JP2013094589A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine provided with a token identification device that can prevent erroneous recognition that a token is supplied due to a fraudulent action of faking the supply of the token.SOLUTION: The game machine includes a game machine body, the token identification device housed inside the game machine body, and a main control circuit. The token identification device includes: an imaging part 4 for generating, by a line sensor whose imaging range is a part of a path 6 formed inside a housing, one-dimensional images of the imaging range; and a control circuit 51 for determining whether a token is supplied or a fraudulent action is conducted depending on whether the trajectory of the time change of the width of a subject area where an object supplied into the path is projected, that is obtained from the respective one-dimensional images photographed at each prescribed photographing interval, matches with the trajectory of the time change of the width of a token on the one-dimensional image when the token flows down the path, and outputting the determination result to the main control circuit. The main control circuit performs processing according to the determination result.

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine having a medal identification device capable of preventing erroneous detection of camouflaging a medal insertion as a medal insertion.

  Conventionally, when a medal having a valuable value is inserted into a gaming machine such as a spinning machine, the inserted medal is identified in order to determine the number of times a player can play according to the medal. A medal identification device is installed. In such a medal identification device, for example, a plurality of sensors for detecting that a medal has passed are provided along a medal passage in the medal identification device. Each sensor has, for example, a light source such as a light emitting diode and a light receiving element such as a photodiode, and the light source and the light receiving element are opposed to each other across a passage so that light from the light source reaches the light receiving element. Installed. Therefore, only when the medal passes between the light source and the light receiving element, the light from the light source is blocked by the medal, and as a result, the amount of received light detected by the light receiving element decreases, and this sensor has passed the medal. Can be detected. Furthermore, the medal identification device can detect the passing direction of the medal according to the order in which each sensor detects that the medal has passed.

  However, in recent years, there has been a problem of fraudulent acts that disguise the insertion of medals using a so-called Clement. This jig is a plate-shaped jig that can be inserted from the medal slot of the medal identification device, and has a plurality of light emitting diodes at the tip. Then, by operating the switch on the hand side of the jig, each light-emitting diode blinks in turn at intervals similar to the time required for the medal to pass between the plurality of sensors. As a result, the jig erroneously recognizes that a medal has been inserted into the medal identification device. In order to prevent such an illegal act, when the light projecting element of the sensor is turned on, a first determination unit that determines whether or not the light receiving unit controlled in synchronization with the light receiving unit is receiving light, and when the light projecting element of the sensor is turned off A second determination unit that determines whether or not the light receiving unit is not receiving light, and outputs a light reception signal when the first and second determination units determine that the light reception / shading is appropriate multiple times. On the other hand, when the second determination unit determines that the light receiving unit is receiving light when the light projecting element is extinguished, an inserted medal sorting device is proposed in which the light projecting element is not turned on at the next timing (for example, (See Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-270621 A

  However, even in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the light emitting diode of the jig for fraud is blinked in synchronization with the light emission timing of the light projecting element, camouflaging of medal insertion due to fraud is completely prevented. There was a risk of not being able to. In addition, for illegal acts, a string is attached to a regular medal, and the medal is inserted into the medal slot while holding one end of the string. The act of taking out from the slot is also known. However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot prevent such illegal acts.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine having a medal identification device that can prevent a misrecognition that a medal has been inserted due to an illegal act of disguising the insertion of a medal.

As one aspect of the present invention, a gaming machine having a gaming machine body, a medal identification device housed in the gaming machine body, and a main control circuit is provided. In this gaming machine, the medal identification device has a housing that forms a passage through which medals flow down, and a line sensor that takes a part of the passage as a shooting range, and a one-dimensional image of the shooting range at every predetermined shooting interval. A plurality of one-dimensional images photographed at predetermined time intervals to extract a subject region in which an object placed in the passage is captured to obtain a width of the subject region, If the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the subject area over the one-dimensional image matches the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the medal on the plurality of one-dimensional images when the medal flows down the passage, the medal is inserted. On the other hand, a control circuit that determines that an illegal act has been performed when the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the subject area does not coincide with the trajectory of the temporal change in the medal width, and outputs the determination result to the main control circuit; Have
When the main control circuit receives a determination result indicating that a medal has been inserted from the control circuit of the medal identification device, the main control circuit permits the start of the game, while receiving a determination result indicating that an illegal act has been performed. , Report misconduct.

  In the medal identification device included in this gaming machine, the line sensor is preferably arranged so that its longitudinal direction is not orthogonal to the direction of the medal flow. In this case, the control circuit of the medal identification device obtains the center of gravity of the subject area extracted from each of the plurality of one-dimensional images, and the trajectory of the temporal change of the center of gravity of the subject area across the plurality of one-dimensional images passes through the medal. It is preferable to determine that an illegal act has been performed unless the trajectory of the temporal change of the center of gravity of the medal on the plurality of one-dimensional images when flowing down.

  In addition, the medal identification device of this gaming machine has a medal width on a one-dimensional image that is determined for each of a plurality of stages obtained by dividing a period required for a medal to pass through a shooting range at a predetermined shooting interval. And a storage unit that stores an allowable range of the width of the subject area and an allowable range of the center of gravity of the subject area that can be taken by the center of gravity of the medal on the one-dimensional image, and the control circuit of the medal identification device includes: The width of the subject area and the centroid of the subject area for each of the plurality of one-dimensional images arranged in the order of time generated are the allowable range of the width of the subject area and the centroid of the subject area for the corresponding stage of the plurality of stages. It is preferable to determine that the time change locus of the width of the subject region matches the time change locus of the medal width.

  The gaming machine according to the present invention has an effect that it is possible to prevent erroneous recognition that a medal has been inserted due to an illegal act of disguising the insertion of a medal.

