JP2009119196A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of visually and instantaneously determining the replacement period of an operation lever or an operation button, etc. <P>SOLUTION: The game machine includes: a plurality of operation means to be operated by an operator; a light emitting means for emitting/non-emitting light when the operation means are operated; a light emission state control means for controlling the light emission state of the light emitting means; a counting means for counting the times of operations in the operation means; and a storage means for storing the times of operations counted by the counting means. The light emission state control means is configured to change the light emission state of the light emitting means, on the basis of the value of the times of operations stored in the storage means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a slot machine, and more particularly to a gaming machine provided with a plurality of operating means such as operating levers and operating buttons operated by an operator (player).

  In general, in a gaming machine such as a slot machine, a player bets a game medium such as a medal (hereinafter simply referred to as “medal”) and rotates a variable display device including a plurality of reels, and the variable display device is stopped. When identification information such as symbols and numbers drawn on each reel becomes a predetermined combination, a predetermined number of medals are paid out according to the combination.

  At the start of the game, the player inserts, for example, 1 to 3 medals from a medal insertion unit arranged on the operation panel of the gaming machine, or from medal credits stored in the gaming machine. The condition for starting the game can be adjusted by pressing a bet button for selecting the number of medals to bet on the current game. After the game start conditions are satisfied, the player tilts an operation lever (start lever) provided on the front surface of the gaming machine, whereby a plurality of reels rotate and a game starts.

  Subsequently, the player sequentially presses the stop buttons provided on the reels to stop the rotation of the reels. When all the reels stop, the combination of symbols on the effective line (game result) is obtained. When a predetermined condition is satisfied (for example, all the same symbols are aligned on the active line, a specific symbol is stopped at a specific position, etc.), a predetermined number (for example, a preset number) corresponding to the combination of the symbols (for example, 2 to 15 medals are paid out.

  A gaming machine such as a slot machine as described above includes a bet button for determining the number of medals bet on the game, a start lever for rotating the reel, a stop button for stopping the rotation of the reel, a checkout button for adjusting the medal credit, and the like. A plurality of operation means operated by a person are provided.

  Regarding game-related parts, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-253762 discloses that the frequency of use of game-related parts is stored and determined, so that it can be used as a reference when recycling game-related parts. , “A game-related component that operates due to establishment of a predetermined operation condition, a control unit that controls the operation of the game-related component, a count unit that counts the number of operations or the operation time of the game-related component, A gaming machine comprising storage means for storing numerical values counted by the counting means, and a gaming machine comprising display means for displaying numerical values stored in the storage means Is disclosed (see “Claim 1” and “Claim 4”).

JP 2002-253762 A

  However, in the conventional gaming machine disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the number of times of operation or operation time of game-related parts is stored or displayed, so that each game-related part or game If there is a difference in the number of times of operation or operating time for each type of related parts, the manager of the gaming machine or the recycler, etc. need to grasp the numerical values related to the life of each gaming related part, There has been a problem that it is difficult to immediately determine whether or not it can be used from the displayed numerical value. For example, the value related to the life of a certain game-related part is mistaken as a value larger than the actual value, and the game-related part to be replaced is not exchanged. There is a risk that a game-related part that is not used will be replaced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine capable of visually and immediately determining the replacement timing of an operation lever, an operation button, or the like.

  In order to solve such a problem, the invention described in claim 1 includes a plurality of operating means operated by an operator, a light emitting means that emits light or extinguishes when the operating means is operated, and the light emission. A gaming machine comprising: a light emission mode control unit that controls a light emission mode of the unit; a counting unit that counts the number of operations of the operation unit; and an operation number storage unit that stores the number of operations counted by the counting unit. And the said light emission mode control means changes the light emission mode of the said light emission means based on the value of the said operation frequency memorize | stored in the said operation frequency memory | storage means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the gaming machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, the game machine according to the first aspect further includes a light emission mode storage unit that stores a plurality of light emission mode tables according to the type of the operation unit. A plurality of light emission modes are set based on the value of the number of operations of the operation means, and the light emission mode selection means for selecting the light emission mode set in the light emission mode table based on the type of the operation means and the number of operations is provided. The aspect control means controls the light emission aspect of the light emission means based on the light emission aspect selected by the light emission aspect selection means.

