JP2009061009A - Slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To be different from a conventional slot machine by surely notifying only a player of the internal winning of a bonus game or the like without being noticed by surrounding people, evading the rise of a fault generation rate due to addition of movable members and requesting a new operation to the player in order to recognize the internal winning further. <P>SOLUTION: In the slot machine 1, a light emitting part 51a which can be hidden by a fingertip is provided on a part of the pressing operation surface 51b of stop buttons 51L, 51C and 51R, and the winning of internal drawing is notified by the light emitting operation of the light emitting part 51a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention rotates a plurality of reels according to a predetermined start operation, performs a predetermined internal lottery, stops each reel according to a pressing operation of a stop button, and according to a symbol arrangement on the stopped reels The present invention relates to a slot machine that pays out a predetermined game medium, and more particularly, to a slot machine that can notify only a player about the inside of a bonus game or the like without being known to surrounding people.

  In the slot machine, when a player inserts a game medium (medal, game ball, etc.) and depresses the start lever, a pattern such as a predetermined pattern, letters, numbers, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as “symbol”) is displayed. Multiple (usually 3) reels start to rotate, and by pressing multiple (3) stop buttons corresponding to each reel at any timing, the rotating reels stop and the symbols of the stopped reels This is a gaming machine in which a predetermined number of game media are paid out in accordance with the arrangement of the game machines.

FIG. 9 shows a general configuration of a stop button provided in the slot machine.
As shown in the figure, the plurality of stop buttons 151 are usually attached to the slot machine in a state of being incorporated in the stop button unit 150.
Specifically, the stop button unit 150 shown in FIG. 9 includes a plurality of stop buttons 151 (a left stop button 151L, a middle stop button 151C, a right stop button 151R), and a casing 152 that supports the stop buttons 151 so as to be able to appear and retract. A plurality of springs 153 for urging each stop button 151 in the protruding direction, a plurality of photo interrupters 154 for detecting a pressing operation of each stop button 151, and a plurality of light emitting units 155 surrounding each stop button 151. And a plurality of light emitting elements (LEDs) 156 for causing each light emitting unit 155 to emit light.
In the conventional slot machine, the light emitting unit 155 surrounding each stop button 151 is turned on / off to indicate whether or not each stop button 151 can be accepted for operation, or the order of pressing the stop buttons 151 advantageous to the player. Is informed.

Here, there is also known a slot machine provided with a light emitting unit that displays numbers and symbols on the operation surface of the stop button (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In this slot machine, the stop button pressing order that is advantageous to the player is displayed as a number on the light emitting part, or the symbols indicating goo, choki, and par are displayed on the light emitting part of the three stop buttons, respectively. By allowing the player to select one of them, it is possible to perform janken between the slot machine and the player.

By the way, in general, in a slot machine, a plurality of reels are automatically controlled with a certain probability in order to increase the fun of the game, and so on, so-called “symbols” are stopped. The winning control called “inner hit” is performed.
In this internal winning control, when the game is started by pressing the start lever, the internal winning lottery (internal lottery) is automatically performed inside the slot machine for each game, and the winning details (various hits and loses are determined). And the reel stop position is controlled according to the winning details. If the player wins the predetermined winning details, the reels are controlled within a certain range regardless of the timing when the player presses the stop button. Stopping control is performed so that the attached symbols are arranged in accordance with the winning contents, and thereby a predetermined amount of game media is paid out.

  Specifically, as a result of the internal lottery, when a predetermined winning content is won, the rotating reels are within a certain range (for example, within the range of 4 symbols from the position of the corresponding symbol), and the player Regardless of the timing at which each stop button is pressed, the symbols on the winning line are “7, 7, 7”, “BAR, BAR, BAR”, “Watermelon, Watermelon, Watermelon”, “Bell, Bell, Bell”, etc. Stop control (winning control) is performed so as to obtain a predetermined arrangement corresponding to the winning content.

By performing the stop control of the reels, the operation timing of the stop button corresponding to each reel is shifted from the timing of stopping the symbols ("7" and "BAR") constituting the array of a certain winning content on the array. However, if the deviation is within a certain range (within the range of four frames from the symbol, etc.), the symbol is stopped by mechanical control so that the symbol is positioned on a predetermined winning line, and a winning arrangement is formed. The
As a result of this stop control, regardless of the skill of the game, if the player presses the stop button within a certain range, the reels stop so that the symbols are in a predetermined winning arrangement. A predetermined amount of game media corresponding to the stopped winning arrangement is paid out.

