JP2015097950A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of eliminating a fraudulent act even in the case of adopting an inclusion type structure.SOLUTION: The game machine is connected to a ball dispensing machine CR and indirectly provides a player with a game result. The game machine includes first means for receiving a ball lending request X from a ball dispensing machine CR recognizing an ON operation of a ball lending button with a game machine body, in which the ball lending button are duplicatedly connected to the ball dispensing machine CR and the game machine body (ST33), second means for starting a providing operation of a game medium on condition that the ball lending request X received in the first means is normal (ST42), and third means for starting an abnormality detection operation in the case of receiving no normal ball lending request X from the ball dispensing machine CR by the elapse of a prescribed time (ST43, ST4).

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine that generates a big hit state by a lottery process resulting from a gaming operation, and preferably relates to an enclosed gaming machine that does not pay out medals or game balls to a player.

  In a normal pachinko machine, when a game ball fired by a player is inserted into a predetermined prize opening, a corresponding number of game balls (prize balls) are paid out, and the game balls fired with the game balls that have been paid out A configuration is adopted in which the number of game balls at hand of the player increases or decreases in accordance with the difference in balls.

  However, in this case, it is necessary to circulate the entire game hall to provide a collection path for collecting the game balls launched on the game board and a supply path for supplying new game balls. The equipment had to be enlarged. In view of this point, an enclosed game machine in which the circulation path of the game balls is eliminated and the game balls are circulated inside each game machine has been proposed (Patent Documents 1 to 2).

  In the case of adopting such a configuration, instead of accumulating game balls at the player's hand, the number of game balls held by the player is displayed on the display device while being updated, Receipts certifying the number owned are issued from ball lending machines connected to gaming machines. In the clearing operation, a calculation corresponding to the total number of prize balls minus the total number of shots is executed.

JP 2001-286664 A JP 2001-062041 A

  Not only in such enclosed game machines, but through the communication process between the game machine and the ball lending machine, it is configured so that only a necessary amount of valuable game balls are paid out. There are concerns about fraud, but no countermeasures are taught that take this into account. For example, when a gaming machine and a ball lending machine execute a communication process using a PRDY signal, a BRDY signal, a BRQ signal, and an EXS signal, a BRDY signal or a BRQ is executed in a predetermined procedure from an unauthorized board impersonating the ball lending machine. When a signal is output, a game ball is paid out without any monetary settlement. However, an effective measure considering this point is not known. Here, it is conceivable to raise the security level for each signal, but a complicated configuration lacking simplicity is not realistic.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can eliminate fraudulent acts with a relatively simple configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a game operation in which a management device that operates so that a game medium is provided in response to a player's operation is connected to the main body of the game machine and uses the game medium. A gaming machine that directly or indirectly provides a game result obtained in response to the player, and a predetermined operation unit is configured to be redundantly connected to the management device and the gaming machine body. The first means for receiving management information from the management device that has recognized the ON operation of the predetermined operation section at the gaming machine main body, and the predetermined operation section on condition that the management information received by the first means is normal A second means for starting a game medium providing operation corresponding to the ON operation of the game device, and a third means for starting an abnormality detection operation when normal management information is not received from the management device by a predetermined time. It is provided.

  In the present invention, “the game medium is provided to the player” means that the game medium is substantially provided, including a case where the game medium is provided in a pseudo manner, and is necessarily provided to be held by the player. Does not mean. The meaning of “providing directly or indirectly to the player” is also the same.

  In any case, in the present invention, since it is possible to grasp that the predetermined operation unit has been turned ON redundantly between the management device and the gaming machine main body, it is possible to provide illegal gaming media by using an illegal board disguised as a management device. It can be prevented in advance. In other words, when the operation unit is turned ON, the number of game media that have been liquidated with valuable media is originally provided, but this liquidation processing is avoided when the management device is in charge of the liquidation processing with this valuable medium. Therefore, even if an illegal signal is transmitted from a fraudulent board disguised as a management device to the gaming machine body, such illegality is immediately revealed. In addition, since there is a high possibility that unauthorized operation is started when the operation unit of the gaming machine is turned ON, the configuration of the present invention is relatively simple and can detect unauthorized operation, and its effectiveness is high.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the management device and the gaming machine main body are connected to each other via a serial communication line so that bidirectional communication is possible, and the gaming machine main body that recognizes the ON operation of a predetermined operation unit starts a time counting operation, It is also preferable that the second means is not activated unless normal management information is received within a predetermined time.