  According to the gaming machine of the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of operation means operated by the operator, a light emitting means that emits or extinguishes when the operation means is operated, and light emission of the light emitting means A gaming machine comprising: a light emission mode control unit that controls a mode; a counting unit that counts the number of operations of the operation unit; and an operation number storage unit that stores the number of operations counted by the counting unit. Since the aspect control means is configured to change the light emission aspect of the light emitting means based on the value of the operation frequency stored in the operation frequency storage means, the administrator of the gaming machine can operate the operation lever, the operation button, etc. By visually recognizing the light emission mode of the light emitting means that emits or extinguishes by operating the operating means, it can be visually determined immediately whether the operating means has reached the end of its life. For example, by unifying the light emitting mode of the light emitting unit by the operation of the operating unit that has reached the number of operations determined to reach the end of life into one light emitting mode, the operating unit that the light emitting unit emits or extinguishes in the light emitting mode. Can easily recognize that the replacement period has been reached.

  According to the gaming machine of the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the invention of the first aspect, in the gaming machine of the first aspect, a plurality of light emission modes according to the type of operation means. The light emission mode storage unit stores a table, and a plurality of light emission modes based on the value of the number of operations of the operation unit are set in the light emission mode table, and the light emission mode table is set based on the type of the operation unit and the number of operations. A light emission mode selection means for selecting the light emission mode, and the light emission mode control means can be configured to control the light emission mode of the light emission means based on the light emission mode selected by the light emission mode selection means. Alternatively, even when the value of the number of operations for determining that the replacement time has been reached is different for each type of operation means, the light emission mode selection means determines the number of operations from the light emission mode table corresponding to the operation means. The light-emission mode control means can control the light-emission mode of the light-emission means based on the selected light-emission mode, and it is easy for the manager of the gaming machine to replace the operation means. Can be recognized.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a gaming machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a slot machine as an example. 1 is a perspective view showing the external structure of the slot machine 1, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the slot machine 1 with the front door 3 opened, and FIG. 3 shows a control system of the slot machine 1. FIG.

  In FIG. 1, a slot machine 1 includes a housing 2 that is a substantially rectangular box, and a front door 3 that is attached to the housing 2 and can be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism. The front side of the front door 3 is roughly divided into an upper panel portion 4 and a lower panel portion 5, which are integrally formed of hard plastic as a so-called decorative board designed to enhance the visual effect. Further, below the lower panel portion 5, there is provided a tray unit 6 in which a tray portion 6a for storing medals paid out at the time of winning is integrally formed.

  An operation console 7 is integrally formed between the upper panel portion 4 and the lower panel portion 5 so as to protrude toward the player and on which switches for performing game operations are arranged. The console 7 includes a front mask 7a on the front surface on which a start lever 75 and stop buttons 76a, 76b, 76c, which are operation levers operated by the player, are disposed. Furthermore, the front mask 7a includes an operation panel 79 on which bet buttons 72 and 73 for presenting the number of medals to be invested in the game, a medal insertion unit 71 as a game medium input unit, and the like are disposed. In addition, the upper panel part 4, the console 7, the lower panel part 5, and the saucer unit 6 face the player side, and these constitute a "front panel part".

  A panel surface 41 formed of a hard plastic plate or the like is provided at the center of the upper panel portion 4. A substantially rectangular transparent display window 41a is formed substantially at the center of the panel surface 41, and the three reels 101a of the reel unit 100 constituting the variable display device provided in the housing 2 through the display window 41a, 101b and 101c (see FIG. 2) are visible.

  In the upper part of the upper panel part 4, an illumination effecting device 46 incorporating a light source such as a high-intensity light emitting diode inside the lens panel 46a, and an effect sound emitting unit 47a incorporating a speaker for generating sound effects relating to the game, 47b are respectively arranged.

  In addition, a liquid crystal display device 48 serving as an effect device for a gaming machine is disposed between the effect sound emitting portions 47a and 47b so as to face a display window 48a formed by fitting a transparent hard plastic plate or the like. Yes. Note that the liquid crystal display device 48 mainly displays video relating to game effects and information related to the game.

  On the side of the upper panel portion 4 are provided lighting units 49a and 49b for production made of fluorescent lamps or high-intensity light emitting diodes. The lighting effect device 46 and the plurality of effect lighting units 49a and 49b described above are turned on or blinking according to the progress of the game, so that the visual effect in the game is enhanced.

  A medal insertion part 71 having a medal insertion slot 71a for inserting medals is provided on the upper right side of the operation panel 79 of the console 7. In addition, on the upper left side of the operation panel 79, two bet buttons 72 and 73 which are push button switches are provided. The bet buttons 72 and 73 are button switches for presenting the number of medals invested (bet) in one game of the slot machine 1. When the game is started, the bet button 72 is pressed once, so that one medal is bet on the game from the stored medals, and the bet button 72 is pressed twice as well. So two medals are bet. Further, when the bet button 73 is pressed, three medals are bet on the game. The bet button 73 is particularly called a “max bet button” because it bets the maximum number of medals that can be invested in one game.

