JP2008279044A - Clock generating device for game machine and game machine provided with such clock generating device for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid a situation where the same random number value is acquired continuously from occurring and to reduce the load for processing CPU and the program capacity by not requiring monitoring processing of the source of oscillation and the cost. <P>SOLUTION: The invention is provided with a main body clock generating circuit 12 which supplies a main body clock to CPU 11, a random number clock generating circuit 14 which supplies the random number clock to a random number counter 13 which produces the random number, a crystal oscillator C which supplies a standard clock that serves as a standard for the main body clock and the random number clock to be produced to the main body clock generating circuit 12 and the random number clock generating circuit 14, and frequency dividing circuits (122, 142) which are installed on the main body clock generating circuit 12 and the random number clock generating circuit 14 and which produce the main body clock and the random number clock composed of different frequencies. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clock generator for generating a clock pulse of a predetermined frequency, and more particularly to a clock generator for a gaming machine used in a gaming machine that generates a random number value by hardware based on the clock pulse.

In general, a gaming machine such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine pays out a game medium to a player for each game, or determines a jackpot or the like that is in an advantageous state in which the player can pay out.
Such a determination is called an internal lottery and is performed based on a predetermined random number inside the gaming machine.

For example, in a slot machine, a random value is acquired every time a player inserts a game medal (coin) or a game ball (pachinko ball) as a game medium and presses the start lever, and the acquired random value Are compared with a predetermined judgment value table. As a result of the comparison and verification, if it is determined that the acquired random number value corresponds to the winning content such as a big bonus (BB) or regular bonus (RB) bonus that guarantees the acquisition of a large number of game media, A bonus winning is achieved by controlling the reels to stop so that a combination of stop symbols corresponding to a winning combination corresponding to the bonus combination is obtained.
As a result, it shifts to a bonus state, and a large amount of game media can be acquired.

Such a random number related to the internal lottery may be generated by software or hardware.
Random numbers generated by the software are updated by 1 every unit time, and are generated by a method that arbitrarily changes the initial value for starting the update of 1 every cycle. By acquiring the random number at a proper timing, uniformity and non-correlation as a random number are ensured.
On the other hand, the random number generated by the hardware is a counter value output from a high-speed counter IC that sequentially counts up based on a high-frequency random number clock, and the random number is generated at a timing based on the player's operation. By acquiring, as in the case of software, reliability as a random number is secured.

Random numbers generated in this way are important factors that influence the outcome of games such as jackpots in gaming machines, so it is assumed that they have uniformity and uncorrelation as described above. It has become.
However, due to malfunctions such as malfunctions of gaming machines, this uniformity and non-correlation are lacking, and for example, when big hits occur continuously, or there is a situation where losers continue without being big hits at all. is there.
Such a situation occurs when a random number that should be updated in a predetermined cycle is not updated, and the same random number value is acquired continuously for each game.

  As described above, when the random number is generated by the above-mentioned software, the malfunction assumed in the situation where the same random number value is acquired for each game may be a malfunction of the CPU or a bug in the program. In the case of defects, the gaming machine itself does not operate normally, so it can be clearly determined from the outside, and in the case of a software bug, it is a program common to the same model, so all applicable gaming machines Can easily be judged from falling into a similar state.

On the other hand, when the random number is generated by hardware, when the cause of the malfunction is a malfunction of the CPU, the gaming machine itself does not operate normally in the same manner as described above, so that it can be easily determined from the outside.
However, an operation failure occurs in a crystal oscillator or the like that generates a random number clock, and the counter IC stops, so that the counter IC outputs the same count value, and the same disturbance continues every game. When numerical values have been acquired, it has been impossible to determine a defect from the outside for the following reasons.

In gaming machines, CPU driving clocks and random number clocks are usually generated from a plurality of crystal oscillators that oscillate clock pulses having different frequencies.
For this reason, even if a malfunction occurs in the crystal oscillator or the like in the random number clock, if one of the CPU driving clocks is operating normally, the CPU is operating normally. It was impossible to judge the defect.

However, preparing two types of crystal oscillators with different frequencies and using them as a CPU driving clock and a random number clock is extremely significant for anti-tampering gaming machines, so it is an indispensable configuration. there were.
In other words, if the CPU driving clock and the crystal oscillator that generates the random number clock are the same, the frequency of each clock is the same, so the gaming operation executed based on this clock is synchronized with the random number cycle, and the random number This period is easily detected from the outside from the timing of game operations such as the production of sounds emitted from lamps and speakers provided in the gaming machine, and will lead to acts that aim at random numbers that are big hits is there.
Therefore, in order to preferentially eliminate the act of aiming at a random value that is a big hit, two types of crystal oscillators with different frequencies are prepared, and each must be used as a CPU driving clock and a random number clock. As a result, the above-described adverse effects have been caused.

