JP2008302202A - Game machine and method of adjusting sound volume for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a function of adjusting presentation sound, nonexistent in conventional technologies. <P>SOLUTION: A game controller of the slot machine 10 as the game machine related to this invention is programmed to change the sound level in the sound range of sound signals as the background sound of games selected by selection switches 70a, 70b and 70c by a sound level changing device, and to operate to amplify sound signals including the sound signals as the background sound at the changed sound level and the sound signals as mechanical sound from a speaker 29. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine and a volume adjustment method thereof.

  In conventional gaming machines, when a player inserts gaming media such as coins and banknotes into the slot of the gaming machine and presses the start button, a plurality of symbols are variably displayed on the display provided on the front of the housing. After that, each symbol automatically stops.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, such a gaming machine includes a sound circuit that outputs a sound signal on which various effect sounds such as a background sound and a game effect sound are superimposed, and the sound signal as a sound wave. And a speaker that converts and loudspeaks. Then, the game effect is performed by the effect sound output from the speaker. When adjusting the volume of the effect sound, the output voltage of the sound signal is increased or decreased by operating the volume adjuster in the sound circuit. As a result, the volume of all effect sounds such as background sounds and game effect sounds included in the sound signal is adjusted at the same level by the volume adjuster.

US Pat. No. 7,128,650

  An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine having a production sound adjustment function not provided in the above-described prior art and a sound volume adjustment method thereof.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, information relating to a game operated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal as a background sound of the game, and an action of the player A storage unit that stores functional sound information of a sound signal that is a functional sound that represents the operating state of the game, a volume level changing device that is capable of changing a volume level of the sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and an external And a selection switch that selects a volume level of a sound signal that becomes a background sound of the game, a speaker that converts the sound signal into a sound wave, and a sound that is amplified, and the background of the game selected by the selection switch A sound signal including a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game and a sound signal serving as the functional sound is changed by the volume level changing device by changing a volume level of the sound signal serving as a sound. Gaming machine is provided, it characterized in that it and a game controller programmed to operate so as to loudspeaker from serial speaker.

  According to the first aspect, the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game can be selected. After the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game is changed to the selected volume level, the sound signal including the sound signal serving as the background sound and the sound signal serving as the functional sound is converted into sound waves and amplified. As a result, the player can hear the background sound of the volume based on the selected volume level and the function sound. Therefore, the player can make it difficult to hear the functional sound by increasing the volume level of the background sound. Conversely, the player can make it easier to hear the functional sound by lowering the volume level of the background sound. This allows the player to change the volume level of the functional sound according to the installation environment of the gaming machine, the player's preferences, etc. Can be

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, information on a game that is operated by a player's betting, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and an operating state of the game related to the player's action A first storage unit that stores functional sound information of a sound signal that is a functional sound to be expressed; a volume level changing device that is capable of changing a volume level of the sound signal that is a background sound of the game; A selection switch that selects a volume level of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game; a second storage unit that stores sample sound information of a sound signal that is a sample sound including the background sound and the functional sound; When the selection switch is operated, the speaker that converts the sound signal into a sound wave and amplifies the sound, and the sound signal of the sample sound information stored in the second storage unit is used and is selected by the selection switch. A sound including the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game and the sound signal serving as the functional sound, wherein the volume level of the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game is changed by the volume level changing device. There is provided a gaming machine comprising a game controller programmed to operate so as to make a signal louder from the speaker.

  According to the second aspect, the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game can be selected. After the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game is changed to the selected volume level, the sound signal including the sound signal serving as the background sound and the sound signal serving as the functional sound is converted into sound waves and amplified. Further, when the volume level of the sound signal serving as the background sound is selected, a sample sound including the background sound of the selected volume level and the function sound is used. As a result, the player can hear the background sound of the volume based on the selected volume level and the function sound. Therefore, the player can make it difficult to hear the functional sound by increasing the volume level of the background sound. Conversely, the player can make it easier to hear the functional sound by lowering the volume level of the background sound. This allows the player to change the volume level of the functional sound according to the installation environment of the gaming machine, the player's preferences, etc. Can be Further, since the sample sound includes the background sound and the function sound, the volume level can be easily adjusted.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, information on a game that is operated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and an operating state of the game related to the player's action A storage unit that stores functional sound information of a sound signal that is a functional sound to be expressed; a volume level changing device that is capable of changing a volume level of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game; It is possible to add a selection switch that selects a volume level of a sound signal that becomes a background sound of a game, a sound signal that becomes a background sound of a game whose volume level has been changed, and a sound signal that becomes the functional sound A certain adder, a speaker that converts the sound signal into a sound wave and amplifies the sound, and a volume level of the sound signal that is the background sound of the game selected by the selection switch is changed by the volume level changing device. A game controller programmed to operate to add the sound signal whose volume level has been changed and the sound signal to be the functional sound with an adder, and to amplify the added sound signal from the speaker; , A gaming machine characterized by comprising:

  According to the third aspect, the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game can be selected. After the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game is changed to the selected volume level, the sound signal obtained by adding the sound signal serving as the background sound and the sound signal serving as the functional sound is converted into a sound wave and amplified. As a result, the player can hear the background sound of the volume based on the selected volume level and the function sound. Therefore, the player can make it difficult to hear the functional sound by increasing the volume level of the background sound. Conversely, the player can make it easier to hear the functional sound by lowering the volume level of the background sound. This allows the player to change the volume level of the functional sound according to the installation environment of the gaming machine, the player's preferences, etc. Can be Further, since the adder adds the background sound signal and the functional sound signal, the background sound and the functional sound can be handled as the same signal.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the game related to a case and information relating to a game operated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game, and the player's action A storage unit that stores functional sound information of a sound signal that is a functional sound that represents the operating state of the game, a volume level changing device that can change the volume level of the sound signal that is the background sound of the game, and an externally operable And a selection switch for selecting a volume level of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game, and a volume level of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game provided in the housing and selected by the selection switch An adjustment switch that can adjust the sound level, an adder that can add a sound signal that becomes a background sound of the game whose volume level has been changed, and a sound signal that becomes the functional sound, and the sound signal Change to sound wave The volume level of the sound signal that is the background sound of the game selected by the selection switch is changed by the volume level changing device, and at least the sound level and the function whose volume level has been changed There is provided a gaming machine comprising: a game controller programmed to add a sound signal to be a sound with an adder and to operate the added sound signal to be output from the speaker. The

  According to the fourth aspect, the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game can be selected. In addition, selectable volume levels can be adjusted. Furthermore, after the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game is changed to the selected volume level, the sound signal that is the sum of the sound signal that becomes the background sound and the sound signal that becomes the functional sound is converted into sound waves and amplified. The As a result, the player can hear the background sound of the volume based on the selected volume level and the function sound. Therefore, the player can make it difficult to hear the functional sound by increasing the volume level of the background sound. Conversely, the player can make it easier to hear the functional sound by lowering the volume level of the background sound. This allows the player to change the volume level of the functional sound according to the installation environment of the gaming machine, the player's preferences, etc. Can be Further, since the adder adds the background sound signal and the functional sound signal, the background sound and the functional sound can be handled as the same signal. Further, an adjustment switch capable of setting a volume level that can be selected by the player with the selection switch is provided inside the housing. Thereby, the gaming machine manager can cause the player to select the volume level of the background sound from the volume level desired by the manager such as the staff.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the volume level of the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game can be selected by an external operation, and the volume level of the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game is changed to the selected volume level. A sound signal including at least the sound signal serving as a background sound of the game whose volume level has been changed and a sound signal serving as a functional sound representing an operating state of the game related to the player's action, There is provided a volume adjustment method for a gaming machine, characterized in that the sound volume is converted into a loud sound.

