JP2014140695A - Spacer device and game system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a player to continuously execute a game with paper money or a card even when a communication between a spacer device and a management device fall into an offline state.SOLUTION: A management device stores negotiable value information in which an identifier of a game recording medium that a spacer device handles, is associated with a negotiable value of the game recording medium. The spacer device detects whether a communication state with the management device is an online or an off line; when starting a transaction by insertion of a game recording medium, on the basis of the detected communication state, switches putout origin information of the game medium to any of the negotiable value information acquired from the management device and the negotiable value information read from the inserted game recording medium; executes a control to put out game media on the basis of the switched putout origin information; and, when receiving a return command of the game recording medium, returns the game recording medium in which the negotiable value reflecting the result of the putout control is written.

Description

  The present invention relates to an inter-device and a game system for accepting cash (banknotes) or a game recording medium as a valuable value and enabling the game medium to be used for a gaming machine, and more particularly to a game recording medium. A game medium acquired by a player even if it is connected to a management device that stores and manages the game media acquired by the player in association with the recorded identification information and communication with the management device is impossible Alternatively, the present invention relates to an inter-device and a game system that perform processing for making a game medium usable based on a game recording medium.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a payout processing machine (hereinafter referred to as “between device”) that pays out game media such as pachinko balls and medals is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such an inter-bed apparatus pays out game media based on the value associated with the inserted cash (banknote) or game recording medium (hereinafter simply referred to as “card”).

  In addition, the counting unit connected to each inter-device device counts the number of game media (hereinafter referred to as “handball”) acquired by the player in the game table, and associates the count value with the card. A so-called counting method for each vehicle has also been known.

  The remaining amount of the prepaid value or the remaining number of possessions associated with the card inserted into the inter-device (hereinafter referred to as “valuable value”) is stored in the card by the management device connected to the inter-device. Are managed in association with the identifier (card ID).

  In this way, the management of the valuable value of the card is performed by the management device that is the host device of the inter-device, so that the communication between the inter-device and the management device is interrupted for some reason (offline state). In the event of a fall, value management cannot be performed.

  For this reason, at least by using a payout system (see Patent Document 2) that accepts only low-value banknotes (for example, a thousand-yen bill) and pays out game media corresponding to the value in a batch while offline. Only low bills were used (degenerate operation).

JP 2000-14394 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-7016

  In addition, in the inter-devices represented by the above-described conventional technology, when an off-line state or on-line recovery occurs, it is necessary for the staff of the amusement store to perform an off-line migration process or an on-line recovery process for each inter-device. .

  Therefore, when performing offline transfer processing, the operation will be stopped for a certain period of time, and the player will receive a value associated with the card, for example, a card associated with the remaining number of game media acquired by the player. In addition to being unable to move the game table with it, there was a problem that the game itself was forced to be interrupted.

  Further, there is a problem that the number of game media associated with the inserted card may be unclear during the offline transfer process.

  Therefore, even if the communication between the inter-device and the management device falls offline, the game media associated with the card inserted into the inter-device can be managed, A major issue is how to realize a gaming system in which a player can play.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems caused by the prior art, and does not require an excessive work load on the amusement shop side during online / offline transition, and between the inter-device and the management device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inter-device and a game system that can manage game media associated with a card inserted into the inter-device, even when the communication in the above state goes offline.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention accepts a recording medium provided corresponding to a gaming machine and associated with an acquired gaming medium acquired by a player, and the acquired gaming machine in the gaming machine An inter-device that performs an enabling process for enabling use of a game medium based on a medium, wherein communication means communicates information about the acquired game medium with a management apparatus, and communication between the management means and the management apparatus Communication state detection means for detecting whether the state is online or offline, and acquired game medium number specifying information for receiving the recording medium and specifying the number of acquired game media associated with the recording medium , An acquired game medium number specifying information storage means that acquires and stores information managed by the management device or information recorded on the recording medium, and the acquired game When the information stored in the body number specifying information storage means is updated and the corresponding game medium can be used in the game table, the enabling processing means, and when the instruction to return the recording medium is received, the communication Processing to return the recording medium in a state in which the communication state detected by the state detecting means and the number of acquired game media reflecting the enabling processing by the enabling processing means can be specified from the information recorded on the recording medium The acquired game medium number specifying information storage means is recorded on the recording medium when the communication state specified from the information recorded on the recording medium indicates offline. The acquired game medium number specifying information is stored based on the acquired information.

  Further, the present invention, in the above invention, further comprises a history storage means for storing a processing history relating to the recording medium, on the condition that the state detected by the communication state detection means has returned from offline to online The processing history stored in the history storage means is transmitted to the management device by the communication means.