Techniques for monitoring abnormal operation of the random number clock in the case where the oscillators for generating the CPU driving clock and the random number clock are different are disclosed below.
Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of a random number monitoring device that monitors a carry signal output every cycle from a random number counter IC that sequentially counts up based on a random number clock. It is possible to determine abnormal operation of the random number clock.

Patent Document 2 discloses an invention of a gaming machine including a random number monitoring device having a configuration similar to that of Patent Document 1.
The present invention further includes monitoring signal output means for outputting a monitoring signal based on the carry signal and monitoring signal detection means for detecting the monitoring signal, wherein the monitoring signal detecting means generates a start signal based on the player's input operation. At the timing of occurrence, the monitor signal is detected and the monitor signal output means is initialized.
As a result, the monitoring signal output means can determine that there is an abnormality when the initialization state is continued without outputting the monitoring signal.

JP 2005-1992917 A JP 2006-122370 A

However, the techniques proposed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 as described above have caused the following problems.
In the invention described in Patent Document 1, since the carry signal from the random number counter IC has to be monitored periodically, the processing load on the CPU increases, resulting in a malfunction that occurs when a certain processing time is exceeded. There was also a risk of triggering.

In addition, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, although it is not necessary to monitor periodically, the monitor signal output means must be initialized at the timing when the start signal is generated, so a program required for initialization processing is added. Inevitably, the program capacity was increased.
In particular, in gaming machines, the program capacity for storing programs is regulated by the rules, and it is difficult to create a program without worrying about the program capacity. Reduced programs involved in improving game playability, and the adverse effects of having to compress the program occurred, sacrificed playability to prioritize functions, and spent unnecessary effort during game machine development I had to.

  On the other hand, no solution can be found for the adverse effects of synchronizing the game operation and the random number update timing generated by making the CPU driving and the random number clock generation oscillators the same. Measures were desired.

  The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above-described problems of the conventional technology, and the oscillation source is stopped by sharing the oscillation source of the main body clock and the random number clock supplied to the CPU. In such a case, the operation of the gaming machine itself is stopped to avoid a situation in which the same random number is continuously acquired, and the monitoring processing burden on the CPU related to the stop of the operation of the oscillation source is reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine clock generator capable of reducing a program for the game machine and a gaming machine equipped with the gaming machine clock generator.

  In order to achieve the above object, a clock generator for a gaming machine according to the present invention includes a main body clock generating means for supplying a main body clock to a CPU, and a random number clock for generating a random number. A clock generator for a gaming machine comprising a random number clock generating means for supplying, and oscillating one reference clock as a reference for generating the main body clock and the random number clock, and generating the reference clock as the main body clock generating means And a reference clock oscillating means to be supplied to the random number clock generating means, and a main body clock and a random number clock having different frequencies are generated by changing the frequency of the reference clock provided respectively in the main body clock generating means and the random number clock generating means. And a frequency variable means.

According to the clock generator for gaming machines of the present invention having such a configuration, the main body clock generating means and the random number clock generating means share the reference clock oscillating means for oscillating one reference clock. When a failure such as a failure occurs in the oscillation means and it is stopped, not only the random number clock of the random number clock generation means but also the main body clock generation means for supplying the main body clock to the CPU is stopped. Can be stopped.
This eliminates the inconvenience of acquiring the same random number value continuously when only the oscillator of the random number clock generating means is stopped when each has independent oscillators as in the prior art. be able to.
In particular, it is not necessary to provide a monitoring means for monitoring a failure of the oscillator on the logic circuit and the program, so that the processing load on the CPU can be reduced and the program capacity can be used effectively.
Further, since there is no need to provide a plurality of oscillators as in the prior art, the cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the main unit clock and the random number clock have different frequencies by providing the frequency variable means, the gaming operation and the random number cycle become asynchronous, and the random number cycle is not perceived from the outside by the timing of the gaming operation. It is possible to eliminate the act of aiming at a random value.
In addition, by providing a single reference clock oscillating means for oscillating the reference clock and providing a frequency variable means, it is possible to cause fluctuations in the frequency accompanying changes in ambient temperature, humidity, etc. that occur when there are a plurality of reference clock oscillating means. The synchronization between the main body clock and the random number clock can be avoided, and the main body clock and the random number clock can always be generated with a certain frequency difference secured.

