JP2010017431A - Slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an error in stopping order when reels are stopped by the stopping order determined in lottery. <P>SOLUTION: When a start lever is depressed after throwing-in a token in an AT-mode game so as to win a bell and to perform depression order lottery, an assist image is displayed on a liquid crystal display, and then, only a first stop reel is rotated. When a stop button corresponding to the first stop reel is depressed so as to stop the first stop reel, a second stop reel is rotated. When a stop button corresponding to the second stop reel is depressed so as to stop the second stop reel, a third stop reel is rotated. When a stop button corresponding to the third stop reel is depressed so as to stop the third stop reel, the bell wins and the tokens are put-out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a slot machine used in a game hall such as a pachinko parlor.

  Slot machines used in pachinko parlors are called pachislot machines. In the pachislot machine, when the start lever is pressed after the medal is inserted, the reels arranged side by side rotate. When the reels are individually stopped by pressing a stop button as shown in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 while the reels are rotating, it is determined whether or not the symbol stop mode matches a predetermined stop mode. If the two match, the winning combination wins and processing according to the type is performed. If BB (Big Bonus) or RB (Regular Bonus) wins, you can move to BB mode or RB mode and win a lot of medals in a short period of time, so players expect to win BB or RB. It is common to do.

  By the way, in recent years, there is a tendency to provide a pachislot machine that has been devised to increase the opportunities for players to win medals in addition to the BB mode and the RB mode, thereby preventing monotony of the game and enhancing the interest of the game. As such a pachislot machine, for example, an apparatus provided with an AT (assist time) mode for notifying the pressing order of stop buttons is known.

In the pachislot machine provided with the AT mode, the order of pressing the stop button for winning a specific small role is determined by lottery. In the normal mode, the pressing order determined by the lottery is not notified, and in the AT mode, the pressing order is notified. Thereby, in the normal mode, the player presses the stop button in an arbitrary order depending on intuition, and if the pressing order does not coincide with the chance, it is not possible to win a small role. If you press, you can be sure to win a small role.
JP 2004-283498 A Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-245592

  However, since most players play a game by pressing the stop button in a certain pressing order without changing the pressing order in the normal mode, even if the mode is changed to the AT mode, the same pressing order as in the normal mode is mistakenly performed. Even if the stop button is pressed and the mode is shifted to the AT mode, the stop button may be pressed in the wrong order, resulting in a loss in the number of acquired medals. In addition, the user presses the stop button before the operation of the stop button is enabled, and then presses another stop button for which the operation is enabled. In some cases, the stop button was pressed in the wrong order, resulting in a loss in the number of medals.

  In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a slot machine capable of preventing an error in the stop order when the reels are stopped in the stop order determined by lottery. .

  In order to achieve the above object, in the slot machine according to claim 1, a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols arranged on the outer periphery are rotated by a game start operation, and the reels are individually stopped by a stop operation of the reels. And the stop order determined in the lottery in response to the start operation in a slot machine that wins a prize when the stop order of the reels matches the stop order determined by the lottery and obtains a gaming privilege. Only the reels to be stopped first in step 1, and thereafter only the reels to be subsequently stopped in accordance with the stop order determined in the lottery in response to the stop operation of the rotating reels being performed. And reel drive control means for rotating. Note that “winning” indicates that the combination of symbols stopped on the winning effective line matches a predetermined combination, or that the predetermined symbol stops on the winning effective line.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since only the reels to be pressed are rotating in accordance with the stop order determined by the lottery, if the rotating reels are stopped sequentially, the stop order determined by the lottery Accordingly, the reels can be surely stopped, and an error in the stop order can be prevented when stopping the reels in the stop order determined by lottery.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 11 includes a slot machine main body 12 and a front door 13. The slot machine body 12 includes a storage box 12a. The storage box 12a stores various devices such as a reel and a main board for executing a game. The front door 13 is vertically divided into two parts, and is composed of an upper door 13a and a lower door 13b. The inside of the slot machine body 12 is opened and closed by an upper door 13a and a lower door 13b.