  In addition, the present invention is provided for a game machine, accepts a recording medium associated with an acquired game medium acquired by a player, and uses the game medium based on the acquired game medium in the game machine. A gaming system comprising: an inter-device that performs enabling processing; and a management device that is provided so as to be communicable with the inter-device and that manages information relating to the acquired game medium, wherein the inter-device is the management device A communication unit that communicates with the management device, a communication state detection unit that detects whether the communication state of the communication unit with the management device is online or offline, and the recording medium is received and associated with the recording medium The acquired game medium number specifying information for specifying the number of acquired game media is obtained from the information managed by the management device or the information recorded on the recording medium. And storing the acquired game medium number specifying information storing means, and enabling processing for making the corresponding game medium usable in the game table while updating the information stored in the acquired game medium number specifying information storing means. And when the recording medium return instruction is received, the recording state and the number of acquired game media reflecting the enabling process by the enabling processing means are recorded. Return processing means for returning the recording medium in a state identifiable from the information recorded on the medium, and the management device updates information on the acquired game medium based on information received from the inter-device The acquired game medium number specifying information storage means includes an information updating means for indicating that the communication state specified from the information recorded on the recording medium is offline. In the case of the of, based on the recorded information on the recording medium, and characterized in that for storing the acquired game medium specific number information.

  Also, in the present invention according to the above-mentioned invention, the inter-device is configured so that the communication means obtains the communication state information acquired from the recording medium and a predetermined numerical value for confirming that the recording medium is valid. Transmitted to the management device, and the management device further comprises a legitimacy judging means for judging whether or not the numerical value satisfies a predetermined condition when the communication state information indicates offline. And

  According to the present invention, even if the player falls into an offline state, the player can continue to play with the card, and the game medium associated with the card inserted into the inter-device is managed. There is an effect that can be.

It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the game media payout system concerning this invention. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an in-store system according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the game media payout system concerning a present Example. It is a figure which shows individual log | history information. It is a figure which shows card management information. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process sequence at the time of insertion of the card | curd concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process sequence at the time of insertion of the card | curd concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process sequence at the time of insertion of the card | curd concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process sequence in the online concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process sequence in the online concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the offline transfer process procedure concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the offline transfer process procedure concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the online recovery process procedure concerning a present Example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the online recovery process procedure concerning a present Example.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Exemplary embodiments of a table apparatus and a gaming system according to the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, the outline of the gaming system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and then an embodiment of the gaming system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, a case where the present invention is applied to a pachinko game will be described.

  The inter-stand device that pays out the pachinko balls pays out the pachinko balls based on the value associated with the inserted bill or the game recording medium (hereinafter referred to as “card”). The remaining amount of prepaid value associated with the card inserted into the inter-device and the remaining number of possessions acquired by the player (hereinafter referred to as “value value”) are managed to be connected to the inter-device. It is managed in association with the card identifier (card ID) by the apparatus.

  However, if the communication between the inter-device and the management device is interrupted for some reason (offline state), it is not possible to perform storage management of valuable value. I couldn't process the payout process.

  Therefore, in the game medium payout system according to the present invention, even when the inter-device device and the management device are offline, the player can play the game with cards and balls as before. The main feature is that it can be done.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a game medium payout system according to the present invention. As shown in the upper part of the figure, the pachinko parlor has a management device that stores valuable value information in a database and manages the remaining amount of cards inserted into each inter-device, and each inter-device via an island controller. And are connected.

  Here, the island controller is a relay device that bundles a group of inter-devices and pachinko machines (not shown) provided in a space (game island) surrounded by a passage, and includes a management device and a plurality of island controllers. Are connected to each other.

  During normal times, i.e., when the communication status between the inter-device and the management device is normal, the inter-device provides the remaining amount of the inserted card, the withdrawal information when performing the pachinko ball payout processing, and the bill A transaction history such as payment information is transmitted to the management device, and the management device stores and manages it as valuable value information.

  However, when the communication between the inter-device and the management device is interrupted, that is, when it is in an off-line state (see (1) in the figure), for example, a card is inserted into the inter-device B. The case (see (2) in the figure) will be described.

  In this case, when the pachinko ball is paid out or deposited, the inter-device B stores the remaining amount of the card and the transaction history in a storage unit such as a database provided in the inter-device B (( 3), the payout process can be continued without returning the card.

  Furthermore, after an operation requesting a card return is performed in the inter-device B, the card is returned to the pachinko machine corresponding to the inter-device C connected to the island controller B that is online. Can be used to play games (see (4) in the figure).