Note that the main body clock according to the present invention refers to a clock pulse having a fixed period that is a reference for driving the CPU, and in synchronization with this clock pulse, the CPU reads and decodes instructions and data from the memory. It is supposed to perform.
The random number clock is a clock pulse input to the random number counter, and the counter value output from the random number counter is counted up in synchronization with the clock pulse. It is designed to be used as a numerical value.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clock generator for a gaming machine, wherein each of the frequency variable means provided in the main body clock generating means and the random number clock generating means has the reference clock having a different frequency dividing ratio. The frequency divider can be provided with a frequency divider.
By adopting such a configuration, each frequency variable means is composed of frequency dividers having different frequency division ratios. Therefore, by dividing the reference clock input from one reference clock oscillation means with different frequency division ratios, The main body clock generating means and the random number clock generating means can generate clock pulses having different frequencies.
The frequency divider in this case is preferably a cheap and easily available counter IC generally used as a frequency divider.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the main body clock generating means and the random number clock generating means may include a PLL oscillation circuit.
With such a configuration, the main body clock generation means and the random number clock generation means are composed of a PLL oscillation circuit, so that it is possible to accurately synchronize with the reference clock and generate a clock pulse with a stable frequency.
Further, by combining with the frequency variable means, a clock pulse having an arbitrary frequency obtained by multiplying the frequency of the reference clock can be generated, and a clock pulse having a higher frequency than the reference clock can be generated.
This speeds up and stabilizes the internal operation processing of the gaming machine, speeds up the update timing of the random numbers, and ensures the uniformity and non-correlation of the acquired random numbers.

In addition, the gaming machine clock generation device according to the present invention may be configured such that the reference clock oscillation means comprises a crystal oscillator.
With this configuration, since the reference clock oscillation means is composed of an oscillator using a crystal oscillator, the reference clock having a stable frequency that is not easily affected by the ambient temperature and humidity due to the characteristics of the crystal oscillator. Can be output.
Thereby, the frequency of the main body clock generated by the main body clock generating means is also stabilized, and the operation of the gaming machine can be stabilized.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine that is driven by a CPU and is capable of acquiring a gaming medium based on an internal lottery result based on a predetermined random number. And a clock generator for supplying a random number clock to a random number counter for generating a random number, wherein the clock generator is a clock generator for gaming machines according to any one of claims 1 to 4. It can be configured.
With such a configuration, the gaming machine clock generator of the present invention is provided in the gaming machine itself, which is driven by the CPU and can acquire gaming media based on the result of the internal lottery based on a predetermined random number. The main body clock generation means and the random number clock generation means can share the reference clock oscillation means for oscillating one reference clock.
As a result, when a malfunction such as a failure occurs in the reference clock oscillation means and the operation is stopped, not only the random number clock of the random number clock generation means but also the main body clock generation means for supplying the main body clock to the CPU is stopped. Therefore, the gaming machine itself can be put into an operation stop state.
As a result, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience of acquiring the same random number value continuously when only the oscillator of the random number clock generating means is stopped when each has independent oscillators as in the prior art. be able to.
Further, it is not necessary to provide the gaming machine with monitoring means for monitoring the malfunction of the oscillator on the logic circuit and the program, so that the processing load on the CPU can be reduced and the program capacity can be used effectively.
In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a plurality of oscillators as in the prior art, the cost of the gaming machine can be reduced.
Furthermore, since the main body clock and the random number clock have different frequencies by providing the frequency variable means, the gaming operation and the random number cycle become asynchronous, and the random number cycle is not detected from the outside from the timing of the gaming operation, It is possible to eliminate the act of aiming at a random value that is a big hit.

  As described above, according to the gaming machine clock generator of the present invention and the gaming machine equipped with the gaming machine clock generator, the reference clock oscillation source is one, and the oscillation source is stopped. By stopping the gaming machine itself, the situation where the same random number value is continuously acquired is avoided, and the monitoring process of the oscillation source is unnecessary, thereby reducing the processing load on the CPU and reducing the program capacity. Reduction and further cost reduction.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a gaming machine provided with a clock generator for gaming machines according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this embodiment, a slot machine is applied to a gaming machine provided with a clock generator for gaming machines according to the present invention.
Here, the slot machine of the following embodiment is operated by a computer controlled by a program. The program sends a command to each component of the computer, and predetermined processing such as game medal insertion processing, reel rotation start processing, reel stop control processing, random number acquisition processing, internal lottery processing, winning determination processing, A game medal payout process is performed. Thus, each process and operation in the slot machine of the present embodiment is realized by specific means in which the program and the computer cooperate. The program is stored in advance in a recording medium such as a ROM, and the above-described processes are executed by causing the computer to read the program from these recording media mounted on the computer.

[Slot machine body]
First, the configuration of a slot machine main body according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the slot machine according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal configuration of the slot machine according to the present embodiment.
As shown in these drawings, the slot machine of the present embodiment acquires a winning game medium by rotating a plurality of reels 21a, 21b, 21c provided in the slot machine 1 in the same manner as the conventional slot machine. It constitutes a swivel-type game machine that can be used.
In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, a clock generation unit that functions as a clock generation device for gaming machines according to the present invention is provided in the control unit described later. By providing this clock generation unit, the reference A single oscillation source that oscillates the clock eliminates the inconvenience of acquiring the same random number continuously, and the game operation and the random number cycle are asynchronous, so that the random number cycle is not detected from the outside by the timing of the game operation. It has become.

