculation unit 303 determines whether or not the medium-term effect flag is set. If the medium-term effect flag is not set (NO), the process proceeds to step S308. If the medium-term effect flag is set (YES), processing related to the medium-term effect is performed. The process moves to step S307, and generation of a moving image in which the drawn dice is shaken out is permitted. This moving image is drawn in the image display area W so that the dice move along a predetermined trajectory and stop at a predetermined position. When the dice stops, an image is generated in which the number of dice specified by the initial effect control command is displayed upward. Correspondingly, the reproduction of the sound effect corresponding to the swing of the dice is permitted.

  Next, in step S308, the position calculation unit 303 determines whether or not the late period effect flag is set. When the late stage production flag is not set (NO), the process proceeds to step S316, and normal image / sound generation processing is executed. If the late stage production flag has been set (YES), processing related to the late stage production is performed.

  That is, the process proceeds to step S309, and the position calculation unit 303 refers to the route specifying information stored in the route specifying information storage unit 301. Then, the process proceeds to step S <b> 310, and the position calculation unit 303 calculates the position of the main character in the virtual space A together with the definition information of the movement space stored in the movement space storage unit 302. By sending the first late stage production control command, the late stage production flag is set in step S302, so the main character starts moving along the route from the starting point. Although the moving speed is arbitrary, for example, if it is assumed to be a constant speed, the elapsed time from the start of movement corresponds to the moving path length from the starting point.

  Next, in step S311, the change determination unit 305 refers to the change position information stored in the change position information storage unit 304. In step S312, the change determination unit 305 determines whether the calculated position of the main character matches the change point specified by the change position information. If it does not match the change (NO), the process proceeds to step S314. On the other hand, when the movement position of the main character matches the change point (YES), the process proceeds to step S313, and the change determination unit 305 refers to the change position information and specifies a new effect mode of the main character. . For example, if the main character's production mode was “train” and the “route” link is entered at the next movement position, the main character's image and sound production mode is changed to “ship”. To do. In addition, when entering the “airway” link at the next movement position, the image of the main character and the sound effect mode are changed to “airplane”.

  In step S314, the position calculation unit 303 refers to the path specifying information and determines whether or not the movement position of the main character has reached the end point of the path. If the end point has not been reached (NO), the process proceeds to step S316. On the other hand, if the end point has been reached (YES), the process proceeds to step S315, where the position calculation unit 303 resets the late stage effect flag, and sets the prize effect flag if it is a win, not shown. Allow image / sound production of winning a prize.

  In step S316, the image generation unit 306 generates an image and the sound generation unit 307 performs sound generation based on the type of the main character determined so far and the movement position on the route. That is, the image generation unit 306 converts the main character position on the path in the virtual space into the display position in the image display area W, and draws it in front of other objects arranged in the virtual space A. In addition, the sound generation unit 307 reads sound source data determined in advance according to the type of the main character and reproduces a musical sound.

(Advantages of this embodiment)
The first embodiment has the following advantages.
(1) According to the first embodiment, the image sound generation board 60b calculates the movement position of the main character regardless of the effect control information generated by the effect control board 60a. Since an aspect is changed and the image and sound corresponding to it are produced | generated, transmission and reception of the command and information accompanying a change of an effect aspect are unnecessary, and an effect control program can be simplified.

  (2) According to the first embodiment, the effect control can be changed only by changing the image sound generation program and data of the image sound generation board 60b, without changing the effect control program of the effect control board 60a. The production mode of the main character can be changed in any way.

  (3) According to the first embodiment, since the change in the character's effect mode is determined with reference to the change position information, the change position information is arbitrarily changed without changing the route specifying information. It is possible to change the image and sound effect changing positions. For example, at any timing (position) during character movement, regardless of where the character is running, that is, regardless of the type of route (depending on whether it is a track, a route or an air route) Is possible.

  (4) According to the first embodiment, since the path is specified by the node or the link, it is easy to set the movement path of the character, and it is easy to determine the change of the production mode.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the change of the main character's effect mode is determined based on the changed position information. In the second embodiment, the main character's effect mode is determined based on the effect mode information that determines the effect mode in the absolute position of the virtual space. Determine the change. In other words, while the first embodiment defines the production mode based on the attribute of the route, the second embodiment defines the production mode based on the attribute associated with the position of the virtual space.

  The functional blocks and operations of the main control board 50 and the functional blocks and operations of the effect control board 60a among the sub-control boards 60 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Will be described below.

FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the sub-control board 60 in the second embodiment.
The image sound generation board 60c includes a route specifying information storage unit 301, a moving space storage unit 302, a position calculation unit 303, an effect mode storage unit 310, an effect mode specifying unit 312, an image generation unit 306, and a sound generation unit 307. Contains functional blocks. Among these, the route specifying information storage unit 301 corresponds to a built-in RAM (not shown) of the image sound processor 64. The moving space storage unit 302 and the production mode storage unit 310 correspond to the ROM 65. The position calculation unit 303, the production mode specifying unit 312, and the image generation unit 306 are functionally realized by the image sound processor 64 executing the image sound program stored in the ROM 65. The sound generation unit 307 is functionally realized by a sound source circuit 68 that operates based on a command from the image sound processor 64.

  The second embodiment is different in that the changed position information storage unit 304 of the first embodiment is replaced with the effect mode storage unit 310, and the change determination unit 305 of the first embodiment is replaced with the effect mode specifying unit 312. The functional blocks are the same as in the first embodiment.

(Production mode storage unit 310)
The effect mode storage unit 310 stores in advance effect mode information in which the effect mode of the main character that is the specific object is associated with an arbitrary position in the virtual space.

  The effect mode information is information that provides an attribute at a position (coordinates) in the virtual space and defines an image effect and a sound effect to be applied to an object arranged there as a rule. Taking the virtual space A in FIG. 9 as an example, the production mode information applies the production mode of “train” when arranged in the land area A1, and “airplane” when arranged in the ocean area A2. The rule that the production mode is applied is defined. When the main object is located in the land area A1, the image display of “train” and the sound of the music provided for the “train” are provided. When the main object is located in the ocean area A2, the image display of “ship” is provided. The sound of the music provided for the “ship” will be provided.

  Note that the production mode does not need to be adapted to a region expressed in an image such as whether it is land or sea. Separately from the background image, when the object is positioned at a specific point or area, a specific rendering mode may be applied.

  The effect mode storage unit 310 stores effect mode information that defines the rules of the applied effect modes as described above, according to the configuration of the virtual space.

(Production mode specifying unit 312)
The effect mode specifying unit 312 is a block that refers to a preset effect attribute at the movement position of the main character and specifies the effect attribute of the specific object at the movement position.

  The production mode specifying unit 312 refers to the production mode information stored in the production mode storage unit 310 and reads the production mode attribute defined for the movement position of the main character calculated by the position calculation unit 303. Then, the production mode specifying unit 312 notifies the image generation unit 306 and the sound generation unit 307 of the production mode to be applied to the main character. Thus, for example, when the movement position is X and the “train” presentation mode is defined as an attribute, the image of “train” is applied to the main character, and the music for “train” is sent out. If the “ship” presentation mode is defined as an attribute, the “ship” image is applied to the main character, and the “ship” music is transmitted.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing image sound generation processing executed by the image sound generation board 60c. Steps in which the same processing is performed by the same functional blocks as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In steps S301 and S302, an effect flag process according to the received effect control command is performed.
In steps S303 to S305, an initial effect process corresponding to the operation of the start switch 41 is performed.
In steps S306 and S307, a medium-term effect process corresponding to the first stop is performed.

  In step S308, the position calculation unit 303 determines whether or not the late period effect flag is set. If the late stage production flag is not set (NO), the process proceeds to step S316, and normal image / sound generation processing is executed. When the late stage production flag is set (YES), processing related to the late stage production is performed.

  In step S309, the position calculation unit 303 refers to the route specifying information stored in the route specifying information storage unit 301. Then, the process proceeds to step S <b> 310, and the position calculation unit 303 calculates the position of the main character in the virtual space A together with the definition information of the movement space stored in the movement space storage unit 302. By sending the first late stage production control command, the late stage production flag is set in step S302, so the main character starts moving along the route from the starting point. The above is the same processing for calculating the movement position of the main character as in the first embodiment.

  In step S <b> 401, the production mode specifying unit 312 refers to the production mode information stored in the production mode storage unit 310. Next, the process proceeds to step S402, and the effect mode specifying unit 312 reads the effect mode defined as an attribute for the calculated position of the main character. Unlike the first embodiment, an effect mode that is absolutely defined at the calculated movement position is specified without being constrained by the effect mode of the main character so far. Therefore, the effect defined only for one point may be applied, or the effect defined on a specific line may be applied. In addition, in FIG. 9, the effects defined for a specific surface may be applied such that the land area A1 is “train” and the ocean area A2 is “ship”.

  In step S314 and step S315, processing is performed depending on whether or not the main character has reached the end point of the route.