  Further, even a pachinko machine corresponding to the inter-device apparatus A connected to the island controller A that is offline can play a game using the returned card (see (4) 'in the figure). ).

  The types of cards that can be used by the player in the network environment shown in FIG. 1 include a built-in card (general player card) built in the inter-device, and a case where the player plays a game using banknotes. Examples include a prepaid card for holding the remaining amount and a membership card issued to a member of an amusement store.

  In this way, the work load on the amusement shop side at the time of online / offline transition is not required, and even when communication between the inter-device and the management device falls offline, it is inserted into the inter-device. The valuable value of banknotes or cards can be managed, and a gaming environment equivalent to an online state can be provided to the player. Below, the Example about the game media payout system concerning this invention is described in detail.

  First, the system configuration of the in-store system of the amusement store according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the in-store system according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the management device 20 installed in the amusement store includes an island controller 30, a payment machine 50, a prize management device 60, and a membership card terminal via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The machine 65 and a member management terminal controller (hereinafter referred to as “member management T / C”) 70 are connected.

  The island controller 30 is connected to the inter-device 10 and the pachinko machine 40. Although only one island controller 30 is shown in the figure, it is assumed that a predetermined number of island controllers 30 are connected to the management apparatus 20.

  The inter-device 10 is interposed between the island controller 30 and each pachinko machine 40, and a predetermined number of inter-devices 10 are connected to one island controller 30.

  The management device 20 stores the valuable value information in a database (not shown) provided in the management device 20 and manages the remaining amount of the card. The island controller 30 is a relay device that bundles a group of pachinko machines 40 and the inter-device 10 that are provided in a space (amusement island) surrounded by a passage.

  The pachinko machine 40 is a device that allows a player to play a pachinko game by launching a pachinko ball into the game area. In this embodiment, the pachinko machine 40 is a card-compatible pachinko machine. When the card with the remaining amount of the card is inserted, the checkout machine 50 pays out the cash corresponding to the remaining amount and performs the payment of the card.

  The prize management device 60 is a terminal device for prize exchange arranged in a prize exchange counter in the amusement store, and manages exchange of acquired balls and prizes using exchange ball number management information (not shown). This exchanged ball number management information stores the number of exchanged balls required for exchanging with each prize for each prize.

  Further, the player can receive a prize according to the count value by bringing the card to the prize exchange counter and holding or inserting the card into the membership card terminal 65 provided in the prize management apparatus 60. it can. At that time, an employee in the prize exchange counter presses the exchange button corresponding to the prize designated by the player, and the prize management device 60 subtracts the number of exchange balls corresponding to the prize from the acquired balls. And then hand it over to the player manually by the employee.

  The member management T / C 70 is a management device that issues a member card to a player registered as a member and performs overall management of members registered in the game store using member management information (not shown) stored in the issued card. is there. This member management information stores the remaining amount of prepaid value or the remaining number of possessions acquired by the player in association with the member number.

  As described above, in the amusement store, as a system for providing services to members and other players, in-store devices that handle the membership card (for example, the table device 10 and the prize management device 60) and these in-store devices are provided. A member management system including a member management T / C 70 to be managed, a card system including in-store devices that handle cards (for example, the inter-device 10 and the checkout machine 50), There are coexisting systems that include in-store equipment (for example, the inter-table device 10, the pachinko machine 40, etc.) that handles the game machine table data.

  Next, the configuration of each device constituting the game medium payout system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the game medium payout system according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the game medium payout system in the present embodiment is composed of a table device 10 and a management device 20. Although only one inter-unit device 10 is shown in the figure, it is assumed that a predetermined number of inter-unit devices 10 are connected to the management device 20 via an island controller 30 (not shown).

  First, the configuration of the inter-bed apparatus 10 will be described. The inter-bed device 10 includes a card holding unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication I / F 13, a control unit 14, and a banknote processing unit 15. The control unit 14 further includes a communication mode detection unit 14a, a switching unit 14b, a normal processing unit 14c, an individual history generation unit 14d, and a recovery instruction unit 14e. Information 12a is stored.

  The card holding unit 11 holds a card built in the inter-device apparatus 10. When the card is inserted, the card holding unit 11 also performs a process for holding the card. When the card holding unit 11 receives a card return instruction from the control unit 14, the card holding unit 11 associates the remaining amount of the inserted banknote and the communication mode with the card, and then the card with the remaining amount and the communication mode associated with the card. It shall be discharged (returned) outside. The banknote processing unit 15 is a processing unit that performs processing for reading various inserted banknotes, determining authenticity, face value, and the like, and notifying the control unit 14 of the deposit amount.