1 is a schematic top view of a medal identification device mounted on a gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic rear view of a medal identification device. It is a schematic rear view of the medal identification device when the cover of the imaging unit is removed. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the medal identification device when a cross section indicated by AA ′ in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the medal identification device when a cross-section indicated by BB ′ in FIG. 2 is viewed from the direction of an arrow. It is a circuit block diagram of a medal identification device. (A)-(g) is a figure which shows an example of a to-be-photographed object area | region and its gravity center position transition, respectively, when a medal passes the imaging | photography range of an imaging part. (A) is a figure which shows an example of the time change of the width | variety of a to-be-photographed area | region corresponding to Fig.7 (a)-(g), (b) respond | corresponds to Fig.7 (a)-(g). FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a temporal change in the center of gravity of a subject area. (A) is a figure which shows an example of the allowable range about the width | variety of a to-be-photographed area | region, (b) is a figure which shows an example of the allowable range about the gravity center of a to-be-photographed area | region. It is an operation | movement flowchart of a medal identification method. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a turning game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a spinning machine according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where a front panel is opened. FIG. It is a circuit block diagram of a spinning machine.

Hereinafter, a medal identification device mounted on a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This medal identification device includes an imaging unit including a line sensor that is arranged to be inclined with respect to a medal flow direction and continuously shoots medals flowing down a passage in the medal identification device. Then, the medal identification device is configured such that when a regular medal passes the width of the subject and the time-varying trajectory of the subject centered in each of a plurality of consecutive one-dimensional images generated by the imaging unit, the medal is passed. Determines whether a medal has been inserted or an illegal jig has been inserted depending on whether or not the width and the center of gravity of the image are consistent with the time-varying trajectory, and the medal is drawn by pulling the string attached to the inserted regular medal Prevent medal counting due to cheating.
In the present embodiment, the outer shape of the medal is assumed to be substantially circular.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a medal identification device 1 mounted on a gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of the medal identification device 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic rear view of the medal identification device 1 when a cover of an imaging unit (described later) is removed. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the medal identification device 1 in which the cross section indicated by AA ′ in FIG. 1 is viewed from the direction of the arrow. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the medal identification device 1 when the cross section indicated by BB ′ in FIG. 2 is viewed from the direction of the arrow. FIG. 6 is a circuit block diagram of the medal identification device 1.
The medal identification device 1 includes a housing 2, a light source 3, an imaging unit 4, and a control board 5. The light source 3 and the imaging unit 4 are accommodated in the housing 2 and are connected to a control substrate 5 disposed on a substrate (not shown) provided outside the housing 2 via a signal line. Note that the control board 5 may also be housed inside the housing 2. Further, the control board 5 is connected via a signal line to a main control circuit (not shown) of a gaming machine on which the medal identification device 1 is mounted, and a signal indicating that a medal insertion has been detected. Outputs a signal indicating that fraud has been detected.

  The housing 2 has, for example, the u-axis direction shown in FIG. 1 substantially parallel to the front surface of the spinning machine, and the w-axis direction shown in FIG. 2 is the vertical direction of the spinning machine. It is attached to the rotating game machine so as to be substantially parallel. Therefore, in the following, for convenience, the u direction is referred to as the width direction and the w direction is referred to as the height direction. Further, the v-axis direction shown in FIG. 1 is referred to as a depth direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a medal slot 2 a is formed on the upper surface of the housing 2. The medal slot 2a has a length obtained by adding a predetermined offset (for example, 1 mm to 2 mm) to the diameter of the medal along the width direction of the housing 2 and has a predetermined thickness in the depth direction of the housing 2. It has a length to which an offset (for example, 0.5 mm to 1 mm) is added.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 2 forms therein a passage 6 through which medals flow, and accommodates the light source 3 and the imaging unit 4. For this purpose, the housing 2 is configured by combining a plurality of parts formed to have a desired shape by molding a resin, for example. Alternatively, the housing 2 may be formed of a metal such as iron, aluminum, or copper, or a component formed of metal and a component formed of resin may be combined.

The passage 6 formed in the housing 2 is formed along the height direction on the upper end side of the housing 2, is curved along the width direction of the housing 2 in the middle, and is formed obliquely toward the lower right. Yes. The upper end of the passage 6 is directly connected to the medal insertion port 2 a, while the lower end of the passage 6 is directly connected to the medal discharge port 2 b formed at the right end of the housing 2. Therefore, the medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 2a flow down in the casing 2 along the passage 6, as indicated by the arrows, and then go out of the medal identification device 1 from the medal discharge outlet 2b on the right side of the casing 2. Discharged. The flow direction of the medals indicated by the arrows is hereinafter referred to as the forward direction for convenience, and the direction from the medal discharge port 2b toward the medal insertion port 2a is referred to as the reverse direction.
The passage 6 has a length obtained by adding a predetermined offset (for example, 1 mm to 2 mm) to the diameter of the medal along the width direction and the height direction of the housing 2 so that the medal can flow smoothly. The length of the medal is obtained by adding a predetermined offset (for example, 0.5 mm to 1 mm) along the depth direction of 2.
In addition, in order to reduce the contact area with the medal, a plurality of grooves may be formed on the side surface of the passage 6 along the flow direction of the medal.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, below the curved portion of the passage 6, as will be described later, the housing 2 is located more than the passage 6 so that the imaging unit 4 can photograph the medal M passing through the passage 6. There is a gap on the back side. Therefore, in order to prevent the medal M from deviating from the passage 6 in this gap, below the curved portion of the passage 6, the upper end and the lower end of the passage 6 are respectively closer to the back side of the housing 2 than the passage 6. Guide members 7a and 7b for restricting the movement of medals in the depth direction are arranged. The distance between the lower end of the guide member 7a and the upper end of the guide member 7b is smaller than the diameter of the medal, and is slightly smaller than the diameter of the medal M, for example, so that the imaging unit 4 can photograph most of the medal M. For example, it is a value obtained by subtracting 1 mm to 2 mm from the diameter of the medal M.