  On the front left side of the front mask 7a of the console 7, a start lever 75 is provided for instructing the start of rotation of the reels 101a, 101b, 101c. The start lever 75 has a spherical operation knob at the tip and can be tilted up and down and left and right. The start lever 75 is turned on when the operation lever is tilted, and automatically when the hand is released from the operation lever. The switch unit returns to its original position and is turned off.

  Further, stop buttons 76a, 76b, and 76c for instructing to stop the rotation of the reels 101a, 101b, and 101c are arranged in parallel at the center of the front mask 7a in correspondence with the arrangement of the reels.

  Further, in the left corner of the front face of the front mask 7a, an instruction is given to cancel and pay out medals bet on the game, and the medal credit means 210 (see FIG. 3) to be described later settles the medals stored internally. A checkout button 77 is provided for instructing the payout.

  A key hole 78 into which a key for unlocking the front door 3 is inserted is provided on the front right side of the front mask 7a. When an administrator or the like of the slot machine 1 inserts a predetermined key into the key hole 78 and performs an unlocking operation, the front door 3 attached to the housing 2 can be opened forward by a hinge mechanism, and the front door 3 can be opened. These are automatically locked when closed to the housing 2 side.

  The lower panel portion 5 is provided with a panel 51 for displaying the design of the appearance character and the like so that the player can recognize the model type of the slot machine 1. Below the lower panel 5, a medal payout port 66 for discharging medals at the time of winning a prize, an effect sound emitting part 67a, 67b incorporating a speaker for generating an effect sound, and a tray unit 6 are arranged. ing.

  The tray unit 6 includes a tray member in which a tray portion 6a for storing medals paid out from the medal payout port 66 is formed, and an ashtray member 65 for use by the player for smoking.

  Next, the internal structure of the housing 2 and the back surface structure of the front door 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, a main control board 20 having a CPU (microcomputer) for centrally controlling the entire operation of the slot machine 1 and housed in a hard plastic case is attached to the upper part of the housing 2.

  A reel unit 100 constituting a variable display device including reels 101a, 101b, and 101c is provided in the center of the housing 2. The reel unit 100 is positioned and attached to a predetermined frame so that the reels 101a, 101b, and 101c face the display window 41a of the panel surface 41 of the front door 3 when the front door 3 is closed to the housing 2 side. Yes.

  The reel unit 100 includes cylindrical reels 101a, 101b, and 101c juxtaposed in the rotational axis direction, and a plurality of types of symbols are provided on the outer peripheral surface of each reel 101a, 101b, and 101c along the circumferential direction. The identification information is drawn by using numbers. The player can visually check three symbols (identification information) in the vertical direction drawn on the three rows of reels 101a, 101b, and 101c through the display window 41a of the panel surface 41. Note that each of the reels 101a, 101b, and 101c is rotationally driven by a built-in stepping motor.

  Further, on the upper part of the reel unit 100, a spinning device substrate for sending a four-phase drive pulse signal to the above-described stepping motor that rotationally drives each reel is attached, and the main control substrate 20 is attached to the spinning device substrate. The rotation, braking and stopping of each reel 101a, 101b, 101c is controlled by sending the rotating drum drive (excitation) pulse data.

  Below the reel unit 100, a hopper device 21 provided with a medal storage portion 21a, an auxiliary storage portion 22 for storing medals overflowing from the medal storage portion 21a of the hopper device 21, and a power supply device 24 are provided. ing. A power supply device substrate 23 corresponding to a so-called switchboard is provided on the side surface of the power supply device 24. Further, an external concentration terminal board 25 that can be connected to a management computer called a “hall computer” installed in the game hall is attached to the inner wall on the upper right side of the housing 2.

  Next, the speakers 32a and 32b are attached to the upper part on the back surface side of the front door 3 so as to face the sound emitting portions 47a and 47b for effects described above. A liquid crystal display device 48 is attached between the speakers 32a and 32b. Further, on the back side of the liquid crystal display device 48, a sub-control board 30 formed of an electric circuit board is housed and attached in a hard plastic case.

  Note that the overall operation of the slot machine 1 is comprehensively controlled by the main control board 20 provided on the housing 2 side, and the sub-control board 30 controls the display of effect video by the liquid crystal display device 48, and the lighting effect device. 46 and stage effect lighting control using stage lighting units 49a and 49b, stage effect sound control using speakers 32a, 32b, 38a and 38b incorporated in stage sound emitting units 47a, 47b, 67a and 67b, etc. Control mainly related to the production of the game is performed.