  In addition, the gaming machine body that has received the management information determines its legitimacy based on the security information shared with the management apparatus, and the management information has been successfully received on the condition that the legitimacy is recognized. It is effective to judge.

  The management information is transmitted by adding an additional signal so that a communication abnormality can be detected, and the gaming machine body that has received the management information is configured to return a determination result of whether or not a communication abnormality is detected to the management device. Preferably, the management apparatus that has received the determination result indicating the communication abnormality is preferably configured to repeatedly retransmit the management information as long as the specified number of times is not exceeded.

  In addition, the gaming machine main body and the management device preferably operate by sharing the automatically generated security information, and the gaming machine main body and the management device each have a storage table storing a plurality of sets of security information. It is more preferable that the information on which security information to use is shared and operated.

  In this case, it is preferable that the security information to be used is specified randomly at a timing including when the power is turned on. Note that the present invention is preferably applied to a ball game machine and a spinning game machine, and particularly functions effectively in an enclosed game machine.

  According to the present invention, fraudulent acts can be eliminated in the case of adopting an encapsulated structure, and in particular, it functions effectively against fraudulent acts that are started when a ball lending button or the like is pressed. .

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the game machine which concerns on an Example. It is a front view which shows the game board of the gaming machine of FIG. It is drawing for demonstrating the principal part of a game machine. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of a count control part. It is a flowchart explaining the reception interruption operation | movement of a count control part. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of a ball lending machine. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the count control part at the time of a liquidation process, and a ball lending machine. 2 illustrates a security setting table. It is drawing explaining a security operation.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on examples. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an encapsulated pachinko machine GM, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing the game board.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this gaming machine GM receives AC24V and outputs various DC voltages, power supply abnormality signals, power supply reset signals, and the like, and a main control board 11 that plays a central role in game control operations. An effect control board 12 that executes a lamp effect, a sound effect, and an image effect based on a control command CMD received from the main control board 21, and a count control board 13 that manages the number of game balls held by the player. The launch control board 14 launches a game ball in response to a player's operation.

  The main control unit 11, the effect control board 12, and the count control board 13 are equipped with a computer circuit using a one-chip microcomputer to execute a control operation. Therefore, the circuits mounted on these control boards 11 to 13 and the operations realized by the circuits are collectively referred to as a function. In this specification, the main control unit 11, the effect control unit 12, and the count control unit. 13 may be said.

  By the way, in this embodiment, since the game ball circulates in the gaming machine, there is no payout device or payout control board for paying out the game ball to the player. In other words, the game ball is fired in response to the player's operation, and this is merely recirculated through the inside of the gaming machine.

  However, when a game ball fired by a player enters a predetermined winning opening, a voice effect (pseudo payout operation) is executed as if a predetermined number of game balls have been paid out. In addition, the game board is configured so that a player who is accustomed to past games does not feel uncomfortable. However, in order to suppress noise in the game hall, it is also preferable to adopt a configuration in which the pseudo payout operation is stopped.

  In the following, the game content will be confirmed with reference to FIG. 2, and a guide rail 2 composed of a metal outer rail and an inner rail is provided on the surface of the game board 1 in an annular shape. An extending central opening HO is provided. A display device DISP composed of a liquid crystal color display is arranged at the bottom of the central opening HO. In the display device DISP, a 3D image is displayed at the time of a notice effect.

  In the appropriate place of the game board, a symbol starting port 3, a big winning port 4, a normal winning port 5, and a gate 6 are arranged. Each of these winning holes 3 to 6 has a detection switch inside, and can detect the passage of a game ball.

  The display device DISP is a device that variably displays a specific symbol related to the big hit state and displays a background image and various characters in an animated manner. The display device DISP has special symbol display portions Da to Dc in the center portion and a normal symbol display portion 7 in the upper right portion. And, in the special symbol display parts Da to Dc, a reach effect is executed that expects a big hit state to be invited, or in the special symbol display parts Da to Dc and the surroundings, a notice effect that informs the result of the success / failure is executed. Is done.