As shown in FIG. 5, the light source 3 illuminates the medal M passing through the imaging range 4 a of the imaging unit 4 set in a section sandwiched between the guide members 7 a and 7 b of the passage 6. In the vicinity of the section, it is arranged on the front side of the housing 2 with respect to the passage 6. Furthermore, the light source 3 is configured so that, for example, one or a plurality of light emitting diodes or fluorescent lamps arranged along the lower end of the passage 6 and a light emitting element such as a fluorescent lamp can be illuminated uniformly. A plate-like diffusion sheet that diffuses light toward the passage 6 and emits the light. The diffusion sheet is formed of a material that is transparent to the wavelength of light from the light source, such as acrylic or polycarbonate. The light from the light emitting element enters the diffusion sheet from the lower end surface of the diffusion sheet facing the light emitting element, and the incident light is formed on the back side of the diffusion sheet, that is, on the front side of the housing 2. The light is diffused by the unevenness, and is emitted toward the passage 6 from the front side of the diffusion sheet, that is, the surface facing the passage 6.
The light source 3 illuminates the passage 6 while the medal identification device 1 is operating. Alternatively, the light source 3 may be controlled by the control board 5 so as to emit light only at the timing when the imaging unit 4 captures an image.

  According to the modification, the diffusion sheet may be a ground glass-like translucent sheet. In this case, the light emitting element may be arranged on the back side of the diffusion sheet, that is, on the opposite side of the surface of the diffusion sheet that faces the passage 6. Further, the light source 3 may include a light emitting element that emits surface light, such as an organic EL element, or a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array. In this case, the light emitting element may be arranged so as to directly illuminate the passage 6. The diffusion sheet may be omitted.

  While the medal identification device 1 is operating, the imaging unit 4 continuously shoots the medal M passing through the shooting range 4 a set in a part of the passage 6 at a predetermined shooting period, A one-dimensional image showing the image of the part is generated. Therefore, the imaging unit 4 is disposed on the back side of the passage 6 in the housing 2 so as to face the light source 3 with the passage 6 interposed therebetween, below the curved portion of the passage 6. The imaging unit 4 includes, for example, a line sensor 41 in which photoelectric conversion elements such as a CCD sensor or a C-MOS sensor are arranged in a line, a partial section of the passage 6 included in the imaging range 4a on the line sensor 41, and a section thereof. An imaging optical system that forms an image of the passing medal M. Hereinafter, for simplification, the one-dimensional image generated by the imaging unit 4 is simply referred to as an image.

  The line sensor 41 of the imaging unit 4 has a longitudinal direction of the line sensor 41 flowing down the medal M in a plane substantially parallel to the side surface of the passage 6, that is, in a plane substantially parallel to the rear surface of the medal discriminator 1. In order not to be orthogonal to the direction (the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 3), for example, the longitudinal direction is inclined so that the angle θ formed with respect to the flow-down direction is an acute angle. The angle θ formed by the line sensor 41 and the flow direction of the medal M is, for example, when the medal M passes through the shooting range 4a at the assumed flow speed and a part of the medal M is captured in at least three images. It is preferable to set as follows. In the present embodiment, the angle θ formed is such that the lower end of the line sensor 41 is upstream of the upper end of the line sensor 41 so that 15 images are acquired while the medal M passes the shooting range 4a. The line sensor 41 is arranged so as to be located at the angle. The angle θ formed by the line sensor 41 and the flow direction of the medal M is set to 60 °. Note that the angle θ increases as the shooting period of the imaging unit 4 is shorter, that is, the angle θ can approach the direction orthogonal to the flow-down direction of the medal M, and as a result, the size of the line sensor 41 can be reduced. Conversely, by reducing the angle θ, the imaging cycle of the imaging unit 4 can be lengthened, so that the calculation load per unit time can be reduced. As a result, the power consumption of the medal identification device 1 can be reduced.

  The imaging unit 4 has, for example, 256 pixels. The luminance value of each pixel is represented by, for example, 0 to 255, and the larger the luminance value, the higher the luminance.

  As described above, for example, the predetermined shooting cycle is set so that at least three images are generated while the medal M inserted into the medal identification device 1 passes through the shooting range 4a. In this embodiment, for example, 60 frames / second to 120 frames / second is set so that 15 images are generated. The imaging unit 4 outputs the generated image to the control board 5 every time it captures an image.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control board 5 includes a control circuit 51 and a memory 52. The control circuit 51 includes, for example, a processor and its peripheral circuits. The control circuit 51 analyzes the image received from the imaging unit 4 to detect the outer shape of the medal passing through the passage 6 and the moving direction of the medal. The memory 52 includes, for example, a nonvolatile read-only semiconductor memory and a volatile read / write semiconductor memory. The memory 52 stores a medal identification process program executed by the control circuit 51, parameters used in the medal identification process, various intermediate calculation values calculated during the medal identification process, and the like. The memory 52 may store the latest plurality of images received from the imaging unit 4 or a plurality of binarized images obtained by binarizing the images.

  In the present embodiment, the light source 3 and the imaging unit 4 are arranged with the passage 6 interposed therebetween. For this reason, when the medal M is positioned within the shooting range 4 a of the imaging unit 4, the medal M blocks light emitted from the light source 3. Therefore, on the image, the area where the image of the medal M is reflected becomes dark, and the surrounding area becomes bright because the light from the light source 3 reaches the imaging unit 4.

Therefore, for example, each time an image is received, the control circuit 51 sets the image as a subject area in which the medal M is reflected, and a set of pixels having a luminance value lower than a predetermined threshold value Th stored in the memory 52 in advance. On the other hand, a set of pixels having a luminance value equal to or higher than the threshold value Th is binarized as a background area where no medal M is shown. For example, on the binarized image, the control circuit 51 sets the value of the pixel included in the subject area to “0”, while setting the value of the pixel included in the background area to “255”.
The threshold Th is obtained, for example, by acquiring in advance an image of a medal passing through the passage 6 and specifying the subject area and the background area in the image, and then distributing the luminance value of the subject area and the luminance value distribution of the background area. The two distributions are discriminated and analyzed, and the two distributions are determined as the most separated values. Alternatively, the threshold value Th may be set to any value of 1/4 to 1/2 of the maximum value that the luminance value can take, for example, 127.