Here, such reel stop control includes “retraction control” for stopping the reels so that a predetermined symbol arrangement is aligned, and “winning prevention control” for stopping the reels so that a certain symbol arrangement is not aligned. is there. In the winning prevention control, for example, when a certain winning content is won, during the game, the reels are stopped and controlled so that the symbols of other winning details are not aligned.
In general, several kinds of winning contents are set as the winning contents for which such reel stop control is performed, and any winning contents are determined for each game by an internal drawing.

  The contents of the winnings include, for example, bonus games such as “Regular Bonus (RB)” and “Big Bonus (BB)” that allow a large amount of game media to be paid out, “Small” that pays out a small amount of game media, and games. There are several types, such as “re-play” (replay) where the game can be played without inserting the medium, and “losing” where the game medium is not paid out, and a predetermined number of game media are paid out according to each winning content determined by the lottery. In addition, the reels are controlled so as not to be paid out.

For example, in the case of “small role”, the reels are controlled to stop so that a predetermined number of game media are paid out in one game unit (for example, an arrangement in which “bell” symbols are aligned in a horizontal row) (retraction) Control), the reels are stopped and controlled so that the symbol arrangements of other winning contents (for example, “7 · 7 · 7” indicating “big hit”) are not aligned (winning prevention control).
In the case of “Regular Bonus (RB)”, after winning the lottery, the bonus game starts (wins) when a predetermined winning pattern (for example, “BAR, BAR, BAR”) is prepared, and then several games become one set. The reel stop control for the bonus game is performed, and during the bonus game, the reels are continuously controlled so that a “big win” symbol arrangement with “small role” and large amount payout is made, and a large amount of game media is paid out. It comes to be.

Similarly, in the case of “Big Bonus (BB)”, after winning the lottery, the big bonus game starts (wins) when a predetermined winning symbol (for example, “7 / 7.7”) is prepared, and the bonus as described above. The reels are controlled so that the game (RB) continues for several sets (usually 3 sets), and the game is set and controlled so that a larger amount of game media is paid out than the “regular bonus (RB)”.
If the result of the lottery is “losing”, stop control is performed so that the symbols of each reel become an arrangement in which game media are not paid out (an arrangement in which none of the winning symbols are arranged) (winning prevention control).

In the slot machine in which the reels are controlled to stop in this way, a certain amount of game media is provided on the condition that if a specific winning content such as a bonus game is won as a result of the internal drawing, it will be won in a subsequent game. Is surely paid out, making it extremely attractive to players. In other words, for slot machine players, it is of greatest concern to win specific prizes such as bonus games by internal lottery.
Therefore, in the conventional slot machine, when an internal hit of the bonus game occurs, the player can reliably enjoy the bonus game by notifying the player of the internal hit of the bonus game.
Specifically, when an internal hit of a bonus game occurs, a game such as a so-called reach-eye display that controls stop symbols in a predetermined arrangement, a specific sound from a speaker, or a notification lamp is turned on, etc. There is a slot machine that notifies the inside of a bonus game in a manner that can be surely recognized by a person (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

By making such a bonus game internal announcement, a player who is skilled in gaming skills can reach the bonus game by reaching the reach eyes, making a specific sound, or turning on the notification lamp. When recognizing the internal hit, press the stop button at the right time while watching the spinning reel design (when appropriate, it is abbreviated as “eye-pushing”), and the winning symbol winning arrangement can be played in one game. It is possible to align.
However, in the case of a player who cannot make such a push, the bonus game cannot be started easily because the winning pattern of the winning symbol cannot be aligned even though the bonus game has been hit internally. Sometimes.

For this reason, the above-mentioned reach notifications, specific sounds and notification lamps for internal hits are not limited to not only the player who is playing the slot machine to be notified, but also the surrounding humans, especially the players of neighboring game machines. The person who stands behind will also be aware of the internal hits.
In such a case, a player who can not push his eyes feels pressure from surrounding people, he feels very embarrassed himself, and in extreme cases, he loses his willingness to play. It had been.
So far, a slot machine provided with a shielding door capable of selectively shielding the notification lamp has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 4). According to such a slot machine, a player who is unable to push the door recognizes the internal hit by turning on the notification lamp, and then immediately blocks the lighted notification lamp with the shielding door, thereby generating an internal hit. I was able to avoid being widely known to the people around me.