  On the upper part of the display device DISP, a possessed number display section 8 is provided. The possession number display unit 8 is a part for displaying the possession number of the player's game balls, and in this embodiment, six 7-segment LEDs are arranged. Each time a game ball is fired, the displayed number is reduced by one. Every time a game ball is won in the symbol start opening 3 or the big winning opening 4 or the like, the number held is displayed corresponding to the number of winning balls. Each time the player performs a ball lending operation, the possessed number is increased and displayed by a reference number (for example, 25).

  However, the possessed number display unit 8 may be provided on the frame side of the gaming machine, or a predetermined location of the display device DISP may be used as the retained number display unit 8. In this case, the possessed information managed by the counting control board 13 is transmitted to the effect control board 12 via the main control board 11 or directly without the main control board 11 in a predetermined command form, and display control is performed. Is also suitable.

  The normal symbol display unit 7 displays a normal symbol. When a game ball that has passed through the gate 6 is detected, the normal symbol fluctuates for a predetermined time, and the lottery extracted when the game ball passes through the gate 6 The stop symbol determined by the random number for use is displayed and stopped.

  The symbol start opening 3 is configured to be opened and closed by an electric tulip having a pair of left and right opening and closing claws. When the stop symbol after the fluctuation of the normal symbol display unit 7 hits and the symbol is displayed, the opening and closing claws are displayed. It is opened only for a predetermined time or until a predetermined number of game balls are detected.

  When a game ball wins at the symbol start port 3, the display symbols of the special symbol display portions Da to Dc change for a predetermined time, and are determined based on a lottery result corresponding to the winning timing of the game ball at the symbol start port 3. Stop at the stop symbol. In addition, in special symbol display parts Da-Dc and its circumference, a notice effect may be performed between a series of symbol effects.

  The big winning opening 4 is controlled to be opened and closed by, for example, an opening / closing plate 4a that can be opened forward. When the stop symbol after the symbol change of the special symbol display portions Da to Dc is a big hit symbol such as “777”, the “big hit game” A special game called "" is started, and the opening / closing plate 4a is opened.

  After the opening / closing plate 4a of the big prize opening 4 is opened, the opening / closing plate 4a is closed when a predetermined time elapses or a predetermined number (for example, 10) of game balls wins. In such an operation, the special game is continued up to 15 times, for example, and is controlled in a state advantageous to the player. In addition, when the stop symbol after the change of the special symbol display parts Da to Dc is a specific symbol among the special symbols, there is a privilege that the game after the end of the special game becomes a high probability state (probability variation state). Is granted.

  However, even if a game ball wins in the big winning opening 4 or the symbol start opening 3, the game ball is not paid out, and only the display of the possessed number display section 8 increases with the sound effect of the game ball being paid out. Is as described above.

  Now, returning to FIG. 1, the configuration of the gaming machine GM will be described. A gaming machine GM is connected to a ball lending machine CR, and various information with a password is sent to and received from the ball lending machine CR. By doing so, fraudulent acts triggered by button operations are eliminated. Note that the password is the number of digits based on the contact position of the rotary switch ROT operated by the attendant, and is configured to be randomly generated every time the power is turned on in the ball lending machine CR by combining numbers and alphabets.

  When enjoying this gaming machine, the player inserts a valuable card such as a magnetic card into the ball lending machine CR or inserts cash. At the start of the game, when the player executes a ball lending operation on the gaming machine GM, the ball lending machine CR that has received the notification of this operation instructs the gaming machine GM to perform a game ball pseudo payout operation. In response to this, a settlement process using a magnetic card or cash is executed. In addition, the possession number display unit 8 of the gaming machine GM displays an increase in the possession number corresponding to the pseudo payout operation using the sound effect. For convenience of explanation, in the following explanation, it is assumed that only a magnetic card can be used for the ball lending machine CR.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main control unit 11 is connected to game components of the game board 1 via a game board relay board 15. And while receiving the switch signal of the detection switch built in each winning opening 3-7 on a game board, solenoids, such as an electric tulip, are driven.

  The main control unit 11 is connected to the counting control unit 13 via the main control relay board 16. The counting control unit 13 is provided with a speaker SP that outputs a pseudo payout operation sound and an abnormal alarm sound, and is connected to a possession number display unit 8 to display the possession number of the player in real time. In order to realize such a display operation, the counting control unit 13 is connected to a firing ball detection switch and a firing return ball detection switch. When the player fires a game ball, the fire ball detection switch is turned on. If the shot ball does not reach the game area of the game board, the fire return ball detection switch is turned on. . Therefore, the number of games used by the player can be specified as (EM1-EM2) based on the detection number EM1 of the launch ball detection switch and the detection number EM2 of the return ball detection switch.