  In step S316, the image generation unit 306 performs image generation and the sound generation unit 307 performs sound generation in accordance with the effect mode of the main character specified in step S402. At that time, the image generation unit 306 converts the main character position in the virtual space into a display position in the image display area W, and draws it in front of other objects arranged in the virtual space A. In addition, the sound generation unit 307 reads sound source data determined in advance according to the type of the main character and reproduces a musical sound.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the content of the effect can be changed / maintained based only on the effect attribute of the position regardless of the front / rear effect mode of the specific object, so the specific object needs to be moved along the specific route. There is no.

  Further, according to the second embodiment, since an arbitrary rendering mode is defined as an attribute at an arbitrary position in the virtual space, the rendering mode can be defined for any region such as a point, a line, a surface, etc. It is possible to change the production.

  In addition, according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the image sound generation board 60c refers to the presentation mode defined in advance according to the movement position of the main character, and the image, sound, or image and sound. Change both sides at your own discretion. Therefore, transmission / reception of commands and information associated with the change of the production mode is unnecessary, and the production control program can be simplified.

  Further, according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the application of the production mode can be dealt with only by changing the image sound generation program or data of the image sound generation board 60c, so that the effect control program of the effect control board 60a. It is possible to change the production mode of the main character in any way without changing.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the above and can be implemented with various modifications.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, information defining the production mode is associated with the route or the virtual space, but it is sufficient if the production mode of the specific object (main character) can be changed only by the process of the image sound generation board. You may comprise so that the production content of a specific object may be determined and changed according to the conditions which arise only in an image sound production | generation board | substrate.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied by defining the virtual space in two dimensions. However, the specific object may be moved in the three-dimensional space in the virtual space defined in three dimensions. In that case, the path is three-dimensionally defined by three-dimensional coordinates or the like, and the moving position of the specific object is also three-dimensionally defined by three-dimensional coordinates or the like.

  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.

With reference to FIGS. 16-18, the example of the image display produced based on the said embodiment is shown.
As shown in these figures, the embodiment is an image as if the virtual space A as shown in FIG. 9 is viewed from an oblique direction.

  The land 400 is a background corresponding to the land region A1, and the sea 410 is a background corresponding to the ocean region A2. On the land 400, a track 401 corresponding to the route is drawn. In a direction change portion of the track, a node 402 corresponding to the node N is drawn, and a part of the node 402 is drawn as a station 403. .

  In the sea 410, a route 411 corresponding to the route is drawn, and a node 412 corresponding to the node N is drawn so as to have almost equal intervals. A port 404 is drawn as a node corresponding to a change point connecting the “track” and the “route”.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 18, an air route 421 corresponding to the route is also drawn, and nodes 422 are drawn so as to have substantially equal intervals. An airfield 405 is drawn as a node corresponding to a change point connecting the “railway” and the “airway”.

  The main character is drawn as a train 430 when moving along the track 401, a ship 431 when moving along the route 411, and an airplane 432 when moving along the airway 421.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a frame image extracted from a moving image of dice swinging displayed from the initial effect to the medium term effect.
FIG. 16A is an image immediately after the start switch 41 is pressed and the initial effect control command is transmitted to the image sound generation board 60b. The number of dice 430 determined by the effect lottery (here, three) is shown. It is drawn at a predetermined position in the image display area.

  FIG. 16B is an image immediately after the first stop switch 42 is pressed and the medium-term effect control command is transmitted, and shows a state in the middle of the moving image in which the dice 430 is drawn out.

  FIG. 16C is an image in a state in which a predetermined time has passed and the dice 430 has reached the stop position. The eyes that have already been specified by the initial effect control command (here, each is an eye of “1”). There is an image in which the dice 430 is stopped with the total 3) facing up.

  FIG. 17 shows an example of a frame image extracted from a moving image before and after passing through the port 404 which is a node connecting the “track” and the “route” as a change point after the movement of the main character is started. .

  FIG. 17A shows an example of an image immediately before the main character train 431 arrives at the port 404. FIG. 17B shows an example image immediately after the train 431 arrives at the port 404. Since the port 404 is a change point, the main character is changed from the train 431 to the ship 432. FIG. 17C shows an example image immediately after the main character departs from the port 404. A state in which the ship 432 as the main character enters the sea 410 from the port and moves along the route 411 is shown.

  FIG. 18 shows an example of a frame image extracted from a moving image before and after passing through the airfield 405 that is a node connecting the “track” and the “airway” as a change point after the movement of the main character is started. .