JP 2002-291196 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-80235 JP-A-9-173528 JP 2002-35213 A

However, in the slot machine described in Patent Document 4, it takes a certain amount of time until the lighting lamp is shielded by the shielding door after the inside lamp is recognized by the lighting of the lighting lamp, or a game for closing the shielding door. Since the person's movement is different from the normal game action, there is a high possibility that the surrounding person is aware of the occurrence of the internal hit.
Further, since the shielding door is a movable member, there is a problem in that the failure rate of the slot machine increases due to the addition of the movable member.

  The present invention is proposed in order to solve the problems of the conventional techniques as described above, and the internal hit of a bonus game or the like is surely notified only to the player without being known to surrounding people. In addition to avoiding an increase in the failure rate due to the addition of a movable member, and further requiring a new action from the player to know the internal hit, to differentiate from the conventional slot machine The purpose is to provide a slot machine that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, a slot machine according to the present invention, as described in claim 1, rotates a plurality of reels in response to a predetermined start operation, performs a predetermined internal lottery, and performs an operation of pressing a stop button. A slot machine that stops each reel in response and pays out a predetermined game medium according to the symbol arrangement on the stopped reel, and can be hidden by a fingertip on a part of the operation surface of the stop button A light emitting unit is provided, and the winning of the internal lottery is notified by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit.

In this case, the player is notified of the winning of the internal lottery by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit that is provided on a part of the operation surface of the stop button and can be hidden by the fingertip. It is possible to consciously hide the light emitting part with the same movement as. As a result, it is possible to reliably notify only the player about the inside of a bonus game or the like without being known to surrounding people.
In addition, since the player is requested to perform a new operation of checking the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit by pressing the stop button and confirming the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit, the conventional slot machine which cannot request such an operation Differentiation can be achieved.
Moreover, since the slot machine of the present invention can be implemented without adding a movable member, it is possible to avoid an increase in the failure rate due to the addition of the movable member.

Further, in the slot machine of the present invention, as described in claim 2, the light emitting portion is provided in a central portion of the pressing operation surface of the stop button, and the horizontal dimension and the vertical dimension are 10 mm or less. Is preferred.
In this way, by forming the light emitting part into a circular shape having a diameter of 10 mm, the light emitting part can be reliably hidden with the fingertip even if the player has a relatively small finger such as a woman.

In the slot machine of the present invention, it is preferable that the light emitting unit is configured to emit light during the pressing operation of the stop button.
In this way, the player can hide the light emitting unit with his fingertips, that is, the light emitting unit emits light during the pressing operation of the stop button. It is possible to reliably notify only to the player.

In the slot machine of the present invention, as described in claim 4, the light emitting unit may be configured to emit light for a short time after the end of pressing the stop button.
In this way, since the light emitting unit emits light for a short time at the moment when the player releases his / her finger from the stop button, the player can be assured that only the player will be able to recognize the bonus game etc. Can be announced.

Further, as described in claim 5, the slot machine of the present invention is preferably configured such that the light emitting unit is provided on the plurality of stop buttons.
In this way, it is possible to notify the internal hit by a plurality of light emitting units, or to notify the internal hit by an arbitrary light emitting unit. For example, when the internal hit is notified by a plurality of light emitting units, It is possible to prevent an operation from being overlooked and reliably notify the player of the internal hit.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the slot machine of the light emitting unit provided in the stop button operated at the end of one game among the light emitting units provided in the plurality of stop buttons is provided. It is preferable that the winning of the internal lottery is notified by a light emitting operation.
In this case, it is necessary to be aware of the pressing order of the stop buttons when detecting the internal hit by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit, so that it is more difficult for surrounding people to know the internal hit. In addition, by notifying the internal hit by the light emitting portion of the stop button that was last operated, it is possible to prompt the player to perform a quick game operation and improve the operating rate of the slot machine.

According to the slot machine of the present invention, since the winning of the internal lottery is announced by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit which is provided on a part of the pressing operation surface of the stop button and can be hidden by the fingertip, The light-emitting part can be consciously hidden by the same movement as the game operation at the time. As a result, it is possible to reliably notify only the player about the inside of a bonus game or the like without being known to surrounding people.
In addition, since the player is requested to perform a new operation of checking the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit by pressing the stop button and confirming the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit, the conventional slot machine which cannot request such an operation Differentiation can be achieved.
Moreover, since the slot machine of the present invention can be implemented without adding a movable member, it is possible to avoid an increase in the failure rate due to the addition of the movable member.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a slot machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing the slot machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the slot machine according to the present embodiment.
The slot machine 1 shown in these figures rotates a plurality of reels 21a, 21b, and 21c in accordance with a start operation after a game medium is bet, and performs internal lottery with a predetermined winning probability. When the player wins, the symbols on the reels 21a, 21b, and 21c are allowed to stop in a predetermined winning arrangement, and a spinning-type gaming machine that pays out game media according to the winning contents is configured.