  The counting control unit 13 is connected to the external terminal board 17, the frame relay board 18, the launch board 14, and the counting relay board 19. Then, the count control unit 13 manages the launch operation of the game ball by supplying a launch enable signal and a launch forced stop signal to the launch control board 14. Here, the launchable signal is a signal indicating that the ball lending machine CR is in an energized state and is operable, and the launchable signal indicating the energized state is a ball lending machine CR → counting relay board 19 → counting control. The signal is transmitted through the path from the board 13 to the launch control board 14.

  The forced launch stop signal is a signal for forcibly stopping the launching operation of the game ball when an illegal act is detected, such as when an illegal act using the operation of the ball lending machine CR is detected. Function. The forced launch stop signal also functions as a signal for stopping the launch operation when the number of players held becomes zero. Therefore, useless launching operations can be suppressed and the load of launch control can be reduced. Here, when the launch is stopped, the fact may be notified.

  The external terminal board 17 receives (1) a prize ball signal, (2) an out signal, (3) an opening signal, and (4) game information from the counting control unit 13, and outputs them to the hall computer. Yes. Here, (1) a prize ball signal is a signal output at a timing when a predetermined number (for example, ten) prize balls are artificially paid out, and (2) an out signal is arranged at a discharge port of a game ball. A signal indicating that the launch ball has been collected by the gaming machine, (3) a door frame opening signal is a signal indicating that the glass door or the inner frame has been opened, and (4) The game information is a signal indicating the game performance of the gaming machine transmitted from the main control unit 11.

  As illustrated, the frame relay board 18, the launch control board 14, and the counting relay board 19 are connected to the launch relay board 21 and the frequency relay board 22 via the tray relay board 20. The launch relay board 21 and the power relay board 22 are built in a tray part (not shown) disposed in the lower part of the game board 1, and each member shown in FIG. 1 is disposed in the tray part. A launching handle (not shown) that is operated to launch a game ball is disposed below the saucer.

  On the launch relay board 21, a ball feed solenoid for sending the game ball to the launch position, a touch sensor for detecting that the player is touching the launch handle, and the player forcibly stops the launch operation of the game ball. A stop button operated for the purpose and an intensity volume operated for adjusting the firing intensity are connected.

  The ball feed solenoid is driven by the control of the launch control board 14 to feed the game ball at a predetermined speed. On the other hand, signals from the touch sensor, the stop button, and the intensity volume are supplied to the launch control board 14 and used for necessary launch control operations. Note that a switch signal indicating that the tray portion has been opened is transmitted to the counting control board 13 and used for appropriate security processing.

  The frequency relay board 22 is connected to a frequency display board 23, and a ball lending button, a return button, and a frequency display portion NUM are arranged on the frequency display board 23. Here, the frequency display unit NUM is composed of a plurality of 7-segment LEDs, and displays the stored contents of the magnetic card via the counting relay board 19 based on information from the ball lending machine CR.

  The ball lending button is turned on by the player when a game ball is required, such as at the start of a game. The ball lending button ON operation is transmitted to the count control board 13 via the frequency relay board 22 and the buffer circuit BUF of the saucer relay board 20, and the frequency relay board 22, the saucer relay board 20, and the count relay. It is transmitted to the ball lending machine CR via the substrate 19.

  Then, the stored contents of the magnetic card are subtracted in the ball lending machine CR, and the contents of the frequency display part NUM are subtracted correspondingly. In addition, the ball lending machine CR is informed to the counting control unit 13 that the ball lending button is turned on, and the display content of the possessed number display unit 8 is increased corresponding to the magnetic card subtraction process. When the ball lending button is turned ON once, the display of the frequency display unit NUM is displayed by subtracting data corresponding to, for example, 500 yen (100⇒95). The content is +125.