  According to the fifth aspect, the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game can be selected. After the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game is changed to the selected volume level, the sound signal including the sound signal serving as the background sound and the sound signal serving as the functional sound is converted into sound waves and amplified. As a result, the player can hear the background sound of the volume based on the selected volume level and the function sound. Therefore, the player can make it difficult to hear the functional sound by increasing the volume level of the background sound. Conversely, the player can make it easier to hear the functional sound by lowering the volume level of the background sound. This allows the player to change the volume level of the functional sound according to the installation environment of the gaming machine, the player's preferences, etc. Can be

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
A first embodiment of a gaming machine and its volume adjustment method according to the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a slot machine is used as an example of a gaming machine, but the present invention is not limited to this.

(Volume adjustment method)
As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 10 becomes a first stage in which the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound (BGM) of the game can be selected by an external operation, and becomes the background sound of the selected game. A sound signal including a second stage of changing the volume level of the sound signal to the selected volume level, a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game whose volume level has been changed, and a sound signal serving as a functional sound is converted into a sound wave. A volume adjustment method comprising a third stage of conversion and loudening is executed. Here, the function sound is a sound expressing the operating state of the game related to the player's action. For example, the functional sound is a voice at the time of coin insertion, a voice at the time of betting, a voice at the time of coin payout, or the like.

  Thereby, it is possible to make the player hear the background sound of the volume based on the selected volume level and the function sound. Therefore, the player can make it difficult to hear the functional sound by increasing the volume level of the background sound. Conversely, the player can make it easier to hear the functional sound by lowering the volume level of the background sound. As a result, the player can change the volume level of the functional sound according to the installation environment of the gaming machine, the player's preference, etc. Can be

  For example, in FIG. 1, when the background sound and the function sound are output simultaneously, the sound volume of the function sound indicated by the balloon can be maintained even when the overall sound volume is lowered. it can.

  Furthermore, the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound in the first stage can be selectively input based on a volume control signal received from the outside such as a hall computer. Thereby, each slot machine 10 can perform volume adjustment collectively based on the volume control signal.

(Volume adjustment configuration)
The volume adjustment method described above is executed in the slot machine 10. The slot machine 10 includes a game that is activated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and a sound signal that is a functional sound that represents an operation state of the game related to the player's action. Functional sound information and a volume level changing device that can change the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game, and a selection switch that can be operated from the outside and selects the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game An adder that can add a sound signal that is a background sound of a game whose volume level has been changed and a sound signal that is a functional sound, a speaker that converts the sound signal into a sound wave, and The volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game selected by the selection switch is changed by the volume level changing device, and at least the sound signal whose volume level is changed and the sound signal that becomes the functional sound are added by the adder. The added sound signal and a programmed game controller to operate so as to loud speaker.

  In the present embodiment, the slot machine 10 uses a predetermined sound signal as a background sound (hereinafter referred to as a background sound signal) so as to obtain a sound volume corresponding to the environment in the hall or the like by an operation of a player or a staff member. The sound level is changed to a volume level, and at least a sound signal that becomes a functional sound (hereinafter referred to as a functional sound signal) is amplified and a sound wave is amplified from a speaker.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the slot machine 10 includes a main CPU 41, a sound signal output device 201, a volume level changing device 211, and an audio output device 212. The sound signal output device 201 is connected to the main CPU 41 and outputs a plurality of sound signals in parallel. The volume level changing device 211 selectively changes the volume level of the sound signal serving as the background sound from among the plurality of sound signals output from the sound signal output device 201. The audio output device 212 superimposes the background sound signal whose volume level is changed, the function sound signal and the sound effect signal whose volume level is not changed, and converts them into sound waves. Here, the sound effect signal is a sound signal serving as a sound effect that is output from the speaker according to the state of the game without being triggered by the player's action.

  The sound signal output device 201 includes a main body PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 60 that outputs digital sound signals in parallel, and a D / A converter 210 that converts a plurality of sound signals output from the main body PCB 60 into an analog format. Have. The D / A converter 210 has three output terminals 210a, 210b, and 210c. The output terminals 210 a, 210 b, and 210 c output in parallel the sound signals converted into the analog format in the D / A converter 210. In this embodiment, the output terminal 210a, the output terminal 210b, and the output terminal 210c output a background sound signal, a function sound signal, and a sound effect signal, respectively.

  The sound signal output device 201 is connected via the three first transmission lines 202a, 202b, and 202c so that the sound level output device 211 inputs the three types of sound signals of the background sound signal, the function sound signal, and the sound effect signal. Connected. The volume level changing device 211 includes a signal switching unit 204, two first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c, an adder 207, three second transmission paths 208a, 208b, and 208c, and an output bus 209. And have.

  The signal switching unit 204 has one input terminal 213, three output terminals 214 a, 214 b, and 214 c, and a switch switching terminal 219. The first attenuator 205a has one input terminal 215a and one output terminal 216a. The second attenuator 205b has one input terminal 215b and one output terminal 216b. The third attenuator 205c has one input terminal 215c and one output terminal 216c. The adder 207 has three input terminals 217a, 217b, and 217c, and one output terminal 218.

  The first transmission path 202, the second transmission path 208, and the output bus 209 are each formed by a signal line. The signal switching unit 204 can switch to which of the three output terminals 214a, 214b, and 214c the sound signal input from the output terminal 213 is output. The switching signal is output at the operation timing of the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c, and indicates a connection state corresponding to the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c.

  The first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c are configured by fixed resistors that reduce the output of sound signals. The first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c are not limited to the configuration using the fixed resistor, and may be configured using, for example, an operational amplifier.

  One ends of the first transmission lines 202a to 202c are connected to output terminals 210a to 210c of the D / A converter 210, respectively. The other end of the first transmission path 202 a is connected to the input terminal 213 of the signal switching unit 204. Thereby, the background sound signal output from the D / A converter 210 passes through the first transmission path 202a and is input to the signal switching unit 204.

  The signal switching unit 204 switches to which of the three output terminals 214a, 214b, and 214c the input background sound signal is output according to the switching signal from the main body PCB 60. In this embodiment, when the first change button 70a is pressed, it is output to the output terminal 214a, and when the second change button 70b is pressed, it is output to the output terminal 214b and the third change button 70c is pressed. In the case of output from the output terminal 214c.

  One ends of the second transmission paths 208a to 208c are connected to output terminals 214a to 214c of the signal switching unit 204, respectively. The other ends of the second transmission paths 208a, 208b, and 208c are connected to input terminals 215a and 215b of the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c, respectively.

  Thereby, when the background sound signal is output from the signal switching unit 204 to the output terminal 214a, the output of the background sound signal is reduced by the first attenuator 205a and output to the output terminal 216a. On the other hand, when the background sound signal is output from the signal switching unit 204 to the output terminal 214b, the output of the background sound signal is reduced by the second attenuator 205b and output to the output terminal 216b. Furthermore, when the background sound signal is output from the signal switching unit 204 to the output terminal 214c, the output of the background sound signal is reduced by the third attenuator 205c and output to the output terminal 216c.

  In the present embodiment, the signal output from the signal switching unit 204 is configured to pass through any of the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c, but is not limited thereto. There is no. For example, the volume level changing device 211 may be configured such that the third attenuator 205c is removed, so that when the background sound signal is output from the output terminal 214c, the output level of the background sound signal may not be changed. Thereby, the effect of the gaming machine by the sound including the background sound and the function sound can be made more flexible.

  The output terminals 216a, 216b, and 216c of the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c are connected to the adder 207 via signal lines. The other ends of the first transmission lines 202b and 202c are connected to the adder 207.

  Thereby, the background sound signal whose volume level is changed by the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c, the functional sound signal output from the output terminal 210b of the D / A converter 210, and the D / A converter 210. The sound effect signal output from the output terminal 210 c is input to the adder 207. Then, the adder 207 outputs a new sound signal obtained by adding the background sound signal, the function sound signal, and the sound effect signal whose volume level has been changed from the output terminal.