Specifically, the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment is configured in a casing shape that can accommodate a control unit 10 configured by a microcomputer or the like and necessary machines, devices, and the like. The side is covered with the front door 1a so that opening and closing is possible.
The front door 1a is a door body that can be freely opened and closed to a housing of the slot machine 1 via a hinge or the like. The front door 1a is provided with a front panel 2 and other parts to constitute a front portion of the slot machine 1. ing.
A display L and a speaker SP are provided at the top of the front door 1a.
The display device L is a display means including a liquid crystal panel for displaying a moving image and a lamp that is lit and blinking, and effect display according to the game situation is performed.
The speaker SP generates various sounds such as a melody sound and a message sound to the player. For example, when the winning symbols are aligned and a winning prize or a small role is awarded, a predetermined effect sound is generated. Is coming out.

The front panel 2 is provided with a reel display window 3 at a substantially central portion, and the reels 21a to 21c in the housing are visible from the outside.
The reel display window 3 is a visual window portion of three reels (left) 21a, reel (middle) 21b, and reel (right) 21c disposed in the slot machine 1, and is usually a colorless transparent or colored transparent resin. It is made of a panel made of steel, and among a plurality of symbols drawn around each of the three reels 21, a plurality of (usually three) symbols that are adjacent in the vertical direction can be visually recognized and identified. .
The winning symbols of the game are determined by aligning the stop symbols of the reels 21a to 21c viewed from the reel display window 3 in a predetermined winning arrangement along a predetermined winning line.
Below the reel display window 3 of the front panel 2, various displays such as a stored number (credit) display unit 2a, a status display unit 2b, and an acquired number (payout) display unit 2c are provided. Each of these display units 2a to 2c is composed of a multi-digit 7-segment LED display panel or the like, and the number of medals stored as credits (stored number display unit 2a) inside the device, gaming state such as a bonus game, etc. (Status display portion 2b), the number of acquired medals paid out in each game (acquired number display portion 2c), and the like are displayed.

At the center of the front door 1a in the vertical direction, buttons such as a start lever 4, a stop button 51, a medal slot 6, a settlement button 6b, and a slot button 7 are provided.
The start lever 4 is a game start means for starting the rotation of each of the three reels 21. When the start lever 4 is pressed by a player's operation, a start signal is output to the control unit 10, and the inside of the main body is The reels 21a to 21c are rotated simultaneously (or sequentially).
Further, when a start signal is input by depressing the start lever 4, an internal lottery is performed in the control unit 10.

The stop button 51 is a stop means for stopping the rotating reel 21 and includes three stop buttons (left) provided corresponding to the three reels (left) 21a, the reel (middle) 21b, and the reel (right) 21c. 51L, a stop button (middle) 51C, and a stop button (right) 51R are provided. Each of these stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R can be stopped when the reel 21 is in a constant speed rotation state after starting to rotate, and is pressed by the player at an arbitrary timing, whereby a stop signal is sent to the control unit 10. Is output, and the rotation of the corresponding reels 21a, 21b, 21c is stopped.
Therefore, when the player operates these start lever 4 and stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R, the three reels 21a-21c are rotated and stopped, and the symbols attached to the reels 21a-21c are given a predetermined prize. Slot machine games can be played that are arranged to form an array.

The medal slot 6 is a slot for receiving medals used in the game, and the game can be played according to the number of medals inserted from the medal slot 6. A medal selector 6 a is provided inside the main body of the medal insertion slot 6, and the number of inserted medals is counted, and a medal signal indicating the number of medals is output to the control unit 10.
The number of medals inserted from the medal slot 6 is stored in the control unit 10 as credits. That is, prior to the start of the game, a plurality of medals can be inserted in advance and stored and stored inside the apparatus.
The settlement button 6b is a switch for settlement of credit stored medals at the end of the game, etc. When the settlement button 6b is pressed, medals for the stored medals are discharged from the medal payout device 30, The data on the number of stored medals stored in the control unit 10 is also deleted.

The insertion button 7 is a medal insertion switch for inserting a medal to be used (bet) in a game from among the accumulated medals when there is a credit accumulated medal. There are a MAX insertion button 7a for inserting a number of medals (usually three) from the credit storage medal, and a one-wager insertion button 7b for inserting one medal from the credit storage medal with a single press.
A medal payout opening 8 is provided at the lowermost part of the front door 1a.
The medal payout port 8 pays out the number of winning medals according to the winning arrangement discharged from the medal paying device 30 in the housing when the reels 21 stopped by pressing the stop button 5 are in a predetermined winning arrangement. It is supposed to be.