  The storage unit 12 is a storage unit configured by a storage device such as a nonvolatile memory or a hard disk drive, and stores individual history information 12a. The individual history information 12a is updated every time a pachinko ball is paid out or a bill is inserted while offline.

  Here, an example of the individual history information 12a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the individual history information 12a. As shown in the figure, the individual history information 12a includes “transaction number”, “card ID”, “transaction type”, “update amount”, “transaction date” items, and the like.

  The “transaction number” is added for each operation process (hereinafter referred to as “transaction”) such as a pachinko ball payout process or a banknote deposit process operated by the inter-device 10, for one transaction. This number is set to be unique.

  “Card ID” is the card ID of the card held in the card holding unit 11 when the transaction is performed. The “transaction type” is a type of transaction, and is, for example, “withdrawal” when the pachinko ball is paid out in the inter-device 10, and “deposit” when depositing banknotes. The “renewal amount” is a withdrawal amount at the time of a pachinko ball payout process or a deposit amount of banknotes. “Transaction date and time” is the date and time when the transaction was performed.

  For example, when a card with a card ID “111” is inserted and a player inserts a 10,000 yen bill, the transaction number “1010”, the transaction type “payment”, and the transaction date and time “ "08/08/0811: 00" is registered in the individual history information 12a.

  Thereafter, when the player performs an operation for requesting a payout process for a pachinko ball for 1,000 yen, the transaction number “1011”, the card ID “111”, the transaction type “withdrawal”, and the transaction date and time “08/08” / 0811: 01 "is registered in the individual history information 12a.

  Then, after the player returns the card and finishes the game, when another player inserts a card with a card ID “222” and inserts a 5,000 yen bill, the transaction number “1012” , Card ID “222”, transaction type “payment”, transaction date and time “08/08/0812: 30” and the individual history information 12a.

  Thus, the transaction number is added so as to be unique for one transaction. Here, the transaction number is added as a serial number, but it is a unique value and may be added at random.

  In addition, here, only the “update amount” item used when the payout process is performed according to the remaining amount of the card has been described. This item is also included in the individual history information 12a.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 3, the storage unit 12 stores individual card management information (not shown), and the individual card management information is associated with the card ID together with the card held in the card holding unit 11 and the card ID of the inserted card. The remaining card amount is stored.

  When the card is inserted, the information such as the card ID written in the card and the associated valuable value is correct based on the individual card management information stored in the storage unit 12 in the inter-device 10. Whether or not it will be checked.

  In addition, storage management of card IDs written in cards that can be played in the game store may be performed collectively by an island controller (not shown). In this case, fraud checks of card IDs written in the cards are performed as follows: It will be done with the island controller.

  The communication I / F 13 is an interface for performing data communication between the inter-device device 10 and the management device 20 via an island controller (not shown).

  The communication mode detection unit 14a is offline when a response from the management device 20 has not been received for a predetermined time or when a notification that communication with the management device 20 has been interrupted is received from an island controller (not shown). Is detected and the communication mode is set to offline.

  The communication mode detection unit 14a determines that the communication mode detection unit 14a is online when the communication state recovery notification is received from the management device 20 or when the communication state between the inter-device 10 and the management device 20 is normal. It is a processing unit that performs processing for setting the communication mode to online.

  The switching unit 14b switches processing depending on the communication mode determined by the communication mode detection unit 14a. For example, when the communication mode is online, the process is switched to the normal processing unit 14c when performing the payout process, and when the payout process is offline, the process is switched to the individual history generating unit 14d when performing the payout process. It is a processing unit.

  When the card is inserted, the normal processing unit 14c checks whether the information such as the card ID written in the card and the associated valuable value is correct by the management device 20. It is a processing unit that performs processing for transmitting the written communication mode and the remaining amount of the card to the management device 20.

  The normal processing unit 14c is a processing unit that performs a payout process using the remaining amount stored in the card management information 21a of the management information 20 as a remaining amount for payout. In addition, the normal processing unit 14c is a processing unit that performs processing of transmitting the withdrawal information at the time of online pachinko ball payout processing or the depositing information of banknotes to the management device 20 as a transaction history.

  The individual history generation unit 14d is a processing unit that performs a process of performing a payout process using the remaining amount associated with the card held in the card holding unit 11 as the remaining amount for payout. The individual history generation unit 14d is a processing unit that performs processing for storing the offline transaction history in the individual history information 12a.

  When the communication mode detection unit 14a detects that the communication mode detection unit 14a has recovered from offline to online, the recovery instruction unit 14e recovers information stored in the storage unit 21 of the management device 20 that has not been updated while offline. Therefore, it is a processing unit that performs a process of transmitting all the individual history information 12a stored while offline to the management apparatus 20.