  A panel surface 41 on which a transparent display window 41a for allowing the reels 101a, 101b, and 101c to be visually observed is disposed below the sub-control board 30, and a start lever 75 on the front side is disposed below the panel surface 41. A central display board 33 that functions as a relay board for transferring output signals of operation switches such as stop buttons 76a, 76b, and 76c to the main control board 20 is provided.

  A medal sorting device 34 is attached below the central display substrate 33. The medal sorting device 34 is a device that determines and distributes the suitability of medals inserted into the medal insertion unit 71. Further, the medal sorting device 34 has a built-in medal sensor, and when a normal medal is inserted in a standby state of the game or the like, and the medal sensor detects this medal, a signal indicating acceptance of medal insertion is sent to the main control board. 20 to send.

  Below the main body of the medal sorting device 34, a guide member 35 that guides regular medals distributed by the medal sorting device 34 to the hopper device 21 provided in the housing 2 and removed by the medal sorting device 34. A guide member 36 that guides the medal (or foreign matter) that has been made to the medal discharge port 66 is provided. In addition, a guide member 37 that guides medals discharged from the hopper device 21 to the medal discharge port 66 is provided at the lower part on the back side of the front door 3. Further, adjacent to the medal discharge port 66, speakers 38a and 38b facing the above-described effect sound emitting portions 67a and 67b are attached.

  Next, a control system provided in the slot machine 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the main control board 20 includes a CPU 60, a ROM 61 and a RAM 62 configured by a semiconductor memory and serving as a storage unit, a random number generator 63, and an input / output interface (I / F) circuit 64.

  In the main control board 20, the CPU 60 reads a system program and a slot machine game program stored in advance in the ROM 61, executes each program using the RAM 62 as a work area (work area), etc. By supplying control signals including predetermined commands to the board 130, the sub control board 30, the central display board 33, and the power supply board 23 to perform distributed control, the entire slot machine 1 is controlled in an integrated manner.

  The ROM 61 of the main control board 20 stores a prize lottery table (not shown), and the RAM 62 of the main control board 20 stores an internal lottery flag (not shown). The main control board 20 is provided with a random number generator 63 for generating random value data connected to the CPU 60. For example, the CPU 60 acquires a random number value from the random number generator 63 at the time when the operation of the start lever 75 is detected, and refers to the winning lottery table to lottery the winning combination or lose assigned to the obtained random number value. . Then, if there is a winning combination corresponding to the random number value, the CPU 60 wins the lottery result using the winning combination as the winning combination of the game, and stores the winning combination in the internal lottery flag of the RAM 62. Here, the lottery method of winning combination is called “internal lottery”. The winning combination selected by the main control board 20 includes, for example, a big bonus game combination (BB game combination) with a relatively large number of paid-out medals after shifting to the special gaming state, and a big bonus by shifting to the special gaming state. There are a regular bonus game combination (RB game combination) with a smaller number of games than the game, a small role such as “cherry” or “watermelon” that pays out a predetermined number of medals, and a loss that does not pay out a medal.

  The I / F circuit 64 transmits and receives signals when transmitting and receiving signals between the main control board 20 and the spinning device board 130, the sub control board 30, the central display board 33, and the power supply board 23. The timing control is performed. Note that, between the main control board 20 and the sub control board 30, signals are transmitted from the main control board 20 to the sub control board 30, but transmission of signals from the sub control board 30 to the main control board 20 is performed. Not done.

The sub-control board 30 includes a CPU 80, a ROM 81 and a RAM 82 that are configured by a semiconductor memory and serve as a storage unit, and an input / output interface (I / F) circuit 84.
In the sub-control board 30, the CPU 80 reads programs and data stored in advance in the ROM 81, and controls the effects particularly for the player. The ROM 81 stores in advance programs, data, and the like necessary for production during the game. The data stored in the ROM 81 in advance includes moving image data such as characters, characters and backgrounds displayed on the liquid crystal display device 48, and still image data. On the other hand, the RAM 82 is used as a work area when the CPU 80 or the like performs various controls or creates an image, and temporarily stores data and the like. The data stored in the RAM 82 includes image data to be displayed based on the data read from the ROM 81.

  Thereby, the sub control board 30, based on the control signal related to the effect transmitted from the main control board 20, the lamps of the upper illumination effect device 46, the left and right effect illumination units 49 a and 49 b, and the effect sound emission By driving the speakers 32a, 32b, 38a and 38b built in the units 47a, 47b, 67a and 67b, and supplying the moving image data or still image data related to the production to the liquid crystal display device 48, the player's vision and Produce for hearing.