  The volume level changing device 211 configured as described above is connected to the sound output device 212. The sound output device 212 includes a volume amplifier 206 and a speaker 29. The volume amplifier 206 is connected to the output terminal of the second adder 207 described above. The volume amplifier 206 amplifies the sound signal input from the adder 205 with a predetermined amplification factor. The volume amplifier 206 is connected to the speaker 29. The speaker 29 converts the sound signal into a sound wave and amplifies the sound.

  In the present embodiment, the volume adjustment method is to adjust the volume by the slot machine 10 alone by forming a switching signal by the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c provided in the slot machine 10. However, it is not limited to this. That is, the volume adjustment method may be executed in a system including a plurality of slot machines 10, a hall computer (not shown), and a communication network such as a LAN or the Internet that connects the slot machine 10 and the hall computer so that data communication is possible. Good. In this case, it is possible to change the volume of the background sound output from all the slot machines 10 at once in the hall computer.

  Further, the slot machine 10 has sample sound information of a sound signal that becomes a sample sound including a background sound of a volume level selectable by the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c and a functional sound. ing. When the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c are operated, the sound signal of the sample sound information is used, and the volume of the background sound signal selected by the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c. A configuration may be provided that includes a game controller programmed to change the level and operate to output from the speaker. In this case, since the sample sound includes the background sound and the functional sound, the player can easily change the volume level.

(Slot machine 10)
Next, the slot machine 10 provided with the volume level changing device 211 will be specifically described.

    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the slot machine 10 determines by randomly selecting a scatter target symbol 181 from among a plurality of symbols 180, rearranging the symbols 180 on the display, A step of giving a payout determined by a combination of symbols 180 rearranged on L, and when a predetermined number or more of scatter target symbols 181 are rearranged, set the scatter target symbols 181 as scatter symbols 182; A control method including notifying the contents of the payout determined based on the scatter symbol 182 and providing a payout is executed.

  Further, the slot machine 10 provides a display area (scatter object symbol display unit 163) in a portion different from the arrangement area (display windows 151 to 155) where the symbols 180 are arranged, and displays the scatter object symbol 181 in the display area. And a step of notifying that the scatter target symbols 181 are set as the scatter symbols 182 when a predetermined number or more of the scatter target symbols 181 are rearranged.

  Here, “arrangement” means that the symbol 180 including the scatter symbol 182 can be visually confirmed with respect to an external player. That is, the symbol 180 is displayed in the display windows 151-155. In addition, after canceling the arrangement of the symbol 180, arranging it again is referred to as “rearrangement”. “Pay line L” is used to determine the combination of the symbols 180. That is, when the symbols 180 are rearranged on the payline L and outside the payline L, the combination is determined only for the symbols 180 rearranged on the payline. If the winning combination is established as a result of the determination of the combination, processing such as paying out coins based on the winning combination is performed.

  In addition, the “scatter symbol 182” is a symbol that uses only the arrangement as a condition for establishing a prize regardless of the payline L. In other words, a prize is established when the scatter symbols 182 are rearranged, and coins are paid out according to the number of all the scatter symbols 182 rearranged on and outside the payline L. The “scatter target symbol 181” is a symbol that functions as a scatter symbol on condition that a predetermined number or more are rearranged. For example, in the case where the scatter target symbol is “bell” and the number of rearrangements (setting threshold) is set to “3”, if three or more “bells” are rearranged, the scatter It functions as a symbol, and functions as a normal symbol if less than 3 “bells” are rearranged. The “symbol 180” is all symbols used in the slot machine 10 and includes a scatter symbol 182 and a scatter target symbol 181. Specific contents such as the payline L, the symbol 180, the scatter symbol 182, and the winning combination will be described later.

(Display unit 101)
As shown in FIG. 3, the slot machine 10 that executes the control method includes a display unit 101 (display) and a game controller 100. The display unit 101 has a payline L and is configured to arrange a plurality of symbols 180 including a scatter symbol 182. The display unit 101 is configured to provide a scatter object symbol display unit 163 (display region 101b) in a portion different from the display windows 151 to 155 (arrangement region 101a) in which the symbols 180 are arranged.

  The display unit 101 may be mechanically configured with a reel device that arranges the symbols 180 by rotating the reels, or may have an electrical configuration in which the symbols 180 are arranged by video reels that display images. . Further, the display unit 101 may be configured by combining a mechanical configuration (reel) and an electrical configuration (video reel). Examples of the electrical configuration include a liquid crystal display device, a CRT (cathode-ray tube) device, a plasma display device, and the like. A specific configuration of the display unit 101 will be described later.

(Game controller 100)
The game controller 100 is rearranged on the payline L, a first process that is determined by randomly selecting a scatter target symbol 181 from among a plurality of symbols 180, a second process that rearranges the symbols 180 on the display, and the payline L. If a predetermined number or more of the scatter target symbols 181 are rearranged, the scatter target symbol 181 is set as the scatter symbol 182 when the third process for giving a payout determined by the combination of the symbols 180 and the predetermined number of scatter target symbols 181 is rearranged. The content of the payout determined based on the information is notified, and a fourth process for giving a payout is executed. In other words, the game controller 100 includes a first processing unit, a second processing unit, a third processing unit, and a fourth processing unit.

  Further, the game controller 100 provides a display area 101b (scatter target symbol display unit 163) in a portion different from the arrangement area 101a (display windows 151 to 155) where the symbols 180 are arranged, and the scatter target symbol 181 is displayed in the display area 101b. A fifth process to be displayed and a sixth process for notifying that the scatter object symbol 181 has been set as the scatter symbol 182 when a predetermined number or more of the scatter object symbols 181 are rearranged are configured to be executed. . In other words, the game controller 100 has a fifth processing unit and a sixth processing unit in addition to the first to fourth processing units described above.

  The game controller 100 includes a scatter target symbol storage unit 105 that stores the scatter target symbol 181, a scatter symbol storage unit 106 that stores the scatter symbol 182, and a symbol storage unit 108 that stores all symbols including the scatter symbol 182. And a display symbol storage unit 107 that stores symbols in the storage units 105, 106, and 108 as display symbols. The display symbol storage unit 107 is accessible by the display control unit 102. The display control unit 102 sets an arrangement area 101 a for arranging a plurality of symbols 180 and a display area 101 b for displaying a scatter target symbol 181 in different parts of the display unit 101. Further, the display control unit 102 reads the symbols 180 of the display symbol storage unit 107 based on the control of the game execution unit 110, displays a plurality of symbols 180 in the arrangement area 101a, and displays the scatter target symbols 181 in the display area 101b. indicate. A specific display state will be described later.

  The game controller 100 is connected to the game start unit 109. The game start unit 109 has a function of outputting a game start signal by a player's operation. The game controller 100 is determined by a combination of a game execution unit 110 that executes a unit game for rearranging symbols with a game start signal from the game start unit 109 and a symbol rearranged on the payline in the unit game. A combination payout determination unit 111 for determining a payout to be determined, a scatter symbol payout determination unit 112 for determining a payout determined based on a scatter symbol rearranged on and off the payline, a combination payout determination unit 111, and a scatter symbol A dividend awarding unit 113 that awards each award determined by the award determining unit 112.

  Furthermore, the game controller 100 has a symbol determination unit 104 that operates in response to an input of a game start signal from the game start unit 109. The symbol determination unit 104 determines by randomly selecting a scatter target symbol 181 from a plurality of symbols 180. The symbol determination unit 104 outputs the scatter target symbol 181 to the rearrangement number determination unit 114 and the scatter target symbol storage unit 105. The rearrangement number determination unit 114 sets the scatter target symbols 181 as the scatter symbols 182 when a predetermined number or more of the scatter target symbols 181 are rearranged. That is, the rearrangement number determination unit 114 sets the scatter symbol 182 by transferring the scatter object symbol 181 stored in the scatter object symbol storage unit 105 to the scatter symbol storage unit 106.