Inside the housing of the slot machine 1, as shown in FIG. 2, a drum unit 20, a medal payout device 30, other machines and devices, and the like are provided.
The drum unit 20 rotatably holds the three reels 21a, 21b, and 21c and the three reels 21a to 21c, and rotates the stepping motors 23a to 23c corresponding to the reels 21a to 21c. A motor drive circuit 22 that controls the start of rotation of 21c, constant speed rotation and stop, and a rotation position detection unit that detects a stop position of each of the stopped reels 21a to 21c and outputs a position signal to the control unit 10 24 (see FIG. 7).

The medal payout device 30 is a medal payout device disposed below the drum unit 20 in the housing. The medal payout device 30 drives the hopper 31 for storing payout medals and discharges a predetermined number of medals. A hopper driving circuit 32 for detecting the number of discharged medals and outputting a payout number signal to the control unit 10 (see FIG. 7).
The medals discharged from the medal payout device 30 are paid out from the medal payout opening 8 of the front door 1a to the front surface of the slot machine and provided to the player.

Next, details of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R provided in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
3 is a front view showing a stop button unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view showing a non-operation state of the stop button unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. b) is a cross-sectional view showing a push operation state, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the normal operation of the stop button according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an internal hit of the stop button according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stop buttons 51 </ b> L, 51 </ b> C, 51 </ b> R of the present embodiment are attached to the front door 1 a of the slot machine 1 in a state of being incorporated in the stop button unit 50.
The stop button unit 50 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes a plurality of stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R, a casing 52 that supports the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R in a freely retractable manner, and the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R. Are provided with a plurality of springs 53 for urging them in the protruding direction and a plurality of photo interrupters 54 for detecting the pressing operation of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R.

Each stop button 51L, 51C, 51R is provided with a light emitting portion 51a on the push operation surface. When the light emitting portion 51a is turned on / off, the stop operation of each stop button 51L, 51C, 51R is accepted. Whether it is possible or not is indicated. Specifically, the light emitting unit 51a is turned on when the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R can be stopped, and is turned off when the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R are stopped. Moreover, the lighting order of the stop button 51 which is advantageous to the player may be notified by turning on the light emitting unit 51a.
In this embodiment, when the light emitting unit 51a emits light, the winning of the internal lottery is notified.
That is, the light emitting portions 51a of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R, when a bonus game (BB, RB) is won by an internal lottery described later, a predetermined winning symbol (“7 / 7.7”, “BAR. A predetermined light emission display for notifying the internal hit is performed at a predetermined timing until BAR / BAR ") are obtained.

Specifically, the light emitting unit 51a is provided on a part of the push operation surface 51b of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R in a state where it can be concealed with a fingertip, and notifies the winning of the internal lottery by the light emitting operation. It is like that.
The internal lottery winning notification by the light emission of the light emitting unit 51a can be performed at an arbitrary timing. In this embodiment, as described later, when a bonus game is won as a result of the internal lottery, each stop button 51L, When 51C, 51R is pushed, only during the operation of the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R last pushed in the game, that is, while the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R is pushed. The light emitting part 51a (light emitting element 55) provided on the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R emits light (see FIG. 8).

Thus, when the light emitting unit 51a that is normally turned off by pressing the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R hits the bonus game, the stop button 51L, 51C, and 51R that was last pressed only in that game. Only when the finger is released and the stop button returns to the original position, the light emitting unit 51a is lit. When the finger is released from the stop button, the light emitting unit 51a is turned on, and it is not possible to know whether or not the bonus game has been won.
Therefore, for the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R that are last pressed, the player moves the finger and confirms whether or not the light-emitting portion 51a is lit before releasing the finger, thereby enabling the bonus game. It is possible to determine whether or not the player has won the bonus game after releasing the button.

As described above, when the player is notified of the inside by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a that is provided on a part of the push operation surface 51b of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R and can be hidden by the fingertip, The light emitting unit 51a can be consciously hidden by the same movement as the normal game operation.
As a result, the player can surely know only the player himself / herself without knowing the internal hit of the bonus game or the like to the surrounding people.