  In the central display board 33, the 1-bet button 72, the max-bet button 73, the settlement button 77, the start lever 75, the stop buttons 76a, 76b and 76c, etc., which are attached to the console 7 of the front door 3, are operated. It functions as a relay board that receives various signals generated by the above and transfers them to the main control board 20. Further, the central display board 33 receives the medal acceptance signal output from the medal sorting device 34 and transfers it to the main control board 20, so that the number of medals inserted into the medal insertion unit 71, the insertion of foreign matter, Notifies the occurrence of clogging. The central display board 33 is lit (emitted) when the operation means such as the 1 bet button 72, the max bet button 73, the settlement button 77, the start lever 75, the stop buttons 76a, 76b and 76c are operated. Alternatively, light emitting diodes (LEDs) D1 to D10 for monitoring (monitoring) that are turned off (disappear) are mounted. The drive control of these monitor LEDs (D1 to D10) will be described in detail later with reference to other drawings.

  The spinning device substrate 130 is configured to perform rotation control, braking, and stop control of the left reel 101a, the middle reel 101b, and the right reel 101c, and for example, rotational drive (excitation) pulse data supplied from the main control substrate 20. Based on the above, four-phase drive pulse signals are supplied to the stepping motors 110a, 110b and 110c, respectively.

  The power supply board 23 is formed with a power distribution circuit (not shown) for distributing various power supply voltages generated by the power supply 24 to the hopper device 21 and other parts, and is necessary for the operation of the slot machine 1 from this power distribution circuit. Supply the correct power. In addition, when a control signal indicating that the medal payout should be paid out is supplied from the main control board 20, the power supply board 23 controls the hopper device 21 to pay out the medal.

  Next, an outline of the game operation in the slot machine 1 will be described. The slot machine 1 enters a standby state when a prize is won in a previous game and a medal payout is completed, or when a loss is confirmed in the previous game. In this standby state, a standby mode effect is provided that suggests the state to the player and prompts a game operation. Next, when the player inserts a medal into the medal insertion unit 71 or presses one of the bet buttons 72 and 73, the CPU 60 processes the medal (credit) stored in the game to the game. A predetermined number of medals are bet and a game is prepared.

  When the start lever 75 is tilted and the game is started in the game preparation state, the main control board 20 starts to rotate the three reels 101a, 101b, and 101c all at once and executes the internal lottery described above. The result of the internal lottery is stored in the internal lottery flag.

  Next, when one of the stop buttons 76a, 76b, and 76c is pressed by the player, the reels 101a, 101b, and 101c are stopped, and the main control board 20 is connected to the stopped reels 101a, 101b, and 101c. It is determined whether the symbol to be displayed matches the symbol combination related to the winning combination corresponding to the internal lottery flag.

  When the combination of these symbols matches the winning combination of the internal lottery and the winning of the winning combination is confirmed, the slot machine 1 controls the main control board 20 until the credit number of medals stored internally reaches a predetermined number. The number of medals with a predetermined number of payouts according to the type of the combination is added to the number of credits. Further, when the addition result of the number of payouts and the number of credits exceeds the predetermined number (for example, 50), the slot machine 1 pays out the surplus number of medals to the tray unit 6a.

  Next, an embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the central display substrate 33 provided in the slot machine 1 in the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a light emission mode table in which the light emission modes of the monitor LEDs D1 to D10 stored in the ROM 61 of the main control board 20 are set. FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing an example of the light emission mode (drive pulse width) of the monitor LEDs D1 to D10.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the central display board 33 has monitor LEDs D1 to D10 corresponding to operation means such as a 1 bet button 72, a max bet button 73, a settlement button 77, a start lever 75, stop buttons 76a, 76b and 76c. In addition, connectors C1 to C7 connected to other control boards and each operation means, and electronic components such as resistors and capacitors are mounted. The monitor LEDs D1 to D10 in the present embodiment are operated by operating means such as the stop button 76a by the administrator of the slot machine 1 with the front door 3 of the slot machine 1 opened and the monitor LEDs D1 to D10 being visible. This is for confirming the operating state of each operating means.

  In the present embodiment, the monitor LEDs D1 and D2 monitor the operation of the first and second medal detection sensors (not shown) built in the medal sorting device 34, and are always in the off state. The first and second medal detection sensors are configured to detect the inserted medals and light up when outputting the detection signals.

  The monitor LEDs D5, D4, and D3 monitor the operation of the stop button 76a of the left reel 101a, the stop button 76b of the middle reel 101b, and the stop button 76c of the right reel 101c, and are always lit. When the buttons 76a, 76b, and 76c are operated, they are configured to be turned off or blinking in a selected light emission mode to be described later.

  The monitor LED D6 monitors the operation of the start lever 75, and is always lit. When the star lever 75 is operated, the monitor LED D6 is configured to turn off or blink in a selected light emission mode to be described later.