  Next, the configuration of the management apparatus 20 will be described. The management device 20 includes a storage unit 21, a communication I / F 22, and a control unit 23. The control unit 23 further includes a normal processing unit 23a and a recovery processing unit 23b, and the storage unit 21 stores card management information 21a, card transaction information 21b, and total history information 21c.

  The storage unit 21 is a storage unit configured by a storage device such as a nonvolatile memory or a hard disk drive, and the card management information 21a stores the card remaining amount of the card associated with the card ID together with the card ID of the card.

  Here, an example of the card management information 21a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the card management information 21a. As shown in the figure, the card management information 21a includes items such as “card ID”, “remaining amount”, “number of possessions”, and “payment date”.

  “Card ID” is a card ID of a card managed by the management apparatus 20. The “remaining amount” is the remaining amount of the card corresponding to the “card ID”, and the “number of possessions” is the remaining number of game media acquired by the player who is playing with the card corresponding to the “card ID”.

  The “payment date” is the final date when the player who is playing with the card corresponding to the “card ID” deposits the banknote. In addition, it is good also as having items, such as the "date acquired date" which is the date which acquired the possession ball which is not illustrated, and the date and time when the payout process was performed.

  For example, when the remaining amount of the card with the card ID “111” is 8000 yen and the number of possessions is 10,000, information as shown in the second row of FIG. 2 is registered in the card management information 21a.

  Returning to the explanation of FIG. 3, the card transaction information 21b is stored as the transaction history of the withdrawal information at the time of the pachinko ball payout process or the deposit information of the banknote, and the management device 20 is based on the card transaction information 21b. The remaining amount of the card in the card management information 21a is updated.

  The total history information 21c is transmitted to all the cars transmitted at the time of online transition in order to recover the card management information 21a and the card transaction information 21b that have not been updated during the transition from offline to online. Individual history information 12a from the apparatus 10 is stored in a lump.

  The communication I / F 22 is an interface for performing data communication between the inter-device device 10 and the management device 20 via an island controller (not shown).

  The normal processing unit 23a receives, as a transaction history, withdrawal information at the time of online pachinko ball withdrawal processing or banknote deposit information from the inter-device 10 and stores it in the card transaction information 21b. It is a processing unit that performs processing for updating the card management information 21a based on the transaction history.

  In addition, the normal processing unit 23a checks whether the information written in the card is correct based on the card ID transmitted from the inter-device 10 and the communication mode written in the card and the remaining amount of the card. Is a processing unit.

  For example, when the received communication mode is “online”, the normal processing unit 23a checks whether or not the card ID exists in the card management information 21a. If there is, the normal processing unit 23a corresponds to the remaining card value and the card ID. It checks whether the remaining value of the normal processing unit 23a matches, and notifies the inter-unit device 10 of the check result.

  Further, when the received communication mode is “offline”, the normal processing unit 23a checks whether or not the card ID exists in the card management information 21a. The card holding unit 11 checks whether or not the predetermined value added for preventing counterfeiting is within a predetermined numerical value range that is safe, and notifies the inter-unit device 10 of the check result. .

  When the recovery processing unit 23b recovers from offline to online, the recovery processing unit 23b receives all the individual history information 12a stored by the individual history generation unit 14d during offline from the inter-device 10 and stores the received individual history information 12a as a total. It is a process part which performs the process memorize | stored in the log | history information 21c.

  At that time, if for some reason, the recovery processing unit 23b has already received the individual history information 12a, based on the transaction number of the individual history information 12a, etc., so as not to be duplicated and stored in the total history information 21c, The duplication check is performed, and the received individual history information 12a is configured to be discarded.

  Further, the recovery processing unit 23b receives the individual history information 12a from all the inter-device devices 10 that have been offline and stores them in the total history information 21c, and then, based on the total history information 21c, the card transaction information 21b. , And further, based on the updated card transaction information 21b, a processing unit that performs a process of updating the card management information 21a.

  Further, the card transaction information 21b and the total history information 21c include items “transaction number”, “card ID”, “transaction type”, “update amount”, and “transaction date and time” included in the individual history information 12a described with reference to FIG. In addition to the above, since it is necessary to record and manage the individual history information 12a from all the inter-devices 10, an item “unit number” for identifying which inter-device 10 has a transaction is included.