  Furthermore, the game controller 100 includes an information output unit 116, a game information storage unit 117 and a volume setting unit 230 connected to the information output unit 116. The game information storage unit 117 includes background sound data of a sound signal serving as a background sound of a game, functional sound data of a sound signal serving as a function sound expressing a game operation state related to a player's action, background sound, It stores sample sound data of a sound signal that becomes a sample sound having functional sounds. Furthermore, in addition to the above information, the game information storage unit 117 stores character data associated with the scatter symbol 182, payout amount data, explanation data, and the like.

  The volume setting unit 230 can be operated from the outside and can select the volume level of the sound signal. Specifically, it includes the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c in FIG. 2 and other switches. The volume setting unit 230 may be a touch panel attached to the display unit 101 of the liquid crystal display device. Further, the volume setting unit 230 may be provided outside the gaming machine, or may be provided inside the gaming machine.

  The information output unit 116 can read out data stored in the notification content storage unit 117 and output the data as a sound signal to the volume level changing device 211. Further, the information output unit 116 can output the switching signal of the volume setting unit 230 to the volume level changing device 211. The volume level changing device 211 can switch the volume level at which the background sound signal is changed by a switching signal. As a result, the information output unit 116 reads various data from the game information storage unit 117 and outputs the data to the volume level changing device 211, thereby obtaining the background sound and the function sound of the volume level selected based on the switching signal. The superimposed sound is output from the volume amplifier 206 and the speaker 29.

  Each block of the game controller 100 may be formed by hardware, or may be formed by software as necessary.

(Operation of the game controller 100)
In the above configuration, the operation of the game controller 100 will be described.
When a game start signal is output from the game start unit 109 by a player's operation, the symbol determination unit 104 starts processing, and the game execution unit 110 starts a unit game, thereby starting rearrangement of the symbols 180. (Second process). The symbol determination unit 104 performs determination by randomly selecting the scatter target symbol 181 from the plurality of symbols 180 stored in the symbol storage unit 108 (first process). Then, the determined scatter target symbol 181 is stored in the scatter target symbol storage unit 105 and used for the determination process in the rearrangement number determination unit 114.

  The scatter object symbol 181 stored in the scatter object symbol storage unit 105 is output to the display symbol storage unit 107 and then used for image processing in the display control unit 102 to be displayed in the display area 101 b of the display unit 101. Is done. That is, the game controller 100 executes the fifth process of providing the display area 101b in a portion different from the arrangement area 101a where the symbols 180 are arranged, and displaying the scatter object symbol 181 in the display area 101b. Thus, the player can easily recognize that the scatter object symbol 181 is displayed because the scatter object symbol 181 is displayed in the display area 101b in a state separated from the arrangement area 101a.

  Further, when the symbols 180 are rearranged by the execution of the unit game, the rearrangement number determination unit 114 identifies the scatter target symbols 181 from the rearranged symbols 180 and determines the rearrangement number of the scatter target symbols 181. Ask. When a predetermined number or more of the scatter target symbols 181 are rearranged, the scatter target symbols 181 are set as the scatter symbols 182. That is, the scatter object symbol 181 stored in the scatter object symbol storage unit 105 is transferred to the scatter symbol storage unit 106. As a result, the scatter target symbol 181 functions as the scatter symbol 182.

  When the scatter symbol 182 is set, the information output unit 116 reads character data, payout number data, and explanation data associated with the scatter symbol 182 from the game information storage unit 117. These data are output to the display control unit 102. Then, the contents of the payout determined based on the scatter symbols 182 rearranged on the payline L and outside the payline L are notified, and a payout is awarded (fourth process). Further, the above data is output to the volume level changing device 211 and output from the speaker 29 as sound.

  When the game is executed as described above, a function sound indicating the start of the game is output at the start of the game, and a function sound indicating that the payout is in progress is output when the payout is paid out. In addition to the above functional sounds, background sounds are output. At this time, the background sound is the volume level selected by the volume setting unit 230 by the volume level changing device 211.

  Thereby, since the player can select a desired background sound for the functional sound, it is possible to reduce the player's discomfort. In addition, when the sound range setting unit 230 is operated, the sample sound including the background sound and the functional sound is output, so that the volume level can be easily adjusted.

(Display state)
An example of the display state of the display unit 101 in the operation process of the slot machine 10 will be specifically described. The display state will be described based on a configuration in which the display unit 101 arranges symbols by the video reel method as shown in FIG.

  The display unit 101 includes display windows 151 to 155 as an arrangement area for arranging a plurality of symbols. The display windows 151 to 155 are arranged at the center of the display unit 101. In the display windows 151 to 155, a symbol row composed of a plurality of symbols 180 is scroll-displayed. Each display window 151-155 is divided into an upper stage 151a, a middle stage 151b, and a lower stage 151c. The symbols 180 are stopped (arranged) at the respective stages 151a, 151b, and 151c. For example, in FIG. 3, “CHERRY” is stopped at the upper stage 151a of the display window 151, “ORANGE” is stopped at the middle stage 151b of the display window 151, and “BELL” is stopped at the lower stage 151c of the display window 151. As a result, the display windows 151 to 155 display a symbol matrix composed of five columns and three rows. The symbol matrix is not limited to 5 columns and 3 rows.

  The display unit 101 also has a scatter object symbol display unit 163 as a display area for displaying the scatter object symbol 181. The scatter object symbol display unit 163 is arranged in the upper right part of the display unit 101 so as not to overlap with the display windows 151 to 155. Note that the scatter target symbol display unit 163 can be provided at an arbitrary position on condition that the overlap with the display windows 151 to 155 can be avoided.

  A selection target window 165 is provided below the scatter target symbol display portion 163. In the selection target window 165, symbols that are candidates for the scatter target symbol 181 are displayed. Therefore, the player intuitively recognizes that the scatter target symbol 181 is randomly selected from the candidate symbols displayed in the selection target window 165 and displayed on the scatter target symbol display unit 163. Can do.

  The display unit 101 has a scatter symbol display unit 171. The scatter symbol display unit 171 is formed in a basket shape, and displays the scatter symbol 182 as a contained item. The scatter symbol display unit 171 is provided in the upper left corner of the display unit 101. In addition, the scatter symbol display part 171 can be provided in arbitrary positions on condition that the overlap with the display windows 151-155 and the scatter object symbol display part 163 can be avoided.

  The display state of FIG. 3 shows a state where the scatter symbol 182 is set. That is, “ORANGE” displayed on the scatter object symbol display unit 163 is moved to the scatter symbol 182 and stored, and “ORANGE” is displayed as the stored item on the scatter symbol display unit 171. The Thus, the player can intuitively recognize that the scatter symbol 182 has been set by viewing the state in which the scatter symbol 182 is displayed.

(Symbols, combinations, etc.)
As shown in FIG. 5, the symbols 180 displayed in the display windows 151 to 155 of the display unit 101 form a symbol row with 22 symbols. Any code number from 0 to 21 is assigned to each symbol constituting each symbol column. Each symbol string is configured by combining symbols “JACKPOT 7”, “BLUE 7”, “BELL”, “CHERRY”, “STRAWBERRY”, “PLUM”, “ORANGE”, and “APPLE”.

  Three consecutive symbols in the symbol column are displayed (arranged) in the upper stage 151a, the middle stage 151b, and the lower stage 151c of the display windows 151 to 155, respectively, so that the display windows 151 to 155 have five columns and three rows. The symbol matrix is configured. The symbols constituting the symbol matrix start scrolling when the 1-BET button 26 or the maximum BET button 27 is pressed and then the spin button 23 is pressed. When scrolling is started, scrolling of each symbol stops (rearrangement) after a predetermined time has elapsed.