  Next, the control circuit 51 is a binarized image in which a part of a medal may be captured from among a plurality of binarized images obtained sequentially, that is, a binarized image including a subject area. Is extracted as a medal detection candidate image.

FIGS. 7A to 7G are diagrams illustrating an example of a transition of a range where the medal appears and its center of gravity position when the medal M passes the shooting range 4 a of the imaging unit 4. The medals M flow down in the forward direction, and the obtained images are shown in FIGS. 7A to 7G in order from the oldest. 7A to 7G, the forward direction is a direction from the left side to the right side as indicated by an arrow D.
In each of FIGS. 7A to 7G, the positional relationship between the medal M and the shooting range 4a of the imaging unit 4 is shown on the upper side. On the lower side, a binarized image 700 obtained by binarizing the image generated by the imaging unit 4 is shown. On the binarized image 700, the black area is the subject area 710, while the white area is the background area 720.

In FIG. 7A, since the medal M does not overlap the shooting range 4a, the subject image 710 does not exist in the binarized image 700, and the entire binarized image 700 is the background region 720. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 7B to 7D, since the medal M has a substantially circular shape, the portion including the diameter of the medal M and the shooting range 4a as the medal M flows down. Until the two overlap, the width L of the subject area 710 that appears on the binarized image gradually increases. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 7E to 7G, the width L of the subject area 710 on the binarized image 700 gradually decreases until the medal M and the shooting range 4a do not overlap. .
In the present embodiment, since the imaging unit 4 is arranged so that the lower end side of the line sensor 41 of the imaging unit 4 is located upstream of the upper end side, the range where the medal M and the shooting range 4a overlap is as follows. As the medal M flows down, it moves sequentially from the lower side to the upper side of the shooting range 4a. Therefore, the center of gravity C of the subject area 710 on the binarized image 700 also gradually moves from bottom to top as time passes.

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an example of a temporal change locus of the width L of the subject area corresponding to FIGS. 7A to 7G, and FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the locus | trajectory of the time change of the gravity center C of a to-be-photographed area | region corresponding to (g). 8 (a) and 8 (b), the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time, and the times t _{0 to} t ₆ are the positions of the medal M shown in FIGS. 7 (a) to 7 (g), respectively. Corresponds to the image generation time. And in FIG. 8 (a), the vertical axis represents the number of pixels corresponding to the width L of the subject region, each graph 801 to 805 represents the width L of the subject region at time t ₁ ~t _5. On the other hand, in FIG. 8B, the vertical axis represents the number of pixels corresponding to the lower end of the imaging range 4a and corresponding to the height from the lower end of the image, and each graph 811 to 815 indicated by a solid line represents the time t It represents the height of the center of gravity C of the subject region in the ₁ ~t _5. Each graph 821 to 825 indicated by a broken line represents the height from the lower end of the image to the center of gravity C when the medal M is moving in the reverse direction.

As indicated by an arrow 800 in FIG. 8A, when the medal M flows down in the forward direction, the width L of the subject area monotonously increases in a plurality of continuous images, and after reaching the maximum value, this time monotonously. Decrease. Then, the maximum value of the width L of the subject area shown in the graph 803 is equal to or slightly smaller than the diameter of the medal M. On the other hand, if a fraudulent jig other than a medal is inserted into the medal identification device 1, the trajectory of the temporal change in the width L of the subject area is the arrow 800 unless the fraudulent jig is circular. Will be different. For example, a fraudulent jig called a so-called Clement is a plate having a length that allows the other end to come out from the medal slot even if the tip of the jig reaches the imaging unit 4. It has become. Therefore, the width L of the subject region becomes a constant value corresponding to the width of the fraudulent jig in a direction orthogonal to the flow-down direction after a certain time. Even if the plate-like member is formed of a transparent member such as an acrylic plate, on the image, the portion corresponding to the light source provided on the jig and its drive circuit board and wiring is the subject area. . For this reason, the trajectory of the temporal change of the width L of the subject area is different from the trajectory of the temporal change of the width L when the medal flows down.
If the fraudulent jig width is smaller than the diameter of the medal M, the subject area width L is also smaller than the width corresponding to the medal M diameter.

  Since the medal M has a symmetrical shape at the center point, the trajectory of the temporal change in the width L of the subject area does not depend on the traveling direction of the medal M. For example, even when an unauthorized person pulls a string attached to the medal M and the medal M advances in the reverse direction, the width L of the subject area changes as indicated by the arrow 800 with the passage of time. It is difficult to determine the advancing direction of the medal M even if only the time passage of the width L of the region is examined.

  On the other hand, as indicated by an arrow 810 in FIG. 8B, when the medal M flows down in the forward direction, the height of the center of gravity C of the subject area monotonously increases in a plurality of continuous images due to the inclination of the line sensor 41. . Conversely, when the medal M advances in the reverse direction, as indicated by the arrow 820, the height of the center of gravity C of the subject area monotonously decreases.

  As described above, the temporal change trajectory of the width L of the subject area and the temporal change trajectory of the center of gravity C of the subject area vary depending on the shape of the object flowing down the passage 6 and the traveling direction of the object. Therefore, the control circuit 51 determines the time of the medal width L on the image when the trajectory of the temporal change of the width L of the subject area and the trajectory of the temporal change of the center of gravity C of the subject area flow down in the forward direction. Whether or not the object flowing down the subject area is a medal and whether the medal is flowing in the forward direction by checking whether or not the change trajectory and the temporal change trajectory of the center of gravity C of the area where the medal is shown are matched. Determine whether or not.

  In this embodiment, the control circuit 51 shoots the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area in a plurality of images arranged in time order from when the object first appears until the object disappears, with the medal moving in the forward direction. If the width L and the center of gravity C of each stage divided into a plurality of time intervals when passing through the range 4a are within the allowable range, the time change of the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area Is determined to be coincident with the trajectory of the temporal change of the width and the center of gravity of the medal on the image. Note that the allowable range of the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area of each stage is determined in advance by experiments and stored in the memory 52, for example.

FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating an example of an allowable range for the width L of the subject region, and FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating an example of an allowable range for the center of gravity C of the subject region. In FIG. 9A, the horizontal axis represents the stage, and the vertical axis represents the width L of the subject area. Blocks 901 to 909 represent permissible ranges of the width L of the subject area in stages S1 to S9, respectively. In this example, stage S1 represents the stage for the image in which the object was first detected, and stage S9 represents the stage for the image in which the object was last detected. Note that the total number of stages is, for example, the number of images shot from when the medal partially flows into the shooting range 4a until passing through the shooting range 4a when the medal flows down at a standard moving speed. Is set. Further, the permissible ranges 901 to 909 in each stage are set to the fluctuation range of the width L of the subject region due to the fact that the relationship between the shooting period by the shooting unit 4 and the timing when the medal reaches the shooting range 4a is not constant.
Also in FIG. 9B, the horizontal axis represents the stage. In addition, each stage S1-S9 in FIG.9 (b) respond | corresponds to stage S1-S9 of Fig.9 (a), respectively. The vertical axis in FIG. 9B represents the height from the lower end of the image. Blocks 912 to 918 represent the allowable range of the position of the center of gravity C of the subject area in the stages S2 to S8. This allowable range is also set to a variation range of the center of gravity C due to the relationship between the shooting period of the imaging unit 4 and the timing at which the medal reaches the shooting range 4a is not constant. Regarding stages S1 and S9, since the fluctuation range of the center of gravity C is large, it is not considered whether or not the center of gravity C is within the allowable range. In other words, the entire area on the image is an allowable range of the position of the center of gravity C. Further, the same allowable range may be set for a plurality of stages. For example, with respect to the center of gravity C, it is only necessary to know whether the height from the lower end of the image increases or decreases with time, so the same allowable range is set for the stages S2 to S4, and the stage S5 The same allowable range may be set for .about.S8. In this case, there are substantially two stages.

The control circuit 51 determines whether or not the width L of the subject region transitions in the order of stages S1 to S9 while being included in the allowable range 901 to 909 in a plurality of temporally continuous images in which an object is captured. To do. Further, the control unit 51 determines whether or not the center of gravity C of the subject area transitions in the order of stages S2 to S8 while being included in the allowable range 912 to 918 in a plurality of temporally continuous images in which the object is captured. judge.
Note that the movement speed of medals changes depending on the player's action when the player inserts medals into the medal identification device 1 or the collision of medals caused by continuous insertion of medals. As a result, medals may be slower than the standard movement speed. For this reason, even if the images in which the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area are included within the allowable range for the same stage are continuous within the allowable number of stays, the control circuit 51 determines that an unauthorized object has been input. Never do. Note that the allowable number of stays is set, for example, to the number of images shot per stage, for example, 2 to 3, when the medal is the assumed minimum speed when passing through the shooting range 4a.

  FIG. 10 is an operation flowchart of the medal identification process executed by the control circuit 51. In the following description, the total number of stages is N, and the allowable number of stays is M. The stage 1 is a stage (stage S1 in FIGS. 9A and 9B) that represents the first allowable range with respect to the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area when the medal flows forward. Stage N represents a stage (stage S9 in FIGS. 9A and 9B) that represents the last allowable range for the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area when the medal flows in the forward direction.

  The control circuit 51 acquires an image from the imaging unit 4, and binarizes the image into a subject area and a background area (step S101). Then, the control circuit 51 calculates the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area from the binarized image (step S102). Note that the control circuit 51 may include pixels that should originally be included in the background area in the subject area due to the positional relationship between illumination and medals or the influence of rubber adhered in the passage 6. In such a case, a plurality of continuous pixel sets included in the subject region may be detected on the binarized image. Therefore, for example, the control circuit 51 searches for a set of continuous pixels included in the subject area in order from the upper end of the binarized image. Then, the control circuit 51 obtains the number of consecutive pixels Li (i = 1, 2,...) From the uppermost pixel to the lowermost pixel for each set of pixels. Then, the control circuit 51 sets the maximum number Lmax out of the continuous pixel number Li for each set of pixels as the width L of the subject region. In addition, the control circuit 51 sets the center point of the upper end pixel and the lower end pixel included in the set of pixels corresponding to the maximum value Lmax as the center of gravity C of the subject area. The control circuit 51 performs, for example, a morphological opening operation on the pixels included in the subject area before detecting the set of pixels, and removes isolated ones of the pixels included in the subject area. As described above, the binarized image may be corrected.

  The control circuit 51 determines whether or not the subject area is first detected (step S103). The condition for determining that the subject area is detected first is, for example, that the width L of the subject area is included in the allowable range of the first or last stage among the stages of the allowable range. it can.

  If the subject area is first detected in step S103 (step S103-Yes), the control circuit 51 sets the stage number n representing the stage of interest to “1”. Further, the control circuit 51 sets a stay count m representing the number of images for which the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area are determined to be within the allowable range of the same stage to “0” (step S104).

  On the other hand, if the subject area is not first detected in step S103 (step S103-No), the control circuit 51 determines whether the stage number n is “2” and the stay count m is “0”. (Step S105). If the stage number n is “2” and the stay count m is “0” (step S105—Yes), the control circuit 51 determines that the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area are the stage 2 or the stage (N It is determined whether it is included in the allowable range in -1) (step S106).

  If any one of the width L and the center of gravity C is out of both the allowable range in the stage 2 and the allowable range in the stage (N-1), the control circuit 51 has an object other than a medal in the passage 6. It is determined that it has been inserted. The control circuit 51 notifies the main control circuit of the gaming machine of the illegal act (step S112).

On the other hand, if both the width L and the center of gravity C are included in the allowable range in the stage 2, the control circuit 51 estimates that the object shown in the subject area is moving in the forward direction. Then, the control circuit 51 sets the offset value α of the stage number to “0”, and sets the coefficient β representing the transition direction of the stage to “1” that is a value corresponding to the forward direction (step S107).
If both the width L and the center of gravity C are within the allowable range of the stage (N-1), the control circuit 51 estimates that the object shown in the subject area is moving in the reverse direction. . Then, the control circuit 51 sets the offset value α of the stage number to “(N + 1)”, and sets the coefficient β representing the transition direction of the stage to “−1”, which is a value corresponding to the reverse direction (step S108). ).
After step S107 or S108, the control circuit 51 repeats the processing after step S101.

