JP2009011592A - Game parlor control apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a game parlor from which a communication cable between a game machine island and a parlor control server is eliminated. <P>SOLUTION: A PLC terminal adapter 6t is incorporated for each of various apparatuses, which needs to be connected with the parlor control server 13, including a token dispensing machine 4 and a slot machine 5 constituting a slot machine island 2 and a plug 8 in the leading edge of the power line cord 11 is fitted into the outlet 12 of a house power line 11. A sale control server 13 is similarly connected to the house power line 11 through the PLC terminal adapter 6t. Thereby, the communication of data is enabled between the parlor control server 13 and each of the devices. When it is furthermore connected to an internet circuit 21 through a PLC master adapter 6m connected to the house power line 11, it is possible to monitor the sale situation of the game parlor utilizing internet 22 by a sale management means 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a management device in a game hall in which gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines are installed.

  A game hall is generally formed by laying out a plurality of game machine islands formed by a row of game machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines. In addition to gaming machines, such gaming machine islands can be used as gaming media lending machines for lending gaming media to players, gaming machines and gaming medium lending machines on the island while circulating the gaming media with a cleaning process. An automatic replenishing device that replenishes the game, a game media counter that counts and collects the game media acquired by the player by winning a prize, and a bill inserted by the player is transported from the game media lending machine to the safe Various types of devices such as banknote transporting devices are provided as needed. A hall management server connected to each gaming machine island comprehensively manages these islands and devices.

  Each gaming machine island and the hall management server are usually connected with a LAN cable to form an in-store network. Apart from this, power lines that are indispensable for hall facilities are installed in the hall. Further, a mechanism for managing sales information of a game hall in particular has been proposed by connecting the in-store network with a sales management organization managed by a third party through an Internet communication line. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a management system for preventing falsification of sales data that is the basis of fraudulent accounting in a game hall. Patent Document 2 discloses a system in which headquarters can easily obtain data of each store in a franchised game hall through the Internet.

JP 2005-198999 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-210184

  LAN cables that have been widely used as in-store network communication lines in amusement halls require dedicated wiring work, so the degree of freedom associated with renewal such as model changes and layout changes is reduced, and wiring work is performed. It may be necessary to redo and an extra construction period. With respect to such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming hall management device capable of easily and quickly installing a gaming machine island and other devices by using an indoor power line. . In addition, a sales management mechanism using the Internet is proposed using the same device.

  The gaming hall management device of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is configured such that a gaming machine island disposed in a gaming hall is managed by a hall management server connected to the gaming machine island. A gaming hall management device, wherein the hall management server and the gaming machine island are each connected to an outlet of an indoor power line through a PLC (Power Line Communication) terminal adapter, and the hall management server and the game are connected via the indoor power line. It is characterized by being able to communicate with Kijima.

  In addition, a PLC terminal adapter is attached to each device constituting the gaming machine island and managed by the hall management server, and these devices are connected to the indoor power line through the PLC terminal adapter. It is connected to an outlet.

  Alternatively, a PLC terminal adapter is attached to each gaming machine island, and these gaming machine islands are connected to an outlet of an indoor power line through the PLC terminal adapter.

  Furthermore, it is connected to the Internet line through a PLC master adapter connected to the outlet of the indoor power line of the game hall, and is configured to allow communication between the sales management organization managed by a third party and the game hall via the Internet. It is characterized by being.

  The information transmitted from the game hall to the sales management organization is the sales information of the game hall, and at least when the sales information is transmitted and received, it is necessary to perform electronic authentication.

  According to the gaming hall management device of the present invention, no additional cable laying work is required in addition to the indoor wiring of the already installed power lines as indispensable for the installation of the gaming machine island. It can be a gaming hall that can easily and quickly respond to changes and layout changes. In addition, since the hall management server that plays a central role in the management of the gaming machine islands need only be connected to the indoor power line, the installation location of the hall management server can be freely selected. In addition, the sales management organization established by a third party can be connected to the Internet via the power line in order to grasp the correct sales. From this point, the location of the hall management server is not restricted. .