Specifically, the slot machine 1 is configured in a housing that can accommodate therein a control unit 10 and an effect control unit 40 configured by a microcomputer or the like, necessary machines, devices, and the like. The side is covered with the front door 1a so that opening and closing is possible.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front door 1a is a door body that can be freely opened and closed to the casing of the slot machine 1 via a hinge or the like. The front door 1a is provided with a front panel 2 and other parts. The front portion of the slot machine 1 is configured.

A display L is provided at the top of the front door 1a.
The indicator L is a display means comprising a lighting / flashing lamp, an LED, a liquid crystal display device, and the like. The lamp is used when winning a bonus game, winning various prizes, winning a prize, or paying out game media. A predetermined effect display is performed by turning on / flashing the LED or displaying an effect image (including a moving image and a still image) on the liquid crystal display device.
The effect by the display L can be performed in conjunction with the effect by the sound from the speaker 9 to be described later or independently of the effect by the sound by the speaker 9.
The display L is driven and controlled by a display driving circuit 42 provided in the effect control unit 40 provided in the housing (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

The front panel 2 is provided with a display window 3 at a substantially central portion so that the reels 21a to 21c in the housing can be visually recognized from the outside. The display window 3 is a window for visual recognition of three reels (left) 21a, reel (middle) 21b, and reel (right) 21c (see FIG. 2) disposed in the slot machine 1, and is usually colorless and transparent. Or it consists of a colored transparent resin panel, etc., and among a plurality of symbols drawn around each of the three reels 21, a plurality of (usually three) symbols adjacent in the vertical direction can be visually recognized and identified. It is like that.
In the display window 3, a winning line is usually set and displayed (not shown), and a predetermined winning line is determined according to the number of bets on medals, and the reels 21a are stopped and arranged along the winning line. The winning combination of the game is determined by the combination of symbols of 21c.

Below the display window 3 of the front panel 2, an internal winning notification unit 2a, a credit display unit 2b, a status display unit 2c, and a payout display unit 2d are provided.
The internal hit notification unit 2a is a lamp that lights or blinks when a predetermined big hit is won as a result of the internal lottery process in the control unit 10 of the slot machine 1, and a translucent display unit that displays a pattern or the like through the light of the lamp And have.
Each of the credit display unit 2b, the status display unit 2c, and the payout display unit 2d includes a 7-segment LED and the like, and a predetermined numerical value is displayed.
That is, the credit display unit 2b displays the number of stored medals, the state display unit 2c displays the total number of medals paid out and the number of digested games, and the payout display unit 2d displays normal games, bonus games, and the like. The number of payouts at the time of each payout in the specific game is displayed. Each display unit of the internal hit notification unit 2a, credit display unit 2b, status display unit 2c, and payout display unit 2d is driven and controlled by a display unit driving circuit 15 provided in the control unit 10 (FIG. 3). reference).

Buttons for the player to operate, such as a start lever 4, a stop button 5, a medal slot 6, a checkout button 6b, and a BET button 7, are provided in the substantially central portion of the front door 1a on the lower side of the front panel 2. It has been.
The start lever 4 is a game start means for starting the rotation of each of the three reels 21. When the start lever 4 is pressed at an arbitrary timing by the player's operation, a start signal is output to the control unit 10. (See FIG. 3) The reels 21a to 21c inside the main body rotate all at once (or sequentially).
In addition, when a start signal is input by pressing the start lever 4, a random number is acquired from a random number counter 13 described later in the control unit 10, and an internal lottery for determining the acquired random number is performed.

The stop button 5 is a stop means for stopping the rotating reel 21 and includes three stop buttons (left) provided corresponding to the three reels (left) 21a, the reel (middle) 21b, and the reel (right) 21c. 5a, a stop button (middle) 5b, and a stop button (right) 5c. When each stop button 5a, 5b, 5c is pressed at an arbitrary timing of the player, a stop signal is output to the control unit 10 (see FIG. 3).
In response to the stop signal, the corresponding reels 21a, 21b, and 21c are controlled to stop based on the result of the internal lottery.
As described above, when the player operates the start lever 4 and the stop button 5, the three reels 21a to 21c are rotated and stopped, and the symbols attached to the reels 21a to 21c are arranged in a predetermined winning arrangement. It is possible to play slot machine games that align.

  The medal slot 6 is a slot for receiving medals as a game medium used in the game, and a game can be played according to the number of medals inserted from the medal slot 6. As shown in FIG. 2, a medal selector 6a is provided on the inside of the main body of the medal insertion slot 6. The number of inserted medals is counted, and a medal signal indicating the number of medals is output to the control unit 10 inside the main body. It has come to be. As a result, if one medal is inserted from the medal slot 6, a one-bet game, a two-bet game if two, and a three-bet (MAXBET) game if three are inserted can be performed. It becomes like this.