  Next, a processing flow of the game medium payout system and the game medium payout method according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, after explaining the process from the time of card insertion to the start of the payout process using FIGS. 6 to 8, the process during the game after inserting the card will be explained using FIGS. 9 to 14. And

  First, the process from the insertion of a card whose communication mode is recorded as “online” to the start of the payout process will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating a processing procedure at the time of card insertion according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, in the inter-device apparatus 10, when a card with the communication mode recorded as “online” is inserted, the card writing information is checked (step S101), and the card ID, the communication mode, and the remaining amount of the card are checked. Is transmitted to the management apparatus 20.

  On the other hand, the management device 20 checks whether the received card ID is registered in the card management information 21a (step S102), and checks whether the received card writing information matches the card management information 21a. (Step S103), if they match, a normal response is transmitted to the inter-bed apparatus 10.

  Thereafter, the inter-device 10 sets the payout balance to be used when the inter-device 10 performs payout processing based on the card writing information (that is, the same as the management information by the management device) (step S104), The communication mode is written as “online” in the card (step S105).

  Then, the inter-device apparatus 10 updates the individual card management information based on the card ID of the inserted card (step S106), so that the payout process can be started (step S107).

  Next, the processing from the insertion of a card with the communication mode recorded as “offline” to the start of the payout processing when online will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating a processing procedure at the time of card insertion according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, in the inter-device apparatus 10, when a card with the communication mode recorded as “offline” is inserted, the card writing information is checked (step S201), and the card ID, the communication mode and the remaining amount of the card are checked. Is transmitted to the management apparatus 20.

  On the other hand, the management device 20 checks whether or not the received card ID is registered in the card management information 21a (step S202), and performs a range check based on the received card writing information (step S203).

  When the management device 20 approves the check in step S203, the management device 20 overwrites the card management information 21a with the received card writing information (step S204), and transmits a normal response to the inter-device 10.

  Thereafter, the inter-device 10 sets the card writing information to the payout remaining amount used when the inter-device 10 performs the payout process (step S205), and writes “online” as the communication mode on the card (step S206). ).

  Then, the inter-device apparatus 10 updates the individual card management information based on the card ID of the inserted card (step S207), so that the payout process can be started (step S208).

  Next, processing from the time of card insertion to the start of payout processing when offline will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating a processing procedure at the time of card insertion according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, in the inter-device apparatus 10, when a card with the communication mode recorded as “offline” is inserted, the card writing information is checked (step S301), and the individual history information 12a is stored by the card writing information. Update (step S302).

  Thereafter, the inter-device 10 sets the card writing information to the payout remaining amount used when the inter-device 10 performs the payout process (step S303), and writes the communication mode “offline” on the card (step S304). ).

  Then, the inter-device apparatus 10 updates the individual card management information based on the card ID of the inserted card (step S305), so that the payout process can be started (step S306).

  Next, the processing from the card insertion to the end of the game when online will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are sequence diagrams illustrating the online processing procedure according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, in the inter-device 10, when a bill is inserted by a player with a card inserted (here, 5000 yen) (step S 401), the transaction type “payment”, card ID ( The ID of the card at the next payout position in the card holding unit 11) and the deposit amount are transmitted to the management device 20.

  The management device 20 updates the card transaction information 21b with the received information, adds the received deposit amount to the remaining amount of the card management information 21a (step S402), transmits a normal response to the inter-table device 10, and In the apparatus 10, the deposit amount is added to the remaining amount for payout (step S403).

  Thereafter, when an operation for requesting a payout process, for example, a button for paying out 1000 yen pachinko balls is pressed (step S404), the inter-device 10 manages the transaction type “withdrawal”, the card ID, and the usage amount. Transmit to device 20.

  Then, the management device 20 updates the card transaction information 21b with the received information, subtracts the received usage amount from the remaining amount of the card management information 21a (step S405), and transmits a normal response to the inter-bed device 10.

  On the other hand, the inter-device 10 subtracts the usage amount from the payout remaining amount (step S406), and throws out the pachinko balls for the usage amount (step S407). During the game, the payout process in steps S404 to S407 is repeated. Note that the pachinko ball throwing in step S407 may be thrown from the pachinko machine 40 provided in the inter-bed device 10 that has received a throwing instruction from the inter-device 10.

  Thereafter, when an operation for requesting a card return, for example, a card return button is pressed (step S408), the inter-device 10 transmits the transaction type “card return” and the card ID to the management device 20 and receives the management device. 20 transmits a return normal response to the inter-device 10.

  When the inter-device 10 receives a normal response from the management device 20, it writes “Online” as the communication mode in the card (step S409), and further writes the payout balance as the card balance (step S410). ).

  Subsequently, the inter-device 10 returns the card (step S411), reads a new card from the stacker (step S412), and checks the individual card management information based on the card ID of the read card (step S412). Step S413).