  When sending / receiving sales information to / from a sales management organization managed by a third party, the introduction of electronic authentication authentication procedures will prevent anyone other than those involved from intervening, thus improving the reliability of transmitted information. . In electronic authentication, it is originally desirable that all gaming halls complete the registration procedure for electronic authentication. However, the authentication method described below can be applied to each gaming hall by keeping the electronic certification procedure only in the authentication procedure of the sales management organization. Consideration has been made so that the introduction of the sales management system can be accepted without resistance without bothering the registration procedure, so that the introduction of such a system can be promoted and spread.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a game hall management device according to the present invention in which a PLC terminal adapter is mounted for each device on a gaming machine island. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the gaming hall management apparatus of the present invention in which sales management in which a PLC terminal adapter is mounted for each gaming machine island is used as an example. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a mechanism of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) using electronic authentication. In these examples, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  (First Embodiment) The gaming hall management apparatus 1 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a slot island 2 as a representative of gaming machine islands in a gaming hall A store 1a. That is, the slot machines 3 and the medal lending machines 4 are alternately arranged in parallel to form the slot island 2, and the medal counter 5 is arranged at one end of the slot island 2. Each medal lending machine 4 and medal counting machine 5 incorporate a PLC terminal adapter 6t individually. The PLC terminal adapter 6t is connected to a lead wire of a control board built in the medal lending machine 4 and the medal counting machine 5.

  On the other hand, a power line cord 7 extends outward from the PLC terminal adapter 6t, and an electric plug 8 is attached to the tip thereof. This configuration is the same when there are other devices managed by the hall management server, which will be described later. A PLC terminal adapter is attached to each device, and the PLC terminal adapter extends outward. An electric plug is attached to the tip of the power line cord.

  The electric power of the game hall A store 1a is supplied through the service line 9 from the outside. The electric power supplied from the service line 9 is distributed on the distribution board 10 to the indoor power line 11 stretched around the game hall A store 1a. Outlets 12 are attached to the ends of the branched indoor power lines 11, and plugs 8 of power line cords 7 extending from the respective devices are fitted into these outlets 12 (in FIG. 1, the plug 8, the outlet 12, (The same applies to the following).

  The hall management server 13 is also connected to one of the outlets 12. That is, the hall management server 13 is connected to the PLC terminal adapter 6t by the LAN cable 14, and the plug 8 attached to the tip of the power line cord 7 extending from the PLC terminal adapter 6t is inserted into the outlet 12, whereby the indoor power line 11 It is electrically connected with. A personal computer 15 and a printer 16 are connected to the hall management server 13. A card reader (not shown) or the like is connected to the hall management server 13 as necessary. The personal computer 15 processes and displays the data stored in the hall management server 13. The printer 16 is for printing out the displayed data.

  The communication exchanged between the hall management server 13 and the slot island 2 is designed in various ways depending on the role of the hall management server 13. For example, it is used for management of personal information such as verification work of membership from an ID card inserted from a card insertion slot provided in the medal lending machine 4 and a personal identification number input from a numeric keypad by a player. Alternatively, it is used for recording or instructing display of game information such as the current value information and history information of game contents in the slot machine 3 and the start and end of a bonus game. Alternatively, the number of medals for lending, the number of payout medals for winning a game, and the number of medals, such as the number of individual credits of a player, can be used. In any case, communication between the slot island 2 and the hall management server 13 becomes possible via the indoor power line 11 by the above-described configuration that is a feature of the present invention.

  (Second Embodiment) The slot island 2 shown in FIG. 2 has a configuration in which the slot machine 3 and the medal lending machine 4 are connected to the island relay unit 17 by the LAN cable 14, respectively. That is, the data from the control board mounted on each of the slot machine 3 and the medal lending machine 4 can be individually transmitted. One island relay unit 17 is responsible for each of the slot machine 3 and the medal lending machine 4 as a group, and several such groups connected to the island relay unit 17 are gathered and arranged side by side. Thus, one long slot island 2 appears. The island relay unit 17 is connected to the island management unit 18.

  Now, as an example under the above configuration, description will be continued focusing on sales management. That is, the number of medals inserted into the slot machine 3 is set as the number of outs, and the number of medals paid out to the player as a winning medal after playing the game is set as the safe number. The calculated medal number that should remain at the player's hand calculated by the medal number lent out from the medal lending machine 4 and the difference obtained by subtracting the safe number from the out number is the medal counter 5 after the game is over. If it matches the number of medals counted in, it can be accepted as data without fraud. In this case, the amount corresponding to the difference in medals is correct sales.

  As an illegal act by the player, for example, there is an act of illegally operating the medal lending machine 4 to pay out medals excessively. Further, the fraud by the hall store owner includes, for example, an act of making the medal counter 5 run idle and pretending that the count is more than the actual number of medals acquired by the player. According to the sales management mechanism for comparing the difference number and the count of medals as described above, it is possible to eliminate an illegal act by a player or a hall store owner.

  The island management unit 18 receives the information related to sales management and transmits it to the sales management server (hall management server) 13 and stores the acquired information for a certain period of time. It has the role of a backup function that acts as a substitute when this happens. The sales data is transmitted from the island management unit 18 to the sales management server 13. The sales management server 13 aggregates data for each slot machine 3, aggregates data for each island management unit 18, aggregates data for each island when different types of game machine islands are installed, and aggregates all stores. It has a function to perform, and is protected by a housing that is difficult to modify so that correct data can be transmitted to a sales management organization described later. Further, the sales management server 13 has a function of storing the accumulated data until the next transmission when the sales management institution cannot be connected to the sales management organization for some reason.