Note that the internal hit notification by turning on the light emitting unit 51a is not limited to the case where only the game is performed, but after winning the bonus game, each game is started until a predetermined start symbol is aligned and the bonus game starts (actually hits). Each time, it is possible to turn on the light until the finger is released from the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R that was last pushed.
In this way, until every bonus game is started, notifications are made by lighting the light-emitting portion 51a, and it is possible to make a more reliable notification of internal hits, especially for beginners and games that are inferior in skill. It is preferable for the person.
In this case, for example, one game won by the bonus game emits the light emitting unit 51a with high luminance, and the second and subsequent games emit light with low luminance, so that the light emitting unit 51a announces until the bonus game starts. Can make it more difficult for people around you to understand.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the notification of the internal hit by turning on the light emitting unit 51a is performed by pressing the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R and moving the finger to emit light from the light emitting unit 51a. Since the player is requested to perform a new action of confirming the action, expectation, fresh fun, and production effects can be expected compared to conventional slot machines that cannot require such operations. .
Furthermore, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment in which the internal hit notification is performed by the light emitting unit 51a that can be hidden by the player's finger in this way, a movable member such as a shielding door that conceals the internal notification as in the conventional slot machine. And no problems such as the occurrence of a failure due to the addition of a movable structure.

Here, the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R have a light guide portion (translucent resin portion) 51d extending from the push operation surface 51b to the back surface 51c, and are arranged behind the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R. It is preferable that light emitted from the light emitting element (LED) 55 is guided to the push operation surface 51b of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R by the light guide 51d, and the light emitting unit 51a is caused to emit light by this light.
In this case, the structure can be simplified as compared with the case where the light emitting element 55 is embedded in the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R.

Moreover, it is preferable that the light emission part 51a is provided in the center part of the push operation surface 51b of the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R, and is set to 10 mm or less in the left-right dimension and the up-down dimension. In the present embodiment, the light emitting portion 51a is formed in a circular shape having a diameter of 10 mm or less.
In this way, even if the player has a relatively small finger, such as a woman, the light emitting unit 51a can be reliably hidden with the fingertip.
In addition, although the light emission part 51a of this embodiment is made into circular with a diameter of 10 mm or less, it can be set as arbitrary shapes other than circular.

Moreover, it is preferable that the light emission part 51a is light-emitted (lighting, blinking, etc.) during pushing operation of the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R.
In this way, the player can hide the light emitting unit 51a with the fingertip, that is, the light emitting unit 51a is activated during the pressing operation of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R. It is possible to reliably notify only the player without being known to the surrounding people.
In addition, the light emitting unit 51a may emit light for a short time after the pressing operation of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R is completed.
Even in this way, it is possible to reliably notify only the player of the internal hit of the bonus game or the like without being known to the surrounding people.

Moreover, although the light emission part 51a can also be provided in any one stop button 51L, 51C, 51R, it is preferable to provide in multiple (all) stop button 51L, 51C, 51R.
In this way, the internal hits can be announced by the plurality of light emitting units 51a, or the internal hits can be notified by an arbitrary light emitting unit 51a. For example, when the internal hits are notified by the multiple light emitting units 51a Can prevent oversight of the light emitting operation and can reliably notify the player of the internal hit.

Further, when the light emitting unit 51a is provided on the plurality (all) of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R, the stop operated at the end of one game among the light emitting units 51a provided on the plurality of stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R. It is preferable to notify the winning of the internal lottery by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a provided in the buttons 51L, 51C, 51R.
In this case, it is necessary to be aware of the pressing order of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R in order to detect the internal hit by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a, so that it is more difficult for surrounding people to know the internal hit. Become. Moreover, by notifying the internal hit by the light emitting portion 51a of the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R that is operated last, the player can be promptly operated and the operating rate of the slot machine 1 can be improved.

Further, when the light emitting unit 51a is driven to emit light, the luminance (light emission intensity) and the light emission color may be changed according to the situation.
For example, after the occurrence of an internal hit, in the first game, the light emitting unit 51a is caused to emit light with a high luminance, thereby reliably notifying the player of the internal hit, and in subsequent games, the light emitting unit 51a is set to a low luminance level. By performing the light emitting operation at, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the inside is known to the surrounding people.
In the present embodiment, the light emitting unit 51a informs whether or not the operation of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R can be accepted, and the pressing order of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R that are advantageous to the player ( 9 corresponds to the light emitting unit 155 in FIG. 9, but it is needless to say that such a light emitting unit may be provided separately.