  If the check in step S413 is approved, the inter-device 10 sets the remaining amount for payout to 0 yen (step S414), and enters a standby state in which a payout process can be performed by inserting a card or bill (step S414). S415).

  Next, processing for shifting to offline during online gaming will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are sequence diagrams showing the offline migration processing procedure according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, in the inter-device 10, when a card is inserted, an operation requesting a payout process by the player, for example, a button for paying out a pachinko ball for 1000 yen is pressed (step S 501). ), The transaction type “withdrawal”, the card ID and the usage amount are transmitted to the management device 20.

  However, in this case, since the communication between the inter-table device 10 and the management device 20 is interrupted, a response from the management device 20 does not return even after a predetermined time has elapsed. Then, offline is detected (step S502).

  Then, the inter-device 10 updates the individual history information 12a with the transaction type “withdrawal”, the card ID and the usage amount at the time of step S501 (step S503), and subtracts the usage amount from the remaining amount for payment. (Step S504), a pachinko ball corresponding to the usage amount is thrown out (Step S505).

  Thereafter, when an operation for requesting a payout process is performed (step S506), the inter-device 10 subtracts the usage amount from the remaining amount for payout (step S507), and throws out a pachinko ball corresponding to the usage amount (step S508). ), The individual history information 12a is updated with the transaction type “withdrawal”, the card ID, and the usage amount (step S509). During the game, the payout process in steps S506 to S509 is repeated.

  Thereafter, when an operation for requesting the card return is performed (step S510), the inter-device 10 writes the communication mode as “offline” on the card (step S511), and further uses the remaining amount for payout as the remaining amount of the card. (Step S512).

  Subsequently, the inter-device 10 returns the card (step S513), reads a new card from the stacker (step S514), and checks the individual card management information based on the card ID of the read card (step S514). Step S515).

  When the check in step S515 is approved, the inter-device 10 sets the remaining amount for payout to 0 yen (step S516), and enters a standby state in which a card or bill is inserted and the payout process is possible (step S516). S517).

  Next, a process for recovering online during off-line gaming will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 are sequence diagrams showing the online recovery processing procedure according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, in the inter-device 10, when an operation for requesting a payout process is performed by the player after the management device 20 is notified that the card is inserted and the card is inserted (step). S601), the usage amount is subtracted from the remaining amount for payout (step S602).

  Then, the inter-device 10 throws out the pachinko balls for the usage amount (step S603), and updates the individual history information 12a with the transaction type “withdrawal”, the card ID and the usage amount (step S604).

  Thereafter, the inter-device 10 transmits the transaction type “card insertion”, the card ID, the communication mode “offline”, and the remaining amount of the card to the management device 20, and the management device 20 uses the received card remaining amount to manage the card management information 21 a. The remaining amount is corrected (step S605), and a normal response is transmitted to the inter-bed apparatus 10.

  Then, the inter-device 10 transmits the individual history information 12a to the management device 20 (step S606), and the management device 20 duplicates the individual history information 12a based on the transaction number and the unit number of the individual history information 12a. A check is performed (step S607), and if it has been received, it is discarded.

  Thereafter, the management apparatus 20 registers the individual history information 12a that is not duplicated in step S607 in the total history information 21c (step S608), and until reception of all the individual history information 12a that has been updated offline is completed. , Steps S606 to S608 are repeated.

  After that, the inter-device apparatus 10 sequentially executes the processes in steps S609 to S616 as a process when an operation for requesting a card return is performed. Since the processing of these steps S609 to S616 is the same processing as the processing steps S408 to S415 executed by performing an operation for requesting card return while online, the description is omitted here.

  On the other hand, in the management device 20, after the reception of the individual history information 12a from all the inter-device devices 10 in which communication has been interrupted while offline, the management device 20 is based on the total history information 21c registered in step S608. Then, the card management information 21a and the card transaction information 21b are updated, and the database is restored (step S617).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the processing between online / offline is switched in the inter-device 10 and the recovery processing is performed without stopping the game medium payout system at the time of online recovery. Even if the offline store does not require a work load on the amusement store and the communication between the inter-device and the management device falls offline, the valuable value of the bill or card inserted into the inter-device Can be managed, and a gaming environment equivalent to the online state can be provided to the player.

  The management device according to the present invention is the management device 20, the inter-device is the inter-device 10, the valuable value information storage means is the normal processing unit 23a, the communication state detection means is the communication mode detection unit 14a, and the transaction history storage means. Is an individual history generation unit 14d, a switching unit is a switching unit 14b, and a game medium payout control unit is a normal processing unit 14c and an individual history generation unit 14d.