The number of medals inserted from the medal slot 6 is stored in the RAM 11b built in the CPU 11 in the control unit 10 as the number of stored medals (see FIG. 3), and prior to the start of the game. A plurality of medals can be inserted in advance and stored and stored as stored medals.
Specifically, when three medals are inserted and further medals are inserted from the medal insertion slot 6, the fourth and subsequent medals are stored medals and a predetermined number (for example, a maximum of 50) is obtained. Stored and memorized. In addition, when there is a prize payout, up to the maximum number of stored medals, the winning medals are stored as stored medals. The number of stored medals is displayed as a numerical value on the credit display portion 2b of the front panel 2.

The adjustment button 6b is a switch for adjusting the stored medal at the end of the game.
When the settlement button 6b is pressed, medals for the stored medals are discharged from the medal payout device 30 to the game medal payout port 8, and the stored medal count data stored in the RAM 11b is also deleted.
Moreover, the numerical value of the credit display part 2b also becomes a zero display by accumulating a storage medal.

The medal BET button (insertion button) 7 is a medal input that inserts (BETs) a medal to be used (betting) in the game from among the stored medals when the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 6 has a stored medal. It is a switch for.
Specifically, a MAXBET button 7a for betting three pieces that inserts the maximum number of medals (usually three pieces) that can be inserted into a game by one press from a stored medal, and one medal by one press. 1 BET button 7b for betting one piece from the stored medal. Each time the 1BET button 7b is pressed, one bet, two bets, three bets, and the number of BETs increase.

When the BET button 7 is pressed, a medal signal is output to the control unit 10 (see FIG. 3), and the same number of medals are inserted into the game from the stored medals stored in the RAM 11b. Become.
When a stored medal is inserted, the number of stored medals in the memory is subtracted by the number of inserted medals, and is decreased by the number of inserted numerical values displayed on the credit display unit 2b.

A gaming medal payout opening 8 is provided at the bottom of the slot machine 1 and a speaker 9 is provided at the top.
The game medal payout port 8 is a game medal discharge port, and when the reels 21 stopped by pressing the stop button 5 have a predetermined winning arrangement, the game medal payout port 8 allows the medal in the housing to be A quantity of winning medals according to the winning arrangement discharged from the payout device 30 is paid out. The number of medals paid out is displayed on the payout display part 2d constituting the state display part below the display window 3 of the reel.

The speaker 9 generates various sounds such as a melody sound and a message sound to the player. Through the speaker 9, together with the display L described above or separately from the display L, A predetermined effect by sound is performed.
For example, when an internal lottery is performed by the control unit 10 and a predetermined jackpot or small role is won, or when a winning symbol is aligned and a big winning or small role is won, a predetermined effect sound or internal hit from the speaker 9 is obtained. The voice etc. which announces are emitted.
The sound generated from the speaker 9 is generated and output by a sound circuit 41 provided in the effect control unit 40 provided in the housing (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

Inside the casing of the slot machine 1, as shown in FIG. 2, there are a drum unit 20 that rotates and stops the three reels 21a to 21c, a medal payout device 30 that pays out medals, and other machines and devices. Is provided.
The drum unit 20 rotatably holds the three reels 21a, 21b, and 21c and the three reels 21a to 21c, and rotates the stepping motors 23a to 23c corresponding to the reels 21a to 21c. A motor drive circuit 22 that controls the start of rotation of 21c, constant speed rotation and stop, and a rotation position detection unit that detects a stop position of each of the stopped reels 21a to 21c and outputs a position signal to the control unit 10 24 (see FIG. 3).

As in the existing slot machine, the reel 21 is composed of a cylindrical portion having a plurality of (usually 21) patterns and characters such as characters on the outer periphery, and is rotated in the vertical direction (vertical direction in the drawing). A reel (left) 21a, a reel (middle) 21b, and a reel (right) 21c are arranged in a line in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in the drawing) (see FIG. 2).
The symbols provided on each of the reels 21a to 21c are not particularly shown, but are arranged at equal intervals for each reel. For example, the symbols and characters such as “7”, “Bell”, “Cherry”, and “Replay” are predetermined. In general, 21 symbols are displayed on each reel. The symbols on these reels 21a to 21c are stopped in a predetermined combination along the winning line of the display window 3 described above by pressing the corresponding stop buttons 5a to 5c, and winning is determined. .

The three reels 21 a to 21 c are driven and stopped by the controller 10, the motor drive circuit 22 of the drum unit 20, and the rotation position detector 24.
In the drum unit 20, the three reels 21a to 21c are rotatably held by the corresponding three stepping motors 23a to 23c, respectively, and the start lever 4 and the stop buttons 5a to 5c are pressed to operate the motor drive circuit. 22 inputs a pulse (drive) signal from the control unit 10 to drive the stepping motors 23a to 23c (see FIG. 3), and controls rotation start, constant speed rotation and stop of the corresponding reels 21a to 21c. .