  FIG. 18A shows an example of an image immediately before the main character train 431 arrives at the airfield 405. FIG. 18B shows an image example when the main character is about to take off from the airfield 405. Since the airfield 405 is changed, the main character is changed from the train 431 to the airplane 433. FIG. 18C shows an example of an image after the main character takes off from the airfield 405. A state in which the airplane 433 as the main character has taken off and is moving along the airway 421 is shown.

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 a functional configuration of the sub-control board in the first embodiment Explanatory diagram of program and information transmission / reception relations operating on each board Flow chart showing lottery execution processing by main control board Flow chart showing effect control processing in effect control board The flowchart which shows the image sound production | generation process in Embodiment 1. The top view explaining the setting of the virtual space of the embodiment The top view explaining the setting of the route of an example Explanatory drawing of the production change before and after the node that is not set as the change point Explanatory diagram of changes in production from train to ship before and after the node set as the change point Explanatory diagram of production change from train to airplane before and after node set as change point Functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the sub-control board in the second embodiment A flowchart which shows image sound generation processing in Embodiment 2. Image display example of initial and medium-term effects in the embodiment It is an image display example of the late stage production in the example, and the production change example from “train” to “ship” It is an image display example of the late stage production in the example, and the production change example from “train” to “airplane”

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 60a Production control board 60b, c Image sound generation board 101 Control unit 102 Lottery table 103 Role lottery part 105 Flag information storage part 106 Reel control part 107 Winning judgment part 108 Game state control part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 201 Production control part 301 Path | route specific information storage part 302 Movement space memory | storage part 303 Position calculation part 304 Change position information storage part 305 Change determination part 306 Image generation part 307 Sound generation part

Claims (9)

In a gaming machine that generates a moving image and sound based on predetermined presentation control information,
Calculate the movement position of a specific object in a given virtual space,
Based on the calculated movement position of the specific object, an image sound generation board is provided that changes the production mode of the specific object by itself regardless of the production control information;
A gaming machine characterized by A route specification information storage unit that stores route specification information that defines a route along which the specific object moves;
A change position information storage unit that stores change position information that defines a position for changing the effect mode of the specific object;
A position calculation unit that calculates the movement position of the specific object on the route at the update timing of the effect mode;
A change determination unit for determining whether or not the movement position corresponds to the change position;
An image sound generation unit that changes the image and / or sound of the specific object to a different one from the current one when the movement position corresponds to the change position;
The gaming machine according to claim 1, comprising: A route specification information storage unit that stores route specification information that defines a route along which the specific object moves;
An effect mode storage unit that stores in advance an effect mode of the specific object in association with an arbitrary position in the virtual space;
A position calculation unit that calculates the movement position of the specific object on the route at the update timing of the effect mode;
An effect attribute specifying unit for specifying the effect attribute of the specific object at the moving position with reference to the effect attribute set in advance at the moving position;
An image sound generation unit for generating an image and / or sound of the specific object corresponding to the specified presentation attribute of the specific object;
The gaming machine according to claim 1, comprising:   The gaming machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the route includes one or more links and one or more nodes that are junction points of the links, and the change point is set to any one of the nodes. .   The gaming machine according to claim 4, further comprising an effect control unit that calculates a route along which the specific object moves and outputs the route specifying information that defines the route. A lottery execution unit that performs lottery calculation based on random numbers and outputs lottery result information of the lottery calculation is provided,
The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the production control unit determines the production content based on the lottery result information.   The gaming machine according to claim 6, wherein the effect control unit determines the link or the node to be passed based on the lottery result information. On the computer,
A function for acquiring route specifying information that defines a route along which a specific object moves,
A function of acquiring change position information defining a position to change the effect mode of the specific object;
A function of calculating the movement position of the specific object on the route at the update timing of the effect mode;
A function of determining whether or not the movement position corresponds to the change position;
A function of changing the image and / or sound of the specific object to a different one from the current one when the movement position corresponds to the change position;
An image sound generation program for a gaming machine for executing the program. On the computer,
A function for acquiring route specifying information that defines a route along which a specific object moves,
A function of acquiring a rendering mode of the specific object associated with an arbitrary position in the virtual space;
A function of calculating the movement position of the specific object on the route at the update timing of the effect mode;
A function of specifying the effect attribute of the specific object at the movement position with reference to the effect attribute set in advance at the movement position;
A function for generating an image and / or sound of the specific object corresponding to the specified presentation attribute of the specific object;
An image sound generation program for a gaming machine for executing the program.