  A display window 14 is provided on the upper door 13a. A first reel 15a, a second reel 15b, and a third reel 15c are provided in the back of the display window 14. A plurality of types of symbols are arranged on the outer peripheral surfaces of the first to third reels 15a to 15c, and three symbols per reel are displayed through the display window 14 when the reels stop. In the slot machine 11, a total of five winning effective lines 16, consisting of three laterally and two diagonally, are set. Then, whether or not the winning combination has been won is displayed by the combination of symbols stopped on the winning winning line 16 when the first to third reels 15a to 15c are stopped.

  A liquid crystal display 17 is provided on the side of the display window 14. On the liquid crystal display 17, an assist image indicating the pressing order of stop buttons 21 a to 21 c for winning a bell, which will be described later, is displayed. In addition, a pair of speakers 18 are provided above the display window 14 for outputting a production sound during the game.

  The lower door 13b has a medal slot 19 for inserting medals prior to the start of the game, a start lever 20 for starting the rotation of the first to third reels 15a to 15c, and the rotating first to third reels 15a. Stop buttons 21a to 21c for stopping .about.15c, a payout port 23 for paying out medals to the medal tray 22, and the like. When the start lever 20 is pressed after the medal is inserted (game start operation), a winning combination lottery is performed to determine one of a plurality of types of winning combinations or to lose, and the first to third reels 15a to 15c rotate. When the stop buttons 21a to 21c are pressed (reel stop operation) and the first to third reels 15a to 15c are stopped, whether or not a winning combination has been won is displayed.

  The winning combination includes BB (Big Bonus), replay, and multiple types of small combinations. Once BB is elected, the right to win is carried over until winning. BB wins when the BB symbols are aligned on any one of the winning effective lines 16. When the BB wins, the winning probability of the small role becomes higher than in the normal mode, and the payout rate (the ratio of the number of medals paid out with respect to the insertion of one medal) shifts to the BB mode in which it is higher than the normal mode. . When Replay wins, the next game can be played without inserting medals. Replay is awarded when the replay symbols are aligned on any one of the winning effective lines 16.

  When a small role wins, a prescribed number of medals are paid out. The small role is composed of a cherry from which 2 medals are paid out, a plum from which 6 medals are paid out, a watermelon from which 10 medals are paid out, and a bell (win) from which 12 medals are paid out. The “game bonus” in the claims indicates the payout of medals when the bell wins. Plums, watermelons, and bells are awarded when their corresponding symbols are aligned on any one winning effective line 16. The cherry is won when the cherry symbol on the first reel 15a stops on the winning effective line 16. In addition, the small role other than the bell can be won regardless of the pressing order of the stop buttons 21a to 21c, but for the bell, the pressing order of the stop buttons 21a to 21c (reel stop order) is a lottery. A prize is awarded if it matches the determined pressing order. The pressing order determined in the lottery is determined from any of the following six types.

1. Stop button 21a → Stop button 21b → Stop button 21c
2. Stop button 21a → Stop button 21c → Stop button 21b
3. Stop button 21b → Stop button 21a → Stop button 21c
4). Stop button 21b → Stop button 21c → Stop button 21a
5). Stop button 21c → Stop button 21a → Stop button 21b
6). Stop button 21c → Stop button 21b → Stop button 21a

  In the slot machine 11, a game in the AT (assist time) mode can be performed in addition to the normal mode and the BB mode. The AT mode is shifted to the AT mode when the AT shift symbol is stopped on the winning effective line 16 in the game of the normal mode. In the AT mode, an assist image is displayed from the liquid crystal display 17 when a bell is won. For this reason, in the AT mode, if the player presses the stop buttons 21a to 21c according to the pressing order indicated by the assist image, the bell can be reliably won, and the player is more advantageous than the normal mode in which the assist image is not displayed. Become. The AT mode ends when the number of games reaches 100, which is the upper limit.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the operation of the slot machine 11 is controlled by the main board 60. The main board 60 includes a main CPU (reel drive control means) 61 and a memory 62. The ROM area of the memory 62 stores game execution programs and game execution data used in the game execution process. The main CPU 61 reads out the game execution program and game execution data from the memory 62 to perform operation processing of the slot machine 11. The RAM area of the memory 62 is used for temporary storage and rewriting of various flags and data such as a winning flag indicating the result of the winning combination lottery.