  Then, the stop position of the reel 21 is controlled according to the result of the internal lottery performed by the control unit 10, regardless of the timing at which the player presses the stop button 5, that is, the pressing timing of each of the stop buttons 5 a to 5 c. Even if they deviate, the reel 21 is controlled to stop within a certain stop control range (usually within a range of 5 symbols) so that the corresponding symbol stops on the winning line.

[Control unit]
Next, the control unit 10 that controls the slot machine 1 having the above-described main body configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the slot machine according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a clock generation unit of the slot machine according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram in which the clock generator of the slot machine according to the present embodiment is configured by a PLL oscillation circuit.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 10 is a predetermined CPU 11 and a determination that is built in the CPU 11 and compared with a random number value acquired in a program or internal lottery that causes each device to function as a slot machine gaming machine as described above. A ROM 11a that stores data such as a value table, a RAM 11b that functions as a temporary work storage area, a main body clock that drives the CPU 11, and a random number clock that updates a random number counter 13 provided in the control unit 10 are generated. A clock generator P that functions as a clock generator for gaming machines according to the present invention and a display unit drive circuit 15 that drives the various display units 2a to 2d are configured. As shown in FIG. It is installed at a predetermined position. The CPU 11 executes a predetermined program to realize various controls and processes, and controls the processes and operations of each part of the main body of the slot machine 1 as described above.

The control unit 10 configured as described above is provided with a clock generation unit P for generating a main body clock for driving the CPU 11 and generating a random number clock for updating the random number counter 13. It functions as an industrial clock generator.
Hereinafter, the clock generator P will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the clock generator P generates a main body clock for driving the CPU 11 based on the crystal oscillator C functioning as a reference clock oscillating means for oscillating one reference clock. A main body clock generating circuit 12 functioning as a main body clock generating means, and a random number clock generating circuit functioning as a random number clock generating means by generating a random number clock for updating a random number counter 13 that similarly generates a random number value in an internal lottery based on a reference clock 14.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the crystal oscillator C is composed of an oscillation circuit using a crystal oscillator, and by applying a voltage to the crystal due to the piezoelectric action of the crystal, the crystal thickness, crystal orientation, etc. It is an oscillator that uses a characteristic that resonates at a fixed frequency, and is not easily affected by ambient temperature and humidity, and a reference clock composed of a pulse signal (eg, 1 kHz) having a stable frequency is output.

Based on the reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C having such characteristics, the main body clock generation means and the random number clock generation means, which will be described later, generate a main body clock for driving the CPU and a random number clock from which random numbers are generated. Therefore, the operation process of the slot machine 1 and the update cycle of the random number are stabilized.
In the present invention, the crystal oscillator C is used as a common oscillation source for supplying a reference clock to the main body clock generation means and the random number clock generation means.
In this embodiment, the oscillator is configured by using a crystal oscillator, but may be configured by another oscillation circuit such as an LC resonance circuit configured by a coil or a capacitor.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main body clock generating circuit 12 functioning as the main body clock generating means generates a main body clock for driving the CPU 11 based on the reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C. Yes.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, the main body clock generation circuit 12 is a PLL (Phase-Locked loop) that outputs a clock pulse signal having the same phase as the reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C and a frequency obtained by multiplying the reference clock. ) It consists of an oscillation circuit.

  Specifically, the main body clock generation circuit 12 changes a voltage to be applied to change a frequency to oscillate to output a pulse signal and a voltage controlled oscillation circuit 121 (for example, a VCO: Voltage Controlled Oscillator), A frequency dividing circuit 122 (comprising a counter that divides the pulse signal output from the voltage controlled oscillation circuit 121 by a settable frequency dividing ratio N12 (for example, 1/16000) and functions as a frequency variable means according to the present invention. And a phase comparison circuit 123 that compares the phase of the pulse signal divided by the frequency division ratio N12 in the frequency divider 122 with the phase of the reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C and outputs a voltage corresponding to the phase difference. (For example, Phase Comparator), an output buffer 1 that outputs a pulse signal obtained by shifting the reference clock by the reciprocal of the frequency division ratio N12 to the input level of the CPU. It is composed of four.

Then, by feeding back a voltage corresponding to the phase difference from the phase comparison circuit 123 to the voltage controlled oscillation circuit 121, the voltage controlled oscillation circuit 121 is controlled so that the oscillating pulse signal has no phase difference, and the phase comparison circuit 123. The reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C and the pulse signal divided by the frequency division ratio N12 in the frequency dividing circuit 122 are synchronized.
As a result, the pulse signal output from the output buffer 124 is output as a stable high-frequency pulse signal multiplied by the reciprocal of the frequency division ratio N12 based on the reference clock. The main body clock is supplied to the CPU 11.