  In the above-described embodiment, the payout process is performed based on the remaining amount of the card. However, the payout process may be performed based on the remaining number of possessed balls. In this case, the possessed ball acquired by the player is effectively used. be able to.

  In the above-described embodiment, the recovery instruction unit 14e is in the inter-device 10, and the recovery instruction is issued from the inter-device 10 during online recovery detected by the communication mode detection unit 14a. The recovery instruction unit 14e may be in the management device 20.

  Moreover, although the example applied to a pachinko game has been described in the above-described embodiment, the present invention can be similarly applied to a case where a pachislot game is further included or a case where only a pachislot game is targeted. Although an example in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko parlor has been described here, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be similarly applied to a game facility such as a game center.

  As described above, the inter-device and the gaming system according to the present invention are associated with the card inserted into the inter-device, even when the communication between the inter-device and the management device falls offline. It is suitable for a case where game media can be managed and a player can continue to play with a card.

10 inter-device 11 card holding unit 12 storage unit 12a individual history information 13 communication I / F
14 control unit 14a communication mode detection unit 14b switching unit 14c normal processing unit 14d individual history generation unit 14e recovery instruction unit 15 banknote processing unit 20 management device 21 storage unit 21a card management information 21b card transaction information 21c total history information 22 communication I / F
23 Control Unit 23a Normal Processing Unit 23b Recovery Processing Unit 30 Island Controller 40 Pachinko Machine 50 Checkout Machine 60 Premium Management Device 65 Member Card Terminal 70 Member Management T / C

Claims (4)

A table that is provided corresponding to the gaming table, accepts a recording medium associated with the acquired gaming medium acquired by the player, and performs a enabling process for making the gaming medium based on the acquired gaming medium usable in the gaming table Inter-device,
Communication means for communicating information about the acquired game medium with a management device;
Communication state detection means for detecting whether the communication state with the management device by the communication means is online or offline;
Acquired game medium number specifying information for receiving the recording medium and specifying the number of acquired game media associated with the recording medium is recorded on the information managed by the management device or on the recording medium. Acquired game medium number specifying information storage means to acquire and store information, and
Enabling processing means for updating the information stored in the acquired game medium number specifying information storage means and making the corresponding game medium usable in the game table;
When a return instruction for the recording medium is received, the communication state detected by the communication state detecting unit and the number of acquired game media reflecting the enabling process by the enabling processing unit are recorded on the recording medium. Return processing means for returning the recording medium in a state that can be identified from the information obtained,
When the communication state specified from the information recorded on the recording medium indicates offline, the acquired gaming medium number specifying information storage means is based on the information recorded on the recording medium. An inter-device device for storing medium number specifying information. A history storage means for storing a processing history related to the recording medium;
The processing history stored in the history storage unit is transmitted to the management device by the communication unit on condition that the state detected by the communication state detection unit has returned from offline to online. The inter-device apparatus according to 1. A table that is provided corresponding to the gaming table, accepts a recording medium associated with the acquired gaming medium acquired by the player, and performs a enabling process for making the gaming medium based on the acquired gaming medium usable in the gaming table A game system comprising: an inter-device, and a management device that is provided so as to be communicable with the inter-device and that manages information relating to the acquired game medium,
The inter-device is
Communication means for communicating with the management device;
Communication state detection means for detecting whether the communication state with the management device by the communication means is online or offline;
Acquired game medium number specifying information for receiving the recording medium and specifying the number of acquired game media associated with the recording medium is recorded on the information managed by the management device or on the recording medium. Acquired game medium number specifying information storage means to acquire and store information, and
Enabling processing means for updating the information stored in the acquired game medium number specifying information storage means and making the corresponding game medium usable in the game table;
When a return instruction for the recording medium is received, the communication state detected by the communication state detecting unit and the number of acquired game media reflecting the enabling process by the enabling processing unit are recorded on the recording medium. Return processing means for returning the recording medium in a state that can be identified from the information obtained,
The management device
Based on information received from the inter-device, comprising information updating means for updating information on the acquired game medium;
When the communication state specified from the information recorded on the recording medium indicates offline, the acquired gaming medium number specifying information storage means is based on the information recorded on the recording medium. A gaming system characterized by storing medium number identification information. The inter-device is
The communication status information acquired from the recording medium and a predetermined numerical value for confirming that the recording medium is valid are transmitted to the management device by the communication means,
The management device
The gaming system according to claim 3, further comprising a legitimacy determining unit that determines whether or not the numerical value satisfies a predetermined condition when the communication state information indicates offline.

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