  A plug 8 at the tip of the power line cord 7 extending from the PLC master adapter 6m is fitted into one of the outlets 12 serving as the end of the indoor power line 11. The PLC master adapter 6m is connected to the broadband router 19 and the modem 20 by the LAN cable 14. Further, it is set so that it can be connected to the Internet 22 through the Internet 21 and exchange information with the outside through the Internet 22. Similarly, the Internet 22 can be used for other game halls such as the game hall B store 1b and the C store 1c.

  Furthermore, the sales management organization 23 is also configured to allow information exchange using the Internet 22. The sales management organization 23 is an organization established by a third party that can manage data fairly without having any interests with the amusement hall A store 1a, B store 1b, C store 1c, etc. In particular, it is provided for monitoring fraudulent accounting in game halls. In the sales management organization 23, at least a sales management server 13, a personal computer 15, and a printer 16 are installed.

  The data transmitted from the game hall A store 1a to the sales management organization 23 is classified as operating from the opening process to the closing process, and from the closing process to the opening process as non-operating. Counts, and the number of abnormalities during and outside of business. More preferably, various data encrypted in a black box installed in an apparatus such as the slot machine 3 or the medal lending machine 4 is transmitted to the sales management organization 23 as it is.

  The data transmission from the game hall A store 1a to the sales management organization 23 is premised on confirmation by electronic authentication. However, in order to facilitate the introduction of the system, for the time being, the game hall A store 1a does not impose its own proof by electronic authentication. On the other hand, the electronic authentication acquired by the sales management organization 23 is not intended to prove the authenticity of the identity like a general online shop, but is intended to ensure high security of transmitted data. is there.

  FIG. 3 shows an SSL mechanism using electronic authentication. The sales management organization 23 obtains a server certificate 25 that guarantees the identity by proceeding with the certificate authority 24 in advance. When the game hall A store 1a accesses the sales management organization 23 and requests the SSL 26, a server certificate 25 is returned from the sales management organization 23. The game hall A 1a obtains the public key from the server certificate 25 sent thereto, and then transmits the common key 27 to the sales management organization 23 by public key encryption. Thereafter, encryption communication 28 is performed mutually using the common key 27. That is, the sales data of the game hall A store 1a can be transmitted to the sales management organization 23 safely and reliably.

  In the sales management organization 23, if the original data is encrypted data without room for the store owner's intervention, the data is decrypted, and then the sales on one business day of each game hall are grasped and stored. By accumulating these, you can accurately grasp your annual sales. Therefore, a sales management system using the Internet can be constructed relatively easily, which in turn helps to develop a healthy game hall.

1 is an overall schematic diagram of a gaming hall management device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a general | schematic figure of the whole game hall management apparatus in connection with the 2nd Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining the mechanism of SSL using electronic authentication.

Explanation of symbols

1 gaming hall management device 1a gaming hall A store 2 slot island (game machine island)
3 Slot machines (game machines)
4 Medal lending machine 5 Medal counter 6t PLC terminal adapter 6m PLC master adapter 7 Power line cord 8 Plug 11 Indoor power line 12 Outlet 13 Hall management server (sales management server)
14 LAN cable 18 Island management unit 21 Internet line 22 Internet 23 Sales management organization 24 Certification authority 25 Server certificate 26 SSL
27 Common key 28 Cryptographic communication

Claims (5)

A gaming hall management device configured such that gaming machine islands arranged in gaming halls are managed by a hall management server connected to the gaming machine islands,
The hall management server and the gaming machine island are each connected to an outlet of an indoor power line through a PLC terminal adapter, and the hall management server and the gaming machine island are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the indoor power line. A game hall management device characterized by this.   A device that constitutes the gaming machine island and is a management target of the hall management server is equipped with a PLC terminal adapter for each device, and these devices are connected to an outlet of an indoor power line through the PLC terminal adapter. The game hall management device according to claim 1, wherein the game hall management device is connected.   2. The gaming hall management device according to claim 1, wherein a PLC terminal adapter is attached to each gaming machine island, and these gaming machine islands are connected to an outlet of an indoor power line through the PLC terminal adapter.   It is connected to the Internet line through a PLC master adapter connected to the outlet of the indoor power line of the game hall, and is configured to allow communication between the sales management organization managed by a third party and the game hall via the Internet. The game hall management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:   5. The information transmitted from the game hall to the sales management organization is sales information of the game hall, and at least when the sales information is transmitted / received, electronic authentication is a requirement. The described game hall management device.

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