As a result, the main body clock output from the main body clock generation circuit 12 is output as a pulse signal having a frequency f12 (for example, 16 MHz) obtained by multiplying the frequency (1 kHz) of the reference clock and the reciprocal of the frequency division ratio N12. Yes.
As described above, the main body clock generation circuit 12 is configured by a PLL oscillation circuit, and the frequency dividing circuit 122 is provided, so that a stable pulse using the characteristics of the crystal oscillator C is output and the frequency dividing ratio can be freely set. By setting to, a desired high-frequency pulse signal can be generated.
The CPU 11 is driven by the input of the main body clock, and controls the processing and operation of each part of the main body of the slot machine 1 as described above.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the random number clock generation circuit 14 functioning as a random number clock generation means uses one reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C that is the same oscillation source as the main body clock generation circuit 12 described above. Based on this, a random number clock for updating the random number counter 13 is generated.
By making the oscillation sources the same in this way, when a malfunction such as a failure occurs in the crystal oscillator C and the operation is stopped, not only the random number clock of the random number clock generation circuit 14 but also the main body clock is supplied to the CPU. Since the main body clock generation circuit 12 is also stopped, the slot machine 1 can be brought into an operation stop state.
As a result, as described in the prior art, by providing different oscillators, only the random number clock generation circuit 14 is stopped, and the same random number value obtained by the normal operation of the main body clock generation circuit 12 is obtained. Can be avoided.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, the random number clock generation circuit 14 is a clock having the same phase as the reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C and a frequency obtained by multiplying the reference clock, similarly to the main body clock generation circuit 12 described above. It is composed of a PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) oscillation circuit that outputs a pulse signal.

  Specifically, the random number clock generation circuit 14 changes a voltage to be applied, changes a frequency to oscillate, and outputs a pulse signal to a voltage controlled oscillation circuit 141 (for example, VCO: Voltage Controlled Oscillator), A frequency dividing circuit 142 (comprising a counter that divides the pulse signal output from the voltage controlled oscillation circuit 141 by a settable frequency dividing ratio N14 (for example, 2/16563) and functions as a frequency variable means according to the present invention. And a phase comparison circuit 143 that compares the phase of the pulse signal divided by the frequency division ratio N14 in the frequency division circuit 142 with the phase of the reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C and outputs a voltage corresponding to the phase difference. (For example, Phase Comparator), an output that outputs a pulse signal obtained by shifting the reference clock by the reciprocal of the frequency division ratio N14 to the input level of the random number counter 13 And a Ffa 144.

Then, by feeding back a voltage corresponding to the phase difference from the phase comparison circuit 143 to the voltage control oscillation circuit 141, the voltage control oscillation circuit 141 is controlled so that the oscillating pulse signal has no phase difference, and the phase comparison circuit 143. The reference clock output from the crystal oscillator C and the pulse signal frequency-divided by the frequency dividing ratio N14 in the frequency dividing circuit 142 are synchronized.
As a result, the pulse signal output from the output buffer 144 is output as a stable high-frequency pulse signal multiplied by the reciprocal of the frequency division ratio N14 based on the reference clock, and this high-frequency pulse signal is The random number clock 13 is supplied as a random number clock.

Accordingly, the random number clock output from the random number clock generation circuit 14 is a pulse signal having a frequency f14 (for example, (16.563 / 2) MHz) obtained by multiplying the frequency (1 kHz) of the reference clock and the reciprocal of the frequency division ratio N14. It is output.
As described above, the random number clock generation circuit 14 is configured by a PLL oscillation circuit and the frequency dividing circuit 142 is provided, so that a stable pulse using the characteristics of the crystal oscillator C is output and the frequency dividing ratio can be freely set. By setting to, a desired high frequency pulse signal can be generated.

The random number counter 13 is sequentially counted up at the frequency f14 based on the random number clock, and the count value is output from the output terminal. Based on the start signal generated at the timing of the player's arbitrary input operation, The count value is latched, the CPU designates the random number counter 13, acquires the latched count value as a random number value, and stores it in a predetermined area of the RAM 11b (random number acquisition processing).
Furthermore, the stored random number value is compared and collated with the stored random number value with the judgment value table previously stored as data in the ROM 11a in the internal lottery process, and is classified into a bonus combination, small combination, replay, loss, etc. As a result, the winning content is determined.

Note that the random number counter 13 according to the present embodiment is configured by, for example, a 16-bit binary counter, and the random number value used is updated in a range of 0 to 16384 in which the upper 2 bits are masked.
As a result, the random number update cycle calculated based on the frequency f14 of the random number clock output from the random number clock generation circuit 14 is about 2 ms (16384 / (16563/2)).
That is, the random number counter 13 is a high-speed random number counter that makes one round in the range of 0 to 16384 with an update period of about 2 ms.