  The monitor LEDs D10 and D7 monitor the operation of the 1-bet button 72 and the max-bet button 73, respectively, and are always turned off. When the 1-bet button 72 or the max-bet button 73 is operated, they are selected as described later. It is configured to light up or flash in a different light emission mode.

  The monitor LED D8 monitors the connection state between the central display board 33 and the main control board 20, and is lit when the central display board 33 and the main control board 20 are normally connected. When any abnormality occurs in the connection between the board 33 and the main control board 20, the lamp is turned off or blinks. The central display board 33 is connected to the main control board 20 via the largest connector C5 in FIG.

  The monitor LED D9 monitors the operation of the settlement button 77, and is normally in the off state. When the settlement button 77 is operated, the monitor LED D9 is configured to light up or blink in a selected light emission mode to be described later.

  In this embodiment, every time the operation means such as the stop buttons 76a to 76c, the start lever 75, the 1 bet button 72, the max bet button 73, the settlement button 77 are operated, the CPU 60 of the main control board 20 The number of operations is counted, and the counted number of operations is updated and stored in a predetermined storage area of the RAM 62 serving as an operation number storage unit.

  In FIG. 4, reference symbols R3 to R7, R9, and R10 are stored in the RAM 62 of the main control board 20 when the operation means corresponding to the monitor LEDs D3 to D7, D9, and D10 are replaced due to their lifetime or failure. A reset button for resetting the stored value of the number of operations to the initial value “0” is shown. When each operation means is replaced and the value of the number of operations stored in the RAM 62 is reset by the operation of the reset buttons R3 to R7, R9, R10, the CPU 60 stores the number of resets in a predetermined storage in the RAM 62. Processing to be stored in the area is performed. The administrator of the slot machine 1 can check the replacement history of each operation means by referring to the reset count of each operation means stored in the RAM 62. The replacement history may be configured to be manually counted using a mechanical counter provided in each operation means.

  Next, with reference to FIG.5 and FIG.6, drive control of monitor LEDD3-D7, D9, D10 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  In the present embodiment, the light emission mode table shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the ROM 61 of the main control board 20. In the present embodiment, the ROM 61 is a light emission mode storage unit. When each operation means is operated, the CPU 60 of the main control board 20 selects one light emission mode table from the three types of light emission mode tables shown in FIG. 5 based on the type of the operated operation means. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 5, when the start lever 75 is operated, the CPU 60 selects the <Type 1> light emission mode table shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, and any of the stop buttons 76a to 76b is operated. When selected, the <type 2> emission mode table shown in the middle of FIG. 5 is selected. When the 1-bet button 72, the max-bet button 73 or the settlement button 77 other than the start lever 75 or the stop buttons 76a to 76c is operated, the <type 3> light emission mode table shown in the lower part of FIG. 5 is selected.

  In each light emission mode table, a light emission mode code, a range of the number of times of operation of the operated operating means, and a light emission mode according to drive pulse width (time) applied to the monitor LEDs D3 to D7, D9, and D10 are set. When any one of the operation means described above is operated, the CPU 60 of the main control board 20 selects any one light emission mode table from the <type 1> to <type 3> light emission mode table in the above-described procedure, Subsequently, the drive pulse width to be applied to the monitor LEDs D3 to D7, D9, and D10 with reference to the operation count of the operation means stored in the RAM 62 is selected from the times t1 to t3 based on the referred operation count. decide. The CPU 20 serving as the light emission mode control unit in the present embodiment controls the light emission modes of the monitor LEDs D3 to D7, D9, and D10 that are issuing units based on the determined light emission mode (t1 to t3).

  FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining the light emission mode of the monitor LEDs D3 to D7, D9, and D10 according to this embodiment, taking the monitor LED D7 for monitoring the operation of the max bet button 73 as an example. As described above, the monitor LED D7 that monitors the operation of the max bet button 73 is normally off (during non-operation), and when the max bet button 73 is pressed, the CPU 60 performs the operation based on the number of operations. Lighting or blinking control is performed in the determined light emission mode.

  When the max bet button 73 is operated, the CPU 60 of the main control board 20 selects a <type 3> light emission mode table shown in the lower part of FIG. 5 and refers to the number of operations stored in the RAM 62. At this time, when the number of operations of the max bet button 73 is less than 2 million times, the light emission mode code “07” in the <type 3> light emission mode table is selected, and the drive pulse width of the monitor LED D7 is determined to be t1. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, the time t1 is not a fixed time, but a time from the start of operation of the max bet button 73 to the end of the operation. While 73 is being pressed, the lamp continues to be lit (“H” state in FIG. 6), and turns off when the pressing operation is completed (“L” state in FIG. 6). Note that the above-described t1 may be set to, for example, about “1 second” so that the monitor LED D7 is turned on for 1 second from the start of operation and then turned off. When the monitor LEDD7 is lit in the light emission mode of the code 07, the manager of the slot machine 1 visually easily confirms that the maximum bet button 73 is still at a time when it can be fully used. Can be recognized.