  In addition, various winning combinations are determined in advance for each symbol. The winning combination is a combination in which a combination of symbols stopped on the payline L is advantageous to the player. The advantageous state includes a state in which coins corresponding to the winning combination are paid out, a state in which the number of coins to be paid out is added to credits, a state in which a bonus game is started, and the like.

  Specifically, when the combination of “APPLE” symbols on the payline L is stopped, a bonus trigger occurs, and the gaming state shifts from a basic game to a bonus game. When the “CHERRY” symbol is stopped on the payline L, 20 coins (game media) are paid out per bet. When the “PLUM” symbol is stopped on the payline L, 5 coins are paid out per bet.

  The bonus game is a game state that is more advantageous than the basic game. In the present embodiment, the bonus game is a free game. A free game is a game that can be played a predetermined number of times without betting coins. The bonus game is not particularly limited as long as it is advantageous to the player, that is, if it is more advantageous than the basic game. For example, the bonus game has a higher probability than the basic game, which can acquire more game media than the basic game. The state in which game media can be acquired in the above, the state in which the number of game media consumed is smaller than in basic games, and the like. Specifically, free games, second games and the like can be listed as bonus games.

(Machine configuration)
Next, an embodiment in the case where the slot machine 10 configured as described above is specifically configured mechanically and electrically will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 10 is installed in a gaming facility. The slot machine 10 executes a unit game by using a game medium. The game medium is a coin, a bill, or electronic valuable information corresponding to these. Note that the game medium in the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a medal, a token, electronic money, or a ticket. The ticket is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a ticket with a barcode described later.

  The slot machine 10 includes a housing 11, a top box 12 installed on the upper side of the housing 11, and a main door 13 provided on the front surface of the housing 11. The main door 13 is provided with a lower image display panel 16. The lower image display panel 16 includes a transparent liquid crystal panel that displays various types of information. The lower image display panel 16 displays video reels and various information related to games, effect images, and the like. That is, the lower image display panel 16 displays the display windows 151 to 155 in five columns and three rows, the scatter object symbol display unit 163, and the scatter symbol display unit 171 and displays other effect images as necessary. indicate.

  In the present embodiment, the case where symbols of 5 columns and 3 rows are displayed using the lower image display panel 16 is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and symbols are provided on the peripheral surface. The symbol may be displayed through the display window 15 by rotating and stopping the mechanical reel.

  On the lower image display panel 16, one activated payline L is displayed. The payline L is set so as to horizontally traverse the middle stage 151b of the display windows 151-155. In the present embodiment, the payline L crosses the middle stage 151b of the display windows 151 to 155, but may cross other stages of the display windows 151 to 155. For example, the payline L may cross the upper stage 151a or the lower stage 151c of the display windows 151 to 155. The payline L may cross the lower stage 151c of the display window 151, the middle stage 151b of the display window 152, and the upper stage 151a of the display window 153. Further, there may be two or more paylines L. When there are two or more paylines L, all of the paylines L may be activated, or the number of paylines L according to a predetermined condition such as the number of coins bet may be activated.

  The lower image display panel 16 may display a credit amount display portion and a payout amount display portion. The credit number display unit displays the total number of cards that can be paid out to the player by the slot machine 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the total credit number). The payout number display unit displays the number of coins to be paid out when the combination of symbols stopped on the payline is a winning combination.

  Below the lower image display panel 16, a control panel 20, a coin receiving slot 21, and a bill validator 22 are provided. The control panel 20 includes a plurality of buttons 23 to 27. These buttons 23 to 27 make it possible to input instructions related to the game progress by the player. The coin receiving port 21 allows coins to be received in the housing 11.

  The control panel 20 includes a spin button 23, a change button 24, a cashout button 25, a 1-BET button 26, a maximum BET button 27, and first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c. ing. The spin button 23 is a button for inputting an instruction to start symbol scrolling. The change button 24 is a button used when requesting exchange of money from a game facility staff. The cashout button 25 is a button for inputting an instruction to pay out coins corresponding to the total credit amount to the coin tray 18.

  The 1-BET button 26 is a button for inputting an instruction to bet one coin on the game out of coins corresponding to the total number of credits. The maximum BET button 27 is a button for inputting an instruction to bet the maximum number of coins (for example, 50) that can be bet on one game out of coins corresponding to the total credit amount.

  The banknote discriminator 22 recognizes whether or not the banknote is a regular one and accepts the regular banknote into the housing 11. Note that the bill validator 22 can read a ticket 39 with a barcode, which will be described later. When the bill validator 22 reads the barcode-added ticket 39, the bill validator 22 outputs a read signal related to the read content to the main CPU 41.

  A berry glass 34 is provided on the lower front surface of the main door 13, that is, on the lower side of the control panel 20. On the belly glass 34, a character or the like of the slot machine 10 is drawn. An upper image display panel 33 is provided on the front surface of the top box 12. The upper image display panel 33 includes a liquid crystal panel and displays, for example, an effect image, an introduction of game content, and an image representing a game rule.

  The top box 12 is provided with a speaker 29 for audio output. Below the upper image display panel 33, a ticket printer 35, a card reader 36, a data display 37, and a keypad 38 are provided. The ticket printer 35 prints on a ticket a bar code in which data such as the number of credits, date and time, and an identification number of the slot machine 10 is encoded, and outputs it as a ticket 39 with a bar code. The player can play the game with other gaming machines using the bar code-added ticket 39, or exchange the bar code-added ticket 39 with bills or the like using a cashier of a gaming facility.

  The card reader 36 reads data from a smart card and writes data to the smart card. The smart card is a card possessed by the player, and stores, for example, data for identifying the player and data relating to a history of games played by the player.

  The data display 37 includes a fluorescent display or the like, and displays, for example, data read by the card reader 36 or data input by the player using the keypad 38. The keypad 38 inputs instructions and data related to ticket issuance and the like.

(Electrical configuration)
Inside the housing 11, a control unit including the game controller 100 and the volume level changing device 211 shown in FIG. 4 is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit includes components such as a mother board 40, a main body PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 60, a gaming board 50, a sub CPU, a door PCB 80, various switches, and sensors.

  The gaming board 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a ROM 55 and a boot ROM 52, a card slot 53S corresponding to a memory card 53, and an IC socket corresponding to a GAL (Generic Array Logic) 54 connected to each other via an internal bus. 54S.

  The memory card 53 stores a game program and a game system program. The game program includes a stop symbol determination program. The stop symbol determination program is a program for determining a symbol to be stopped on the payline L (a code number corresponding to the symbol). This stop symbol determination program includes symbol weighting data corresponding to each of a plurality of types of payout rates (for example, 80%, 84%, 88%). The symbol weighting data is data indicating the correspondence between the code number of each symbol and one or more random values belonging to a predetermined numerical range (0 to 256) for each of the display windows 151 to 155.

  The payout rate is determined based on the payout rate setting data output from the GAL 54, and the stop symbol is determined based on the symbol weighting data corresponding to the payout rate.

  Further, the memory card 53 stores various data used in the game program and the game system program. Specifically, data indicating the relationship between the symbol 180 displayed in the display windows 151 to 155 of FIG. 1 and the random number range, data indicating the relationship between the set threshold and the random number range, and the like are stored. These data are transferred to the RAM 43 of the mother board 40 when the game program is executed.

  The card slot 53S is configured such that the memory card 53 can be inserted and removed, and is connected to the mother board 40 by an IDE bus. Therefore, by removing the memory card 53 from the card slot 53S, writing another game program and game system program into the memory card 53, and inserting the memory card 53 into the card slot 53S, the types of games performed in the slot machine 10 And can change the contents.