In addition, in the determination value table for determining bonus combinations such as big bonuses, the bonus combination determination value is pre-assigned to a plurality of numerical values (about several tens) within the range of 0 to 16384. It is almost impossible to assign a random value corresponding to a judgment value serving as a bonus aiming at a counter value (random number value) output from a high-speed random number counter with an update cycle of less than 1/500 second .
As a result, it is possible to ensure uniformity and non-correlation of random numbers acquired at the timing of the player's input operation.

Furthermore, as described above, by providing the frequency dividing circuits 122 and 142 having different frequency dividing ratios, the main body clock output from the main body clock generating circuit 12 and the random number clock output from the random number clock generating circuit 14 are (F12, f14) are different.
Thereby, a gaming operation such as a lamp, an effect display such as an LED, or an effect related to a sound emitted from the speaker 9, which is performed by controlling the slot machine 1 based on the main body clock output from the main body clock generation circuit 12, Since the random number update cycle is not synchronized, the random number update timing is not detected from the outside of the slot machine 1, and the random number update timing is measured from the game operation, and the random number value that becomes a big hit by synchronizing is determined. The act to aim at can be excluded.

As described above, according to the slot machine 1 according to the present embodiment, the main body clock generation circuit 12 and the random number clock generation circuit 14 share the crystal oscillator C that oscillates the reference clock. When the trouble occurs, the main body clock generation circuit 12 that supplies the main body clock to the CPU 11 as well as the random number clock of the random number clock generation circuit 14 is stopped, so that the slot machine 1 operates. Can be stopped.
This eliminates the inconvenience of acquiring the same random number continuously when only the crystal oscillator of the random number clock generation circuit 14 is stopped when each of the oscillators has independent oscillators as in the prior art. be able to.

In particular, since it is not necessary to provide monitoring means for monitoring a failure of the oscillator on the logic circuit and the program, the processing load on the CPU 11 can be reduced and the program capacity can be used effectively.
Further, since it is not necessary to provide a plurality of oscillators as in the prior art, the cost can be reduced.
Furthermore, since the main body clock and the random number clock have different frequencies by providing the frequency dividing circuits 122 and 142 having different frequency dividing ratios, the gaming operation and the random number cycle become asynchronous, and the random number cycle is externally determined from the timing of the gaming operation. Since it is not perceived, it is possible to eliminate the act of aiming at a random value that is a big hit.

As mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment was shown and demonstrated about the gaming machine provided with the clock generator for gaming machines of the present invention, the present invention is not limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various within the scope of the present invention. Needless to say, it is possible to implement this change.
For example, the present invention is not limited to the slot machine shown in the above-described embodiment, and may be a pachinko machine, and any gaming machine that generates a random number by hardware based on a clock pulse Even so, it can be applied. As this type of gaming machine, there are various gaming machines such as an arrangement ball machine, a sparrow ball machine, etc. in addition to a slot machine (including pachilot and parrot) and a pachinko machine. be able to.

  The present invention can be suitably used as a clock generator used in a gaming machine that generates a random number by hardware based on a predetermined clock pulse.

It is a schematic front view showing a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the internal structure of the slot machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a clock generation unit of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram in which a clock generation unit of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured by a PLL oscillation circuit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 2 Front panel 3 Display window 4 Start lever 5 (5a, 5b, 5c) Stop button 6 Medal insertion slot 7 BET button 8 Game medal payout exit 9 Speaker 10 Control part 20 Drum unit 21 (21a, 21b, 21c) Reel 30 medal payout device 40 production control unit

Claims (5)

A clock generator for a gaming machine comprising main body clock generating means for supplying a main body clock to a CPU, and random number clock generating means for supplying a random number clock to a random number counter for generating a random number,
A reference clock oscillating unit that oscillates one reference clock serving as a reference for generating the main body clock and the random number clock, and supplies the reference clock to the main body clock generating unit and the random number clock generating unit;
Frequency variable means for generating a main body clock and a random number clock having different frequencies by changing the frequency of the reference clock respectively provided in the main body clock generation means and the random number clock generation means;
A clock generator for gaming machines, comprising:   2. The clock generator for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the frequency variable means provided in the main body clock generating means and the random number clock generating means includes a frequency divider that divides the reference clock by a different frequency dividing ratio.   3. The clock generator for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the main body clock generator and the random number clock generator include a PLL oscillation circuit.   The clock generator for a gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reference clock oscillation means comprises a crystal oscillator. A gaming machine driven by a CPU and capable of acquiring a gaming medium based on an internal lottery result based on a predetermined random number,
A clock generator for supplying a main body clock to the CPU and supplying a random number clock to a random number counter for generating a random number,
A gaming machine, wherein the clock generator is the clock generator for gaming machines according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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