  When the max bet button 73 is operated and the CPU 60 of the main control board 20 selects the <type 3> light emission mode table shown in the lower part of FIG. 5 and refers to the number of operations stored in the RAM 62, the max bet button If the number of operations 73 is 2 million times or more and less than 2.5 million times, the light emission mode code “08” in the <type 3> light emission mode table is selected, and the drive pulse width of the monitor LED D7 is determined to be t2. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B, the monitor LED D7 is turned on for a time t2 and then turned off for a subsequent time t2 from the start to the end of the pressing operation of the max bet button 73. The light emission mode is repeated. In the present embodiment, the time t2 is set to “0.5 seconds”, for example, and the monitor LED D7 blinks at intervals of 0.5 seconds. When the monitor LEDD7 is blinking in the light emission mode of the code 08, the manager of the slot machine 1 visually recognizes that the max bet button 73 is approaching the end of its usable life. can do. In this case, it is not necessary to set the lighting and extinguishing times of the monitor LED D7 to be equal. For example, the lighting mode of lighting for 0.6 seconds and extinguishing for 0.4 seconds may be repeated.

  When the max bet button 73 is operated and the CPU 60 of the main control board 20 selects the <type 3> light emission mode table shown in the lower part of FIG. 5 and refers to the number of operations stored in the RAM 62, the max bet button When the number of operations 73 is 2.5 million or more, the light emission mode code “09” in the <type 3> light emission mode table is selected, and the drive pulse width of the monitor LED D7 is determined to be t3. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6C, the monitor LED D7 is turned on for a time t3 and is turned off for a subsequent time t3 from the start of the pressing operation of the max bet button 73 to the end of the operation. The light emission mode is repeated. In the present embodiment, the time t3 is set to “0.25 seconds”, for example, and the monitor LED D7 blinks rapidly at intervals of 0.25 seconds. When the monitor LEDD7 is blinking in the light emission mode of this code 09, the manager of the slot machine 1 visually confirms that the max bet button 73 has reached the end of its usable life. Since it can be recognized, necessary measures such as replacement of the max bet button 73 can be quickly performed. In this case as well, it is not necessary to set the lighting and extinguishing times of the monitor LED D7 equally.

  The timing chart shown in FIG. 6 shows the drive timing of the monitor LED D7 and the like. For example, the monitor LED D7 corresponding to the max bet button 73 is blinking in the light emission mode shown in FIG. However, the operation signal of the max bet button 73 is not output every 0.25 seconds.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, as an example in which a single color LED is adopted as the monitor LED D7 or the like, the means for changing the change in the light emission mode by the lighting, extinguishing, and blinking change of the monitor LED D7 or the like has been described. By adopting a full-color LED as the monitor LED D7 or the like, it is possible to configure the light emission mode to be different depending on the change in the light emission color. Further, regardless of whether the LED is a single color LED or a full color LED, the light emission mode may be changed depending on the change in luminance of light emission.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which three levels of light emission modes are set in one type of light emission mode table has been shown. However, the light emission modes may be set to two levels or four or more levels. A different number of light emission modes may be set for each type of means.

  Further, different light emission mode tables (for example, different colors) are stored in the ROM 61 according to the number of times of replacement of the operation means, and the light emission modes based on the number of operations are changed from the different light emission mode tables based on the number of times of replacement of the operation means. You may comprise so that it may select. For example, it may be configured to select a light emission color based on the number of replacements of the operation means, and to select a light emission mode such as a blinking cycle based on the number of operations of the operation means. A light emission mode such as a blinking cycle may be selected, and a light emission color may be selected based on the number of operations of the operation means.

  Moreover, as a light emitting element, it is not restricted to LED, For example, a bean lamp, an organic EL element, etc. can be suitably selected as needed.

  In the embodiment described above, an example in which the CPU 60 of the main control board 20 functions as a light emission mode control unit, a counting unit, and a light emission mode selection unit, the ROM 61 functions as a light emission mode storage unit, and the RAM 62 functions as an operation count storage unit. As described above, these functions may be processed by the CPU 80, the ROM 81, and the RAM 82 of the sub-control board 30, respectively.

  Alternatively, the light emission mode storage unit may be the RAM 62 (or RAM 82), and the light emission mode table stored in the RAM 62 may be updated according to the number of times the operation unit is replaced.