Next, the control unit 10 that controls the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of the control unit and its peripheral configuration of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in this figure, the control unit 10 of the present embodiment is a control means for controlling each unit of the slot machine 1 described above, and has a microcomputer having an IC, a memory, various circuit boards, and the like. Has been.
More specifically, the control unit 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 11a and a RAM 11b that are built-in and stored in the CPU 11, a main body clock generation circuit 12 that generates a reference clock, a random number counter 13 that generates a random number for internal lottery, Random number clock generation circuit 14 that generates a reference clock for generating random numbers, internal hit notification light emitting part drive circuit 16 that drives and controls the light emitting part 51a (light emitting element 55), and a display part that drives each of the display parts 2a to 2c A drive circuit 17, a sound circuit 18 that generates sound via a speaker SP, a display drive circuit 19 that drives a display L for production, and the like, are provided, and the drum unit 20 according to input signals from various input devices. The medal payout device 30 is controlled.

  First, the control unit 10 inputs a medal signal from the medal selector 6a and a medal signal from the insertion button 7 (7a, 7b), and the number of medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 6 and the insertion button 7 are pressed. The number of inserted medals betted is confirmed, and the number of stored medals stored in the RAM 11b is decreased based on the medal signal from the insertion button 7. Thereby, the number of medals used (betting) for each game is determined.

Further, the control unit 10 inputs a start signal from the start lever 4 and a stop signal from the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R (photo interrupter 54), thereby generating a pulse (drive) signal that becomes a control signal for the reel 21. Output to the drum unit 20 to rotate and stop the reels 21a to 21c. Thus, in the drum unit 20, the reels 21a to 21c are rotated by the start signal, and the corresponding reels 21a to 21c are stopped by the stop signal input by pressing the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R.
Further, the control unit 10 recognizes the stop symbols of the reels 21a to 21c based on the marker signal input from the drum unit 20, and determines whether or not the stop symbols are in a predetermined winning arrangement. As a result, when the predetermined winning arrangement is made, the payout process of the number of medals according to the type of winning is performed.

And the control part 10 which performs the above game control performs an internal lottery for every game, and controls the game according to the result of the internal lottery.
The internal lottery is a lottery process performed at the timing of the player's operation of the start lever 4 for each game, and is executed by a random number counter 13 composed of a counter IC and the like and a random number table preset and stored in the ROM 11a.
The random number output from the random number counter 13 is acquired (latched) at the operation timing of the start lever 4, and the random number range to which the random number range belongs belongs to which random number range the acquired random number belongs to The target is determined and won as the winning content of the game this time.
Specifically, in the internal lottery, the random number counter 13 generates a random number within a predetermined random range (for example, 0 to 16383), and the winning content is determined based on the generated random number value. Yes.

The winning contents set in the lottery table include bonuses (BB, RB, etc.), small roles, replays, loses, etc., and the winning contents are assigned to the lottery table corresponding to the range of random numbers. 1 to 55: bonus, 56 to 1055: small role, 1056 to 16384: lost, etc., so that each content has a predetermined winning probability.
Then, at the moment when the start lever 4 is pressed, a random number is generated by the random number counter 13, and the generated random number is checked against the value of the lottery table, so that the winning content to which the random number belongs is determined as the lottery result. The stop position of the reel 21 is controlled in accordance with the winning content, and if a winning content is selected, the reel 21 is attached to each reel 21 within a certain range regardless of the timing when the player presses the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R. Stopping control is performed so that the displayed symbols are arranged in accordance with the winning contents.

  When an internal hit of the bonus occurs, the control unit 10 notifies the player of the internal hit by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a provided in each stop button 51L, 51C, 51R. Specifically, when a bonus game (BB, RB) is won by an internal lottery, a predetermined winning pattern (“7, 7, 7”, “BAR, BAR, BAR”) is obtained until A predetermined light emission display for notifying the internal hit at the timing is performed by the light emitting unit 51a.

Next, the internal winning notification display process performed by the control unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an internal winning notification display process of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in this figure, the control unit 10 first determines whether or not the bonus game is in an internal winning state (S1).
If the result of this determination is YES, it is determined whether or not it is the first game after the internal hit (S2).
If this determination result is also YES, the last stop button operation in the game is determined (S3), and only during the operation of the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R that has been pressed last, that is, the last press While the operated stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R are pressed, the light emitting portion 51a (light emitting element 55) provided on the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R is caused to emit light with high luminance (S4).
On the other hand, in the second and subsequent games after the occurrence of the internal hit, it is determined whether the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R are pressed (S5), and the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R being pressed are determined. The light emitting section 51a (light emitting element 55) is caused to emit light with low luminance (S6).