  The medal sensor 63 detects a medal inserted from the medal slot 19 and inputs a medal detection signal to the main CPU 61.

  The start signal sensor 64 inputs a game start signal to the main CPU 61 when the start lever 20 is pressed. The main CPU 61 operates the winning combination determining unit 65 in accordance with the input start signal.

  The winning combination determination unit 65 determines any one of BB, 4 types of small roles (cherry, plum, watermelon, bell), replay, or lose by a winning combination lottery using electronic random numbers. When any winning combination is won in the winning combination lottery, a winning flag indicating the type is written in the RAM area of the memory 62, and when lost, a lost flag is written. The BB flag is cleared when BB wins, and the other flags are cleared when the game ends. When the main CPU 61 wins the bell in the winning combination lottery, the main CPU 61 operates the pressing order lottery unit 66.

  The pressing order lottery unit 66 executes a pressing order lottery using an electronic random number, and determines the pressing order of the stop buttons 21a to 21c to which the bell wins. In the AT mode game, the main CPU 61 inputs the pressing order of the stop buttons 21 a to 21 c determined by the pressing order lottery to the sub-board 67. Receiving this, the sub board | substrate 67 operates the liquid crystal display 17, and displays the assist image which shows the input pressing order. Hereinafter, in the pressing order determined by the pressing order lottery, the first reel to be stopped is “first stop reel”, the second reel to be stopped is “second stop reel”, and the third reel to be stopped is “third reel”. This will be described as “stop reel”.

  When the winning combination lottery is completed, the main CPU 61 drives the stepping motor connected to each of the first to third reels 15a to 15c to start the rotation of the first to third reels 15a to 15c. In the game in which the bell is won in the AT mode, the main CPU 61 rotates only the first stop reel in response to the pressing of the start lever 20, and thereafter, it is determined by the pressing order lottery every time the stop button is pressed. The second and third stop reels rotate according to the pressing order.

  The stop signal sensor 68 detects that the stop buttons 21a to 21c are pressed. When the stop buttons 21 a to 21 c are pressed, stop signals for the first to third reels 15 a to 15 c are individually input to the main CPU 61. In response to the stop signal, the main CPU 61 operates the reel drive controller 69 when the first to third reels 15a to 15c are rotating, and the first to first reels corresponding to the pressed stop buttons 21a to 21c. Stop control of the three reels 15a to 15c is performed. The stop control of the first to third reels 15a to 15c is performed by controlling the driving of the stepping motor connected to each of the reels 15a to 15c. Stop control of the first to third reels 15a to 15c is performed by well-known pull-in control using a symbol stop table. In the stop table, when the stop buttons 21a to 21c are pressed, the number of drawn frames required for the first to third reels 15a to 15c to stop is 0 to 4 for five symbols including the symbols on the winning winning line 16. A frame, that is, a range of 5 frames (hereinafter referred to as “retraction range”) is set as an upper limit. And, when the stop button 21a-21c is pressed, the symbol at the position of the number of drawn frames set in the stop table is the winning symbol (the symbol corresponding to the winning combination won in the winning combination lottery), The winning symbol pull-in control is performed, and the winning symbol stops on the winning line 16. When all the stop buttons 21a to 21c are pressed, the control unit 60 compares the combination of the stop symbols on the winning winning line 16 with the combination of symbols that the winning combination wins. Thus, it is determined whether or not the winning combination has won a prize (hereinafter referred to as “winning determination”).