  On the other hand, after step S104 or when the number of stages n is not “2” or the stay count m is not “0” in step S105 (step S105—No), the control circuit 51 determines the width L and the center of gravity of the subject area. It is determined whether C is within an allowable range in the stage {α + βn} (step S109). That is, the control circuit 51 determines whether or not the changes in the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area between the previously acquired image and the latest image are small enough to fit on the same stage. If both the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area are within the allowable range in the stage {α + βn} (step S109—Yes), the control circuit 51 increments the stay count m by 1 (step S110). Then, the control circuit 51 determines whether or not the stay count m is larger than the allowable stay count M (step S111). If the stay count m is less than or equal to the allowable stay count M (step S111-No), the control circuit 51 repeats the processing after step S101. On the other hand, if the stay count m is larger than the allowable stay count M (step S111—Yes), it is determined that an object other than a medal has been inserted into the passage 6. The control circuit 51 notifies the main control circuit of the gaming machine of the illegal act (step S112).

  On the other hand, in step S109, if any one of the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area is out of the allowable range in the stage {α + βn} (step S109—No), the control circuit 51 determines the width of the subject area. It is determined whether L and the center of gravity C are within the allowable range in the next stage {α + β (n + 1)} (step S113). If any one of the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area is out of the allowable range in the stage {α + β (n + 1)} (step S113—No), an object other than a medal is inserted into the passage 6. It is determined that The control circuit 51 notifies the main control circuit of the gaming machine of the illegal act (step S112).

  On the other hand, if both the width L and the center of gravity C of the subject area are within the allowable range in the stage {α + β (n + 1)} (step S113—Yes), the control circuit 51 increments the stage number n by 1. In addition, the stay count m is reset to “0” (step S114). Then, the control circuit 51 determines whether or not the number of stages n is larger than the total number N of stages (step S115). If the number of stages n is less than or equal to the total number N of stages (step S115-No), if the object shown in the image is a medal, the object should not yet pass through the imaging range 4a of the imaging unit 4. Therefore, the control circuit 51 repeats the processes after step S101.

On the other hand, if the number of stages n is larger than the total number N of stages (step S115—Yes), the object has passed through the imaging range 4a. Therefore, the control circuit 51 refers to, for example, the symbol β and determines whether or not the traveling direction of the object is the forward direction (step S116). If the advancing direction of the object is the forward direction (step S116—Yes), the trajectory of the temporal change in the width L of the subject area and the center of gravity C is the width of the medal on the image when the medal flows down the passage 6 in the forward direction. It can be considered that it coincides with the trajectory of the time change of L and the center of gravity C. Therefore, the control circuit 51 notifies the main control circuit of the gaming machine that the regular medal has been inserted (step S117). On the other hand, if the traveling direction of the object is the reverse direction (step S116-No), the temporal change in the width L of the subject area and the center of gravity C is the width L of the subject area when the medal travels in the reverse direction. It can be considered that it coincides with the time change of the center of gravity C. Therefore, the control circuit 51 notifies the main control circuit of the gaming machine of an illegal act of attaching a string to the medal and drawing it out (step S118).
After step S112, S117, or S118, the control circuit 51 ends the medal identification process. According to the modified example, when it is determined in step S116 that the traveling direction of the object is the reverse direction, the process of step S118 is omitted, and the control circuit 51 performs both regular medal insertion and fraud. The main control circuit may not be notified.

  As described above, this medal identification device is a one-dimensional image obtained by photographing a part of a passage in the medal identification device, and a subject area in which an object thrown into the medal identification device is reflected. Whether or not a medal has been inserted is determined based on whether or not the trajectory of temporal change in width and center of gravity matches the trajectory of temporal change when the medal flows down the passage. The trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the subject area differs depending on the shape of the object passing through the shooting range. For this reason, this medal identification device can prevent a misconduct, which has a plurality of light sources and whose outer shape is different from the outer shape of the medal, from being mistakenly identified as a medal. In addition, since the line sensor is arranged to be inclined with respect to the flow direction of the medal, the medal identification device can detect the advancing direction of the medal based on the time change locus of the center of gravity of the subject area. It is also possible to detect an illegal act of pulling the attached string and taking out the inserted medal from the medal identification device. Also, as described above, whether or not the time change trajectory of the width of the subject area and the center of gravity coincides with the medal width on the image and the time change trajectory of the center of gravity depends on whether or not the permissible range for each stage is satisfied. By executing the processing with a simple process of determination, the calculation load of the control circuit can be reduced.

In addition, this invention is not limited to said embodiment. For example, the control circuit converts a set of coefficients of a multi-dimensional equation representing a temporal change locus of the width L of the subject region, for example, a coefficient of a two-dimensional equation representing a parabola, to each subject of a plurality of images in which the object is reflected. You may obtain | require according to the method of least squares using the width | variety of an area | region. Then, the control circuit obtains a difference between the set of coefficients and the set of coefficients of the equation representing a standard temporal change locus of the width L of the medal on the image when the medal flows down the passage. When the difference is within a predetermined allowable range, the control circuit may determine that the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the subject area matches the trajectory of the medal shown on the image. . That is, the control circuit may determine that the object thrown into the passage is a medal.
Similarly, the control circuit uses a set of coefficients of a one-dimensional equation representing a temporal change trajectory of the centroid C of the subject area, using the centroids of the subject areas of the plurality of images in which the object is captured, as a minimum of two. You may obtain | require according to a multiplication. Then, the control circuit obtains a difference between the set of coefficients and the set of coefficients of the equation representing the standard time-varying trajectory of the center of gravity C of the subject area when the medal flows forward in the path. The control circuit may determine that the trajectory of the temporal change in the center of gravity of the subject area coincides with the trajectory of the medal shown on the image when the difference is within a predetermined allowable range. . That is, the control circuit may determine that the medal has flowed down the passage in the forward direction.
Note that a set of coefficients of an equation representing a standard temporal change trajectory of the medal width L and the center of gravity C on the image is obtained in advance through experiments or the like and stored in a memory, for example.