  The game program includes a program related to game progress and a program for shifting to a bonus game. The game program includes image data and sound data output during the game.

  The GAL 54 includes a plurality of input ports and output ports. When data is input to the input port, the GAL 54 outputs data corresponding to this data from the output port. The data output from the output port is the aforementioned payout rate setting data.

  The IC socket 54S is configured so that the GAL 54 can be attached and detached. The IC socket 54S is connected to the mother board 40 by a PCI bus. Therefore, after the GAL 54 is removed from the IC socket 54S and the program stored in the GAL 54 is rewritten, the GAL 54 is attached to the IC socket 54S, so that the payout rate setting data output from the GAL 54 can be changed. become.

  The CPU 51, the ROM 55, and the boot ROM 52 that are connected to each other via an internal bus are connected to the motherboard 40 via a PCI bus. The PCI bus transmits signals between the motherboard 40 and the gaming board 50 and supplies power from the motherboard 40 to the gaming board 50. The ROM 55 stores country identification information and an authentication program. The boot ROM 52 stores a preliminary authentication program and a program (boot code) for the CPU 51 to start the preliminary authentication program.

  The authentication program is a program (tamper check program) for authenticating the game program and the game system program. The authentication program is a program for confirming and verifying that the game program and the game system program have not been tampered with. That is, the authentication program is described in accordance with a procedure for authenticating the game program and the game system program. The preliminary authentication program is a program for authenticating the above-described authentication program. The preliminary authentication program is described in accordance with a proof that the authentication program to be authenticated is not falsified, that is, a procedure for authenticating the authentication program.

  The motherboard 40 includes a main CPU 41 (controller), a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43, and a communication interface 44.

  The main CPU 41 has a function as a game controller that controls the entire slot machine 10. In particular, the main CPU 41 controls to output a command signal for scrolling the symbol of the lower image display panel 16 when the spin button 23 is pressed after the credit is betted, and stops after the symbol is scrolled. Control for determining the symbol and control for stopping the determined symbol in the display windows 151 to 155 are performed.

  That is, the main CPU 41 selects a symbol arranged in the symbol matrix from a plurality of types of symbols in order to rearrange as a new symbol matrix after scrolling a plurality of symbols displayed on the lower image display panel 16. And a function as an arrangement controller for executing arrangement control to stop at the determined symbol from the scroll state.

  Further, the main CPU 41 performs a first process that is determined by randomly selecting a scatter target symbol 181 from among a plurality of symbols 180, a second process that rearranges the symbols 180 on the display, and a rearrangement on the payline L. And a third process for giving a payout determined by the combination of the symbols 180 and when a predetermined number or more of the scatter target symbols 181 are rearranged, the scatter target symbols 181 are set as the scatter symbols 182 and the scatter symbols The game controller 100 has a function of notifying the content of the payout determined based on 182 by voice and display, and executing a fourth process for giving a payout. Further, the main CPU 41 provides a display area (scatter target symbol display unit 163) in a portion different from the arrangement area (display windows 151 to 155) where the symbols 180 are arranged, and displays the scatter target symbol 181 in the display area. The game controller 100 has a function of executing five processes and a sixth process for notifying that the scatter target symbols 181 are set as the scatter symbols 182 when a predetermined number or more of the scatter target symbols 181 are rearranged. .

  The ROM 42 stores a program such as a basic input / output system (BIOS) executed by the main CPU 41, and data used permanently. When the BIOS is executed by the main CPU 41, initialization processing of each peripheral device is performed, and reading processing of the game program and the game system program stored in the memory card 53 via the gaming board 50 is started.

  The RAM 43 stores data and programs used when the main CPU 41 performs processing. For example, in the RAM 43, the scatter object symbol storage unit 105, the scatter symbol storage unit 106, the symbol storage unit 108, the display symbol storage unit 107, and the audio information storage unit 117 shown in FIG. . The scatter object symbol 181 is stored in the data area of the scatter object symbol storage unit 105. The scatter symbol 182 is stored in the data area of the scatter symbol storage unit 106. A symbol 180 is stored in the data area of the symbol storage unit 108. In the data area of the display symbol storage unit 107, a symbol 180 scatter target symbol 181 and a scatter symbol 182 are stored.

  The communication interface 44 is for performing communication with a host computer or the like provided in the gaming facility via a communication line. Further, a main body PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 60 and a door PCB 80 are connected to the mother board 40 by USB (Universal Serial Bus), respectively. Further, a power supply unit 45 is connected to the mother board 40. When power is supplied from the power supply unit 45 to the mother board 40, the main CPU 41 of the mother board 40 is activated, and power is supplied to the gaming board 50 via the PCI bus to activate the CPU 51.

  The main body PCB 60 and the door PCB 80 are connected to devices and devices that generate input signals input to the main CPU 41 and devices and devices whose operations are controlled by control signals output from the main CPU 41. The main CPU 41 performs arithmetic processing by executing the game program and the game system program stored in the RAM 43 based on the input signal input to the main CPU 41, and stores the result in the RAM 43. As a control process for the apparatus, a process of transmitting a control signal to each device or apparatus is performed.

  The main body PCB 60 includes a lamp 30, a sub CPU, a hopper 66, a coin detector 67, a graphic board 68, a D / A converter 210, a volume level changing device 211, a bill discriminator 22, and a ticket printer. 35, a card reader 36, a key switch 38S, and a data display 37 are connected. The D / A converter 210 is connected to the speaker 29 via the volume level changing device 211 and the volume amplifier 206.

  The lamp 30 is controlled to be turned on / off based on a control signal output from the main CPU 41. The sub CPU performs control for scrolling the symbols in the display windows 151 to 155 and is connected to a VDP (Video Display Processor). The VDP reads the symbol image data stored in the image data ROM, generates a scroll image to be displayed in the display windows 151 to 155, and outputs the scroll image to the lower image display panel 16.

  The hopper 66 is installed in the housing 11 and pays out a predetermined number of coins from the coin payout opening 19 to the coin tray 18 based on a control signal output from the main CPU 41. The coin detection unit 67 is provided inside the coin payout exit 19 and outputs an input signal to the main CPU 41 when it is detected that a predetermined number of coins have been paid out from the coin payout exit 19.

  The graphic board 68 controls image display on the upper image display panel 33 and the lower image display panel 16 based on a control signal output from the main CPU 41. The graphic board 68 includes a VDP that generates image data based on a control signal output from the main CPU 41, a video RAM that temporarily stores image data generated by the VDP, and the like.

  The bill validator 22 reads an image of a bill and accepts a regular bill in the housing 11. Moreover, when the bill validator 22 accepts a regular bill, it outputs an input signal to the main CPU 41 based on the amount of the bill. The main CPU 41 stores the number of credits corresponding to the amount of bills transmitted by the input signal in the RAM 43.

  Based on the control signal output from the main CPU 41, the ticket printer 35 prints on the ticket a barcode in which data such as the number of credits, date and time, and identification number of the slot machine 10 stored in the RAM 43 is encoded. Output as a ticket 39 with code.

  The card reader 36 reads data from the smart card and transmits it to the main CPU 41, or writes data to the smart card based on a control signal from the main CPU 41. The key switch 38S is provided on the keypad 38 and outputs an input signal to the main CPU 41 when the keypad 38 is operated by the player. The data display 37 displays data read by the card reader 36 and data input by the player via the keypad 38 based on a control signal output from the main CPU 41.

  A control panel 20, a reverter 21S, a coin counter 21C, and a cold cathode tube 81 are connected to the door PCB 80. The control panel 20 includes a spin switch 23S corresponding to the spin button 23, a change switch 24S corresponding to the change button 24, a cashout switch 25S corresponding to the cashout button 25, and a 1-BET switch corresponding to the 1-BET button 26. 26S and a maximum BET switch 27S corresponding to the maximum BET button 27 is provided. Each of the switches 23S to 27S outputs an input signal to the main CPU 41 when the corresponding button 23 to 27 is operated by the player.