  The AT transition symbol becomes a target of the pull-in control when the winning combination lottery is performed and a loss assigned to a specific random number set in advance is reached. If the winning determination is made and these transition symbols are stopped on the winning effective line 16, the game shifts to the AT mode from the next game.

  The bell symbols are arranged so that the interval between each other is within 4 symbols (maximum of 3 other symbols between each other), and the bell symbols are always within the pull-in range regardless of the reel rotation position. It is rotating. When the stop buttons 21a to 21c are pressed in the pressing order determined by the pressing order lottery, the main CPU 61 performs the pull-in control of the bell symbol so that the bell wins, and the stop buttons 21a to 21b in the other pressing orders. When 21c is pressed, stop control of the first to third reels 15a to 15c is performed so that the bell does not win. Thereby, if the pressing order of the stop buttons 21a to 21c is correct, the bell wins regardless of the pressing timing.

  When BB or a small combination wins, the hopper device 70 is driven and medals are paid out. The number of medals to be paid out is set in advance in a payout table stored in the memory 62, and the main CPU 61 determines the number of medals to be paid out by referring to the payout table when a BB or a small role wins, and the hopper device 70 is driven.

  Next, the flow of the reel drive control in the game where the bell is won in the AT mode will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the start lever 20 is pressed after winning the medal in the AT mode game to win the bell and the pressing order lottery is performed, an assist image is displayed from the liquid crystal display 17, and only the first stop reel is displayed. Rotates. When the stop buttons 21a to 21c corresponding to the first stop reel are pressed to stop the first stop reel, the second stop reel rotates. When the stop button 21a to 21c corresponding to the second stop reel is pressed and the second stop reel is stopped, the third stop reel rotates. When the stop button 21a-21c corresponding to the third stop reel is pressed and the third stop reel stops, the bell wins and the medal is paid out.

  As described above, when the bell is won, the first to third reels 15a to 15c are sequentially rotated according to the pressing order determined by the pressing order lottery, so that the stop buttons 21a to 21c are pressed by mistake in the pressing order. It is possible to prevent the loss of medals due to the inability to win the bell even though the assist image is displayed in the AT mode.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the case where the bell is won in the AT mode game. However, if the game determines the pressing order in which the bell (winning) wins by the pressing order lottery, the game is switched to the BB mode or the normal mode. The present invention may be applied. Note that the winning is not limited to the bell, and may be an appropriate winning combination. For example, when the winning is BB, the gaming privilege is shifted to the BB mode, and when the winning is a specific replay, the gaming privilege Will shift to RT (replay time) mode. In addition, if it transfers to RT mode, the winning probability of a replay will become higher than normal mode.

  In the above embodiment, the order of pressing the stop button is notified by displaying the assist image in the AT mode. For example, the notification by voice from the speaker 18, the notification by lighting the lamp incorporated in the stop button, the back of the reel A notification method such as notification by a lamp may be an appropriate method.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a slot machine that drives a reel. However, for example, a slot machine that rotates a reel displayed on a liquid crystal display (displays a variable display of symbols on the liquid crystal display), a game ball The present invention may be applied to other slot machines such as a slot machine used as a medium.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a slot machine. It is a block diagram showing an outline of an electrical configuration of the slot machine. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the drive control of the reel in the game which won the bell in AT mode.

Explanation of symbols

11 slot machine 15a-15c 1st-3rd reel 17 liquid crystal display 21a-21c stop button 61 main CPU (reel drive control means)

Claims (1)

A plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols arranged on the outer periphery are rotated by a game start operation, the reels are individually stopped by a stop operation of the reels, and the stop order of the reels matches the stop order determined by lottery Then, in the slot machine where winning is won and game benefits are obtained,
In response to the start operation, only the reel to be stopped first in the stop order determined in the lottery is rotated, and thereafter, in response to the stop operation of the rotating reel being performed, A slot machine comprising reel drive control means for rotating only the reels to be subsequently stopped according to the stop order determined by lottery.

Images