  According to another modification, the line sensor included in the imaging unit may be arranged such that the upper end of the line sensor is located upstream of the lower end of the line sensor. In this case, the locus of the center of gravity of the subject area when the medal flows down the passage along the forward direction is a locus in which the height from the lower end of the passage monotonously decreases, contrary to the above embodiment. On the other hand, in this case as well, the locus of the width of the subject area when the medal flows down the passage along the forward direction is the same as in the above embodiment.

  According to still another modification, the control circuit captures a reference image that is captured when there is no object thrown into the passage within the imaging range of the imaging unit and is stored in advance in the memory of the control board, and the imaging unit. A difference calculation between corresponding pixels may be performed on the received image, and a set of pixels whose difference value absolute value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold may be extracted as a subject area. The predetermined threshold value can be set to, for example, 1/4 to 1/2 of the maximum value that the luminance value can take.

  According to another modification, a sensor that detects the passage of a medal may be provided on the medal insertion slot side of the imaging range of the imaging unit. This sensor can be, for example, an optical sensor having a light source and a light receiving element arranged so as to face each other across a passage. In this case, after the sensor detects the medal, the control circuit may determine whether or not the medal is captured using only the image captured by the imaging unit.

According to still another modification, the light source and the imaging unit may be arranged on the same side with respect to the passage. In this case, the light from the light source is reflected by the side wall on the opposite side of the passage from the side where the medal or the light source is arranged, and reaches the imaging unit. In general, since the medal is made of metal and has a high light reflectivity, in this modification, the luminance value of the pixel included in the area where the medal is shown on the image is the pixel included in the area where the medal is not shown. It becomes higher than the luminance value. Note that light of a wavelength emitted by the light source is placed on the side wall of the passage so that the difference between the luminance value of the pixel included in the area where the medal is shown and the luminance value of the pixel included in the area where the medal is not shown is large. It is preferable that a paint having absorptivity is applied.
In addition, when the control circuit binarizes the image into the subject area and the background area, the control circuit increases the value of a pixel having a luminance value equal to or lower than the binarization threshold value than the pixel value having a higher luminance value than the binarization threshold value. By doing so, it is possible to perform the same processing as in the above-described embodiment to estimate whether or not a medal is shown in the image and the movement direction of the medal.

  According to still another modification, when the medal identification device is configured so that the medal does not advance in the reverse direction, the line sensor included in the imaging unit is along a surface substantially parallel to the back surface of the medal identification device. In addition, it may be arranged so as to be orthogonal to the direction in which the medals flow down. In this case, the control circuit is configured so that the width of the medal captured in each of the plurality of images obtained by photographing the medals when the temporal change in the width of the subject area flows over the plurality of images in which the objects are continuously captured. Whether or not an illegal act has been performed may be determined based only on whether or not it coincides with the time change. In order to prevent the medal from moving in the reverse direction, for example, a right triangular triangular latch member biased by a spring or the like is provided on the lower surface of the passage on the downstream side of the shooting range so as to protrude from the lower surface. It may be done. The upper end surface on the upstream side of the latch member forms an acute angle with the flow direction of the medal, and the downstream surface is formed to be orthogonal to the flow direction of the medal. In this case, when the medal flows down in the forward direction, the medal can pass because the latch member is pushed down by the medal and sinks downward. On the other hand, when the medal advances in the reverse direction, even if the medal contacts the downstream surface of the latch member, no downward force is applied to the latch member, so that the latch member does not sink and the reverse movement of the medal is prevented. .

  According to still another modification, the length of the shooting range may be shorter than the diameter of the medal. However, even in this case, the length of the shooting range is such that three or more images are displayed while the shooting range overlaps with the medal so that the time fluctuation locus of the width of the subject area and the time fluctuation locus of the center of gravity can be obtained. It is preferable that the length is such that the width of the subject area and the position of the center of gravity change on each image, for example, ½ or more of the medal diameter.

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a spinning game machine 100 including a medal identification device according to an embodiment or a modification of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the spinning machine 100 with the front panel opened. FIG. 13 is a circuit block diagram of the spinning cylinder game machine 100. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the spinning machine 100 includes a main body housing 101 that is a gaming machine body, light emitting drums 102 a to 102 c, a start lever 103, stop buttons 104 a to 104 c, and a front panel 105. Have
Further, the spinning machine 100 includes a medal identification device 106 attached to the back side of the front panel 105, a control box 107 in which various control circuits are accommodated, and a main control circuit 110. A medal storage / discharge mechanism 108 for temporarily storing medals in accordance with the control signal and discharging the medals is provided.
As shown in FIG. 13, in the control box 107, for example, a main control circuit 110 that controls the entire spinning game machine 100, an effect control circuit 111 that controls each part related to the effect of the game, A power supply circuit 112 that supplies power to each part of the spinning machine 100 is accommodated.

  An opening 105a is formed at the upper center of the front surface of the front panel 105, and the light emitting drums 102a to 102c are visible through the opening 105a. An opening 105c for inserting medals is formed on the upper surface of the frame 105b on the lower side of the opening 105a. The opening 105c and the medal insertion slot provided on the upper surface of the medal identification device 106 coincide with each other. In addition, a medal identification device 106 is arranged. The medal discharge port of the medal identification device 106 is connected to the medal storage / discharge mechanism 108, and medals discharged from the medal identification device 106 are collected by the medal storage / discharge mechanism 108.

  A decoration device including a plurality of light emitting diodes may be provided as a lower panel below the front panel 105. Further, a medal discharge port 105d for discharging medals is formed in the front panel 105 below the decoration device. A medal tray 105e for preventing the discharged medal from falling is attached below the medal discharge port 105d. A speaker (not shown) may be attached near the upper left end and near the upper right end of the front panel 105.