  The coin counter 21C is provided inside the coin receiving slot 21 and identifies whether or not the coin inserted into the coin receiving slot 21 by the player is genuine. Items other than regular coins are discharged from the coin payout exit 19. The coin counter 21 </ b> C outputs an input signal to the main CPU 41 when a regular coin is detected.

  The coin counter 21C operates based on a control signal output from the main CPU 41, and a coin recognized as a regular coin by the coin counter 21C is installed in a cash box (not shown) in the slot machine 10. ) Or the hopper 66. That is, when the hopper 66 is filled with coins, regular coins are distributed to the cash box by the reverter 21S. On the other hand, when the hopper 66 is not filled with coins, regular coins are distributed to the hopper 66. The cold cathode tube 81 functions as a backlight installed on the back side of the lower image display panel 16 and the upper image display panel 33, and lights up based on a control signal output from the main CPU 41.

(Volume adjustment)
Next, volume adjustment performed in the slot machine 10 will be described. When the main CPU 41 executes the volume adjustment processing routine of FIG. 8, it is determined whether or not the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c are operated by the player (S101). If the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c are not operated (S101, NO), the routine is ended, and a standby state is maintained until it is operated.

  When the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c are operated (S101, YES), a switching signal corresponding to the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c is output to the volume level changing device 211. (S102). Then, the sample sound data is output to the volume level changing device 211 (S103). After waiting for a predetermined time (S104), this routine is terminated.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the sample sound data passes through the main body PCB 60 and is output to the D / A converter 210, thereby being converted into an analog signal form. Then, the background sound signal is output from the first output terminal 210a of the D / A converter 210, and the functional sound signal is output from the second output terminal 210b. The background sound signal is output to the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c specified by the switching signal by passing through the connection path corresponding to the switching signal in the signal switching unit 204.

  In the first to third attenuators 205 a, 205 b, and 205 c, the volume level of the background sound signal is lowered, and then the adder 207 superimposes the function sound signal and outputs it to the volume amplifier 206. Then, the sample sound with the background sound volume reduced is output from the speaker 29 and is heard by the player who operated the first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, and 70c. The player determines the suitability of the sample sound, and if the player is dissatisfied with the volume of the background sound relative to the function sound, the player operates the other first to third selection switches 70a, 70b, 70c to obtain the next sample sound. You can audition and adjust the volume to your liking.

(Processing operation)
Next, processing performed in the slot machine 10 with the volume adjusted as described above will be described. As the main CPU 41 reads out and executes the game program, the game proceeds. As shown in FIG. 7, in the game execution process, it is determined whether or not a coin is bet (S10). In this process, it is determined whether or not an input signal from the 1-BET switch 26S is received when the 1-BET button 26 is pressed, and the maximum BET switch 27S is pressed when the maximum BET button 27 is pressed. It is determined whether an input signal has been received. If the coin is not bet (S10, NO), S10 is re-executed to enter a standby state until it is bet.

  On the other hand, when a coin is bet (S10, YES), the number of credits stored in the RAM 43 is subtracted according to the number of coins bet (S11). If the number of coins bet is larger than the number of credits stored in the RAM 43, S11 is re-executed without performing the process of subtracting the number of credits. Further, when the number of coins bet exceeds the upper limit (50 in this embodiment) that can be bet on one game, the process of subtracting the credit number is not performed. S12 is executed.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the spin button 23 is turned on (S12). If the spin button 23 is not turned on (S12, NO), the process returns to S10. When the spin button 23 is not turned on (for example, when an instruction to end the game is input without the spin button 23 being turned on), the subtraction result in S11 is cancelled.

  On the other hand, when the spin button 23 is turned on (S12, YES), symbol determination processing is executed (S13). That is, by executing the stop symbol determination program stored in the RAM 43, the symbols 180 to be stopped at each stage of the 15 display windows 151 to 155 are determined. As a result, a combination of symbols to be stopped on the payline L is determined.

  Thereafter, the symbols 180 in the display windows 151 to 155 are scroll-displayed (S14). In this scroll process, after the symbol 180 is scrolled in the direction of the arrow, the symbol 180 determined in S13 is stopped (rearranged) in the display windows 151 to 155.

  Thereafter, a scatter target symbol determination process is executed (S15). That is, the scatter target symbol 181 is randomly determined from the symbols 180 of “BELL”, “CHERRY”, “STRAWBERRY”, “PLUM”, “ORANGE”, and “APPLE”. Then, the determined scatter object symbol 181 is displayed on the scatter object symbol display unit 163.

  When the scroll of the symbol 180 is stopped, the rearrangement number of the scatter object symbol 181 is acquired (S16). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the number of rearrangements is equal to or greater than a set threshold value (S17). If it is equal to or greater than the set threshold value (S17, YES), the scatter object symbol 181 is set as the scatter symbol 182. Specifically, after the scatter object symbol 181 moves from the scatter object symbol display unit 163 to the scatter symbol display unit 171 and is accommodated in the scatter symbol display unit 171, a scatter symbol display unit is performed. It is displayed in a state stored in 171 as a stored item (S18).

  Thereafter, the character 251 is displayed between the scatter symbol display unit 171 and the scatter object symbol display unit 163, and a balloon frame indicating the conversation content of the character 251 is displayed. Further, the conversation content of the character 251 is output as voice. Specifically, the first explanation image 252 “ORANGE has become a scatter symbol” is displayed in the balloon frame and is output as a sound (S19).

  Thereafter, a payout process is executed. That is, the coin payout number based on the winning combination and the coin payout number based on the display number of the scatter symbols 182 are added together. When storing coins to be paid out, a predetermined number of credits are added to the number of credits stored in the RAM 43. On the other hand, when coins are paid out, a predetermined number of coins are paid out by transmitting a control signal to the hopper 66 (S20).

  On the other hand, if the number of rearrangements is not equal to or greater than the set threshold value (S17, NO), it is determined whether or not the combination of symbols 180 stopped on the payline L is a winning combination (S23). If it is not the winning combination (S23, NO), since neither the scatter symbol 182 nor the winning combination is found, this routine is terminated as a loss.

  On the other hand, when it is a winning combination (S23, YES), S20 described above is executed. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not a bonus trigger is established as a winning combination. That is, it is determined whether or not the combination of “APPLE” is arranged on the payline L (S21). If it is determined that the bonus trigger is established (S21, YES), the bonus game process is executed. (S22). On the other hand, if the bonus trigger has not been established (S21, NO), the routine is terminated as a loss.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment of the gaming machine and the sound volume adjusting method according to the present invention will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. The description of the same configuration and operation as those of the first embodiment is also omitted.

(Volume adjustment method)
The slot machine 10 according to the present embodiment represents a case, a game that is operated by a player's betting, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and an operation state of a game related to the player's action. Function sound information of the sound signal that becomes the function sound to be played, the volume level changing device that can change the volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game, and the sound signal that can be operated from the outside and becomes the background sound of the game The volume level is changed by a selection switch that selects the volume level of the game, an adjustment switch that is provided inside the housing and that can adjust the volume level of the sound signal that is selected by the selection switch and that is the background sound of the game. An adder that can add a sound signal that is a background sound of a game and a sound signal that is a function sound, a speaker that converts the sound signal into a sound wave and amplifies the sound, and a game selected by the selection switch of The volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound is changed by the volume level changing device, and at least the sound signal whose volume level is changed and the sound signal that becomes the functional sound are added by the adder, and the added sound signal is output from the speaker. And a game controller programmed to operate in a loud sound.