  As described above, according to the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the plurality of reels 21 are rotated according to a predetermined start operation, a predetermined internal lottery is performed, and the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R are pressed. The slot machine 1 stops the reels 21 in response to the symbols and pays out predetermined game media in accordance with the symbol arrangement on the stopped reels 21, and a part of the push operation surface 51 b of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R. In addition, since the light emitting unit 51a that can be concealed with a fingertip is provided and the winning of the internal lottery is notified by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a, the player can move in the same manner as the normal game operation, The light emitting part 51a can be consciously hidden. As a result, it is possible to reliably notify only the player about the internal hit of the bonus game or the like without being known to the surrounding people.

Further, since the player is requested to perform a new operation of confirming the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a by pushing the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R and then moving the finger, such an operation can be requested. It can be differentiated from conventional slot machines that are not.
Further, since the slot machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented without adding a movable member, it is possible to avoid an increase in the failure rate due to the addition of the movable member.

  In addition, since the light emitting portion 51a is provided at the center portion of the push operation surface 51b of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R, and the left and right dimensions and the vertical dimension are 10 mm or less, a player such as a woman with a relatively small finger Even so, the light emitting portion 51a can be reliably hidden with the fingertip.

  In addition, the light emitting unit 51a is operated to emit light during the pressing operation of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, and 51R, that is, in a state where the player can hide the light emitting unit 51a with the fingertip. It is possible to reliably notify only the player without being known to the surrounding people.

  In addition, since the light emitting unit 51a is provided on the plurality of stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R, the internal hit can be notified by the multiple light emitting units 51a, or the internal hit can be notified by an arbitrary light emitting unit 51a. When the plurality of light emitting units 51a are notified of the internal hit, it is possible to prevent the light emitting operation from being overlooked and to reliably notify the player of the internal hit.

  Further, among the light emitting units 51a provided on the plurality of stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R, the internal lottery is won by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a provided on the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R operated at the end of one game. Since the notification is made, it is necessary to be aware of the pressing order of the stop buttons 51L, 51C, 51R in order to detect the internal hit by the light emitting operation of the light emitting unit 51a, and as a result, it becomes more difficult to detect the internal hit by surrounding people. can do. Moreover, by notifying the internal hit by the light emitting portion 51a of the stop button 51L, 51C, 51R that is operated last, the player can be promptly operated and the operating rate of the slot machine 1 can be improved.

The preferred embodiment of the slot machine of the present invention has been described above. However, the slot machine according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the winning contents determined and determined by the internal drawing of the slot machine include a small role, replay (replay), big bonus (BB), regular bonus (RB), challenge time (CT), There are a single challenge time (SCT), a single bonus (SB), a loss, and the like, but the contents of the winning are not particularly limited, and the application target and the operational effects of the present invention are not affected thereby.

  Further, in the slot machine of the above-described embodiment, medals (coins) have been described as examples of game media to be used. However, game media usable in the slot machine according to the present invention are not limited to medals, for example, pachinko balls Similar game balls can also be used as game media.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a slot machine (rotational game machine) in which a game is played using mainly medals (coins) or game balls (pachinko balls) as game media, and in particular, for bonus games and the like. The internal hit can be suitably used for a slot machine that is required to notify a player without being known to surrounding people.

It is a front view showing a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the stop button unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the non-operation state of the stop button unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (b) is sectional drawing which shows a pushing operation state. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of the normal of the stop button which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of the internal hit of the stop button which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of a control unit and its peripheral configuration of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the internal winning notification display process of the slot machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a front view of the stop button unit which concerns on a prior art example, (b) is a horizontal sectional view, (c) is a vertical sectional view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 4 Start lever 10 Control part 21 Reel 50 Stop button unit 51L, 51C, 51R Stop button 51a Light emission part 51b Push operation surface

Claims (6)

A plurality of reels are rotated according to a predetermined start operation, a predetermined internal lottery is performed, each reel is stopped according to a pressing operation of a stop button, and a predetermined game medium is determined according to the symbol arrangement on the stopped reels A slot machine that pays out
A slot machine comprising: a light-emitting unit that can be hidden with a fingertip on a part of a pressing operation surface of the stop button; and a notification of winning of the internal lottery by the light-emitting operation of the light-emitting unit.   2. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting portion is provided in a central portion of a pressing operation surface of the stop button, and a left-right dimension and a vertical dimension are 10 mm or less.   3. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit is operated to emit light while the stop button is pressed.   3. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit emits light for a short time after the stop button is pressed.   The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit is provided on a plurality of the stop buttons.   6. The slot machine according to claim 5, wherein among the light emitting units provided in the plurality of stop buttons, the winning of the internal lottery is notified by a light emitting operation of the light emitting unit provided in the stop button operated at the end of one game. .

Images