  As described above, according to the gaming machine according to the present invention, the light emission mode control means (CPU 60) is based on the value of the operation count stored in the operation count storage means (RAM 62). Since the light emitting mode (t1 to t3) of the game machine is changed, the manager of the gaming machine or the like operates to operate (e.g., turn on) or turn off (turn off) the operation means such as an operation lever or an operation button. By visually recognizing the light emission mode of the light emitting means, it can be visually determined immediately whether or not the operating means has reached the end of its life. For example, by unifying the light emission mode of the light emission unit by the operation of the operation unit that has reached the number of operations determined to reach the end of life to one light emission mode (for example, t3), the light emission unit emits light or extinguishes in the light emission mode. It is easy to recognize that the light operating means has reached the replacement time.

  In addition, a light emission mode storage unit (ROM 61) in which a plurality of light emission mode tables corresponding to the type of the operation unit is stored is provided, and a plurality of light emission modes based on the value of the number of operations of the operation unit are set in the light emission mode table, A light emission mode selection unit (CPU 60) for selecting a light emission mode set in the light emission mode table based on the type of operation means and the number of operations is provided, and the light emission mode control unit (CPU 60) selects the light emission mode selected by the light emission mode selection unit. Since the light emission mode of the light emitting unit can be controlled based on the mode, the light emission can be performed even when the value of the number of operations for determining that the replacement time has been reached is different for each operation unit or each type of the operation unit. The mode selection unit selects a light emission mode based on the value of the number of operations from the light emission mode table corresponding to the operation unit, and the light emission mode control unit selects the selected light emission mode. Light emitting means can be controlled emission aspect, it is possible to provide a game machine time to change the operating means to the administrator or the like of the gaming machine can be easily recognized on the basis of.

  The present invention is not limited to the slot machine described above, and can also be applied to a gaming machine including various operation means operated by a player, such as a pachinko gaming machine, a sparrow ball gaming machine, and an arrangement ball gaming machine.

It is a perspective view showing the external appearance structure of the slot machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view showing the internal structure of the slot machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing the control system of the slot machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the general view of the center display board | substrate which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the light emission mode table memorize | stored in the billion parts of the slot machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart for demonstrating the light emission aspect of monitor LED which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... slot machine, 2 ... housing, 3 ... front door, 4 ... upper panel,
5 ... Lower panel part, 6 ... Receptacle unit, 6a ... Receptacle part, 7 ... Console,
7a ... Front mask, 20 ... Main control board, 21 ... Hopper device,
21a ... medal storage unit, 23 ... power supply device substrate, 24 ... power supply device,
25 ... External concentration terminal board, 30 ... Sub-control board,
32a, 32b, 38a, 38b ... speaker, 33 ... central display board,
34 ... Medal sorting device, 35, 36, 37 ... Guide member, 41 ... Panel surface,
41a ... display window, 46 ... lighting effect device, 46a ... lens panel,
47a, 47b, 67a, 67b ... production sound emitting part, 48 ... liquid crystal display device,
48a ... display window, 49a, 49b ... lighting unit for production,
60 ... CPU (light emission mode control means, counting means, light emission mode selection means)
61 ... ROM (light emission mode storage means), 62 ... RAM (operation count storage means),
65 ... ashtray member, 66 ... medal payout port, 71 ... medal slot, 71a ... slot,
72, 73 ... bet button, 75 ... start lever,
76a, 76b, 76c ... Stop button, 77 ... Checkout button,
78 ... Keyhole, 79 ... Control panel, 100 ... Reel unit,
101a, 101b, 101c ... reel,
110a, 110b, 110c ... stepping motors,
130 ... Cylinder device board, C1-C7 ... Connector,
D1 to D10: Monitor LED (light emitting means),
R3-R7, R9, R10 ... Reset button

Claims (2)

A plurality of operating means operated by an operator;
A light emitting means that emits or extinguishes when the operating means is operated;
A light emission mode control means for controlling the light emission mode of the light emission means;
Counting means for counting the number of operations of the operating means;
Operation number storage means for storing the number of operations counted by the counting means;
A gaming machine equipped with
The gaming machine characterized in that the light emission mode control means changes the light emission mode of the light emission means based on the value of the operation count stored in the operation count storage means. A light emission mode storage unit that stores a plurality of light emission mode tables according to the type of the operation unit;
In the light emission mode table, a plurality of light emission modes based on the value of the number of operations of the operation means are set,
A light emission mode selection unit that selects a light emission mode set in the light emission mode table based on the type and the number of operations of the operation unit;
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the light emission mode control unit controls a light emission mode of the light emission unit based on the light emission mode selected by the light emission mode selection unit.

Images