  According to said structure, the volume level of the sound signal used as the background sound of a game is selectable. In addition, selectable volume levels can be adjusted. Furthermore, after the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game is changed to the selected volume level, the sound signal that is the sum of the sound signal that becomes the background sound and the sound signal that becomes the functional sound is converted into sound waves and amplified. The

  As a result, the player can hear the background sound of the volume based on the selected volume level and the function sound. Therefore, the player can make it difficult to hear the functional sound by increasing the volume level of the background sound. Conversely, the player can make it easier to hear the functional sound by lowering the volume level of the background sound. This allows the player to change the volume level of the functional sound according to the installation environment of the gaming machine, the player's preferences, etc. Can be Further, since the adder adds the background sound signal and the functional sound signal, the background sound and the functional sound can be handled as the same signal.

  Further, an adjustment switch capable of setting a volume level that can be selected by the player with the selection switch is provided inside the housing. Thereby, the gaming machine manager can cause the player to select the volume level of the background sound from the volume level desired by the manager such as the staff.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the slot machine 10 differs from the first embodiment in that it includes first to third adjustment switches 71a, 71b, 71c. Also, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the main body PCB 60 and the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c are connected via signal lines. Furthermore, compared with the first embodiment, the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c are configured by variable resistors that reduce the output of the sound signal.

  In this embodiment, the first to third adjustment switches 71a, 71b, 71c are electrically connected to the main CPU 41. The first to third adjustment switches 71 a, 71 b, 71 c are provided inside the housing 11. Therefore, the player cannot operate the first to third adjustment switches 71a, 71b, 71c. When an administrator such as a staff member operates one of the first to third adjustment switches 71a, 71b, 71c in the housing 11, an adjustment signal is sent from the main body PCB 60 to the first to third adjustment switches 71a, 71b, 71c. The first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c corresponding to the respective 71c are transmitted.

  The adjustment signal includes information on the magnitudes of the resistances of the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c determined according to the operation amounts of the first to third adjustment switches 71a, 71b, and 71c. Based on the information on the magnitude of the resistance, the magnitude of the resistance of any of the first to third attenuators 205a, 205b, and 205c corresponding to the operated first to third adjustment switches 71a, 71b, and 71c is determined. It is adjusted according to the operation amount. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the detailed description of Embodiments 1 and 2 above, the present invention has been mainly described so that the present invention can be more easily understood. However, the present invention is not limited to the first description described in the above detailed description. The present invention is not limited to the second embodiment and the second embodiment, but can be applied to other embodiments, and the scope of application should be interpreted as widely as possible. The terms and terminology used in the present specification are used to accurately describe the present invention, and are not used to limit the interpretation of the present invention. Moreover, it would be easy for those skilled in the art to infer other configurations, systems, methods, and the like included in the concept of the present invention from the concept of the invention described in this specification. Accordingly, the description of the claims should be regarded as including an equivalent configuration without departing from the technical idea of the present invention. In addition, the purpose of the abstract is to allow the patent office and general public organizations, engineers belonging to this technical field who are not familiar with patents, legal terms or technical terms to understand the technical content and essence of this application. It is intended to be able to make a quick decision with a simple survey. Accordingly, the abstract is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to be evaluated by the claims. In addition, in order to fully understand the object of the present invention and the effects of the present invention, it is desirable to fully consider the literatures already disclosed.

  The above detailed description includes processing executed on a computer or a computer network. The above description and expressions are described for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to understand the most efficiently. In this specification, each step used for deriving one result or a block having a predetermined processing function should be understood as a process having no self-contradiction. In each step and each block, transmission / reception of electric or magnetic signals, recording, and the like are performed. In the processing in each step and each block, such a signal is expressed by bits, values, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, etc., but these are used only for convenience of explanation. It is necessary to pay attention to. In addition, the processes in each step and each block may be described in expressions common to human actions, but the processes described in this specification are executed by various devices in principle. Further, other configurations required for each step and each block are obvious from the above description.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of sound quality adjustment of a game machine. It is a block diagram of a gaming machine. It is explanatory drawing of a display screen. It is a block diagram of a gaming machine. It is a block diagram which shows the control circuit of a game machine. It is a figure which shows the symbol and the code number of each symbol. It is a flowchart of a game execution process. It is a flowchart of a volume adjustment process. It is a block diagram of a gaming machine.

Explanation of symbols

10 Slot machines (gaming machines)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Case 29 Speaker 70a * 70b * 70c Selection switch 71a * 71b * 71c Adjustment switch 100 Game controller 207 Adder 211 Volume level change apparatus

Claims (5)

Information on a game that is activated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and a sound signal that is a functional sound that represents an operation state of the game related to the player's action A storage unit for storing functional sound information;
A volume level changing device capable of changing a volume level of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game;
A selection switch that is operable from the outside and selects a volume level of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game;
A speaker for converting the sound signal into a sound wave and expanding the sound;
The volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game selected by the selection switch is changed by the volume level changing device, and the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game whose volume level is changed, and the function sound A game controller programmed to operate to amplify a sound signal including the sound signal from the speaker;
A gaming machine characterized by comprising: Information on a game that is activated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and a sound signal that is a functional sound that represents an operation state of the game related to the player's action A first storage unit for storing functional sound information;
A volume level changing device capable of changing a volume level of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game;
A selection switch that is operable from the outside and selects a volume level of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game;
A second storage unit for storing sample sound information of a sound signal to be a sample sound including the background sound and the functional sound;
A speaker for converting the sound signal into a sound wave and expanding the sound;
When the selection switch is operated, the sound signal of the sample sound information stored in the second storage unit is used, and the volume level of the sound signal serving as the background sound of the game selected by the selection switch is set. A program that is operated by the speaker so that a sound signal including the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game and the sound signal that becomes the functional sound is changed from the speaker by changing the sound volume level. Game controller,
A gaming machine characterized by comprising: Information on a game that is activated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and a sound signal that is a functional sound that represents an operation state of the game related to the player's action A storage unit for storing functional sound information;
A volume level changing device capable of changing a volume level of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game;
A selection switch that is operable from the outside and selects a volume level of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game;
An adder capable of adding a sound signal as a background sound of the game with the volume level changed and a sound signal as the functional sound;
A speaker for converting the sound signal into a sound wave and expanding the sound;
The volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game selected by the selection switch is changed by the volume level changing device, and at least the sound signal whose volume level is changed and the sound signal that becomes the functional sound A game controller programmed to operate with an adder to add and the added sound signal to be loudened from the speaker;
A gaming machine characterized by comprising: A housing,
Information on a game that is activated by a player's bet, background sound information of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game, and a sound signal that is a functional sound that represents an operation state of the game related to the player's action A storage unit for storing functional sound information;
A volume level changing device capable of changing a volume level of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game;
A selection switch that is operable from the outside and selects a volume level of a sound signal that is a background sound of the game;
An adjustment switch provided inside the housing and capable of adjusting a volume level of a sound signal serving as a background sound of the game selected by the selection switch;
An adder capable of adding a sound signal as a background sound of the game with the volume level changed and a sound signal as the functional sound;
A speaker for converting the sound signal into a sound wave and expanding the sound;
The volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game selected by the selection switch is changed by the volume level changing device, and at least the sound signal whose volume level is changed and the sound signal that becomes the functional sound A game controller programmed to operate with an adder to add and the added sound signal to be loudened from the speaker;
A gaming machine characterized by comprising: The volume level of the sound signal that becomes the background sound of the game can be selected by external operation,
Change the volume level of the sound signal that is the background sound of the game to the selected volume level,
A sound signal including at least the sound signal serving as a background sound of the game whose volume level has been changed and a sound signal serving as a functional sound representing the operation state of the game related to a player's action is converted into a sound wave. A method for adjusting the volume of a gaming machine, wherein the sound volume is increased.

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