Each of the light emitting drums 102a to 102c is individually separated around a rotation axis (not shown) that is substantially parallel and substantially horizontal to the front surface of the main body housing 101 in accordance with a control signal from the effect control circuit 111. It can be rotated. The surface of each of the light emitting drums 102a to 102c is divided into a plurality of regions having substantially the same width along the rotation direction, and various designs are drawn for each region. Instead of the light emitting drums 102a to 102c, a display device such as a liquid crystal display may be provided so that the display screen is visible through the opening 105a. In this case, the display device displays an image showing a plurality of drums on the display screen in response to the control signal from the effect control circuit 111.
The start lever 103 is provided on the left side toward the front surface of the frame 105 b of the front panel 105. Further, stop buttons 104a to 104c are provided substantially at the front center of the frame 105b. The stop buttons 104a to 104c correspond to the light emitting drums 102a to 102c, respectively.

  The medal identification device 106 is a medal identification device according to the above-described embodiment or modification. When the medal is inserted into the medal slot of the medal identification device 106 through the opening 105c, the medal identification device 106 determines whether or not the inserted medal is a regular medal, and if it is a regular medal, this is indicated. Output to the main control circuit 110. Then, the main control circuit 110 determines the number of games and the like according to the inserted medal, and permits the spinning machine 100 to start the game. Thereafter, when the start lever 103 is operated, a signal indicating that the start lever 103 has been operated is transmitted to the main control circuit 110. Then, the main control circuit 110 causes the production control circuit 111 to start rotating the light emitting drums 102a to 102c. Further, the production control circuit 111 outputs a sound effect different from that when the light-emitting drums 102a to 102c are stopped to enhance the player's interest during rotation of the light-emitting drums 102a to 102c, The light emitting diode of the device may be blinked.

Thereafter, when any of the stop switches 104a to 104c is pressed, the main control circuit 110 receives a signal indicating that the switch is pressed from the pressed switch, and the light emitting drum corresponding to the pressed switch. The rotation is stopped via the production control circuit 111. Alternatively, the main control circuit 110 produces an effect on the light emitting drums in which the corresponding stop switch has not been pressed before the predetermined period elapses after the rotation starts, among the light emitting drums 102a to 102c. Is stopped via the control circuit 111.
When all the light emitting drums are stopped and the same symbol is arranged in a line across all the light emitting drums, the main control circuit 110 discharges a predetermined number of medals corresponding to the symbol through the medal discharge port. Further, in this case, the effect control circuit 111 outputs a sound effect different from that when the drum is rotated and when the same pattern is not aligned in a line across all the light emitting drums, and the light emitting diode of the decoration device is output from the speaker. It may be lit at maximum brightness.

  On the other hand, when the medal identification device 106 determines that the inserted medal is impersonated with a jig or the like, or has made an illegal movement such as moving in the reverse direction even if it is a regular medal, The main control circuit 110 is notified that an illegal act has been performed. For example, the main control circuit 110 notifies the management system of the hall in which the revolving gaming machine 100 is installed, together with the identification number of the revolving gaming machine 100, that an illegal act has been performed.

  As described above, those skilled in the art can make various modifications in accordance with the embodiment to be implemented within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Medal identification device 2 Housing 2a Medal insertion slot 2b Medal ejection slot 3 Light source 4 Imaging unit 41 Line sensor 5 Control board 51 Control circuit 52 Memory (storage unit)
6 Passage 7a, 7b Guide member 100 Cylinder machine 101 Main body housing 102a-102c Rotating drum 103 Start lever 104a-104c Stop button 105 Front panel 106 Medal identification device 107 Control box 108 Medal storage / discharge mechanism 110 Main control circuit 111 Production Control circuit 112 Power supply circuit

Claims (3)

A gaming machine body,
A medal identification device housed in the gaming machine body;
A main control circuit housed in the gaming machine body;
A gaming machine having
The medal identification device
A housing that forms a passage where medals flow down,
An imaging unit having a line sensor having a part of the passage as a photographing range, and generating a one-dimensional image of the photographing range at a predetermined photographing interval;
From each of the plurality of one-dimensional images photographed at the predetermined photographing interval, a subject area in which an object put in the passage is reflected is extracted to obtain a width of the subject area, and the plurality of 1 When the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the subject area over the two-dimensional image matches the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the medal on the plurality of one-dimensional images when the medal flows down the passage, On the other hand, when the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the subject area does not match the trajectory of the temporal change in the width of the medal, it is determined that an illegal act has been performed, and the determination result is determined as the main control circuit. And a control circuit that outputs to
When the main control circuit receives a determination result indicating that a medal has been inserted from the control circuit of the medal identification device, the main control circuit permits the start of the game, while receiving a determination result indicating that an illegal act has been performed. And reporting fraud,
A gaming machine characterized by that. The line sensor is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the line sensor is not orthogonal to the flow direction of the medal,
The control circuit obtains the center of gravity of the subject area extracted from each of the plurality of one-dimensional images, and a trajectory of time change of the center of gravity of the subject area across the plurality of one-dimensional images flows down the passage. 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein if it does not coincide with a trajectory of the temporal change of the center of gravity of the medal on the plurality of one-dimensional images at the time of playing, it is determined that an illegal act has been performed. The width of the subject area, which is a range that can be taken by the width of the medal on the one-dimensional image, is determined for each of a plurality of stages obtained by dividing the period required for the medal to pass through the shooting range by the predetermined shooting interval. A storage unit that stores an allowable range and an allowable range of the center of gravity of the subject area, which is a range that can be taken by the center of gravity of the medal on the one-dimensional image;
The control circuit is configured such that the width of the subject region and the center of gravity of the subject region for each of the plurality of one-dimensional images arranged in the order of generated time are the subject regions for the corresponding stage of the plurality of stages. And determining that the time change locus of the width of the subject area coincides with the time change locus of the width of the medal when included in the allowable range of the width of the subject area and the allowable range of the center of gravity of the subject area. The gaming machine described.

Images