  However, the ball lending machine CR that recognizes the ON operation of the ball lending button transmits the “ball lending request X with password” to the count control unit 13 in order to eliminate fraudulent acts that abuse this ball lending operation. . And the count control part 13 is comprised so that it may not respond to the request | requirement from subsequent ball lending machine CR, unless the validity of this ball lending request | requirement is confirmed. Therefore, fraud that increases the number of game balls possessed without magnetic card or cash lending processing is eliminated. At the time of an illegal ball lending operation, there is a high possibility that an illegal signal will be transmitted to the count control unit 13 after that. Therefore, it is understood that the above-described security measures for the count control unit 13 to stop the ball lending process are effective. The

  Aside from such a security operation, when the return button is turned ON by the player at the end of the game, the ball lending machine CR that has received the instruction returns the magnetic card to the player.

  On the other hand, when the clearing button is turned ON by the player, this ON operation is transmitted to the counting control unit 13 via the buffer circuit BUF of the saucer relay board 20 and via the counting relay board 19. It is transmitted to the ball lending machine CR.

  In order to eliminate fraud, the counting control unit 13 that has grasped the ON operation of the clearing button transmits a “clearing request Y with password” to the ball lending machine CR. When the ball lending machine CR confirms the validity of this clearing request, it transmits confirmation information to the count control unit 13, and the count control unit 13 correspondingly holds the possession of the game ball as the game result at that timing. Return the number to the ball lending machine CR. Then, the ball lending machine CR that has received the possession number information prints the possession number of the player's game balls on a receipt and issues it to the player.

  On the other hand, when the ball lending machine CR cannot confirm the correctness of the clearing request Y, the ball lending machine CR does not respond to a request from the subsequent counting control unit 13, so that an illegal clearing operation is prevented in advance. The Moreover, the count control part 13 can grasp | ascertain generation | occurrence | production of fraud by transmitting from the abnormality detection information from the ball lending machine CR. At the time of an unauthorized clearing operation, there is a high possibility that an unauthorized signal will be transmitted to the ball lending machine CR after the ball lending button is turned on. Therefore, the above security measures for stopping the clearing process by the ball lending machine CR are effective. It is understood.

  The count control unit 13 relays the main board relay board 16 and receives game information, a RAM clear signal, and a prize ball command from the main control unit 11, while a power-on signal to the main control unit 11, A door frame opening signal, a ball clogging error signal, and an illegal ball lending signal are output.

  Here, the illegal ball lending signal is a signal indicating that the above-mentioned fraudulent activity has been detected in the communication between the ball lending machine CR and the count control unit 13, and the main control unit 11 receiving this signal The abnormality notification operation can be started by the control command CMD to the effect control unit 12.

  The game information is a signal (for example, 8 bits long) indicating the game performance of the gaming machine. The RAM clear signal is a signal indicating that the RAM clear switch has been turned ON by a staff member when the gaming machine is turned on. The significance of the RAM clear switch is the same as that of a conventional gaming machine.

  In other words, various operation parameters are updated and stored in the volatile memory (RAM) of the main control unit 11 in accordance with the progress of the game operation. Maintained. Therefore, after the power is turned on, the game operation before power-off can be resumed. However, when the RAM clear switch is turned ON when the power is turned on, the game operation is started from the initial state by clearing the RAM of the main control unit. .

  The prize ball command is a signal indicating that a game ball has won a prize winning opening 4 or a symbol start opening 3 or the like, and is a signal that specifies the number of prize balls PAY to be paid out in a pseudo manner. Therefore, the counting control unit 13 updates the number of game balls already held TOTAL in accordance with the number of winning balls PAY specified by the winning ball command (TOTAL ← TOTAL + PAY).

  The power-on signal is a signal indicating that the initial operation of the counting control unit 13 has been completed, and is output in synchronization with the PRDY signal to the ball lending machine CR (see FIG. 3). The door frame opening signal is a detection signal for a glass door switch or an inner frame switch, and the ball clogging error signal is a detection signal for a ball clogging detection switch. And the main control part 11 can grasp | ascertain abnormality that the glass door and the inner frame were open | released by these signals, and that the game ball was clogged, and the control command CMD to the production | presentation control part 12 Thus, the abnormality notification operation can be started.

  FIG. 3A illustrates a circuit configuration of a main part of the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the counting relay board 19 and other circuit boards are omitted, and the connection relationship between the ball lending machine CR and the one-chip microcomputer of the counting control unit 13 is mainly illustrated.

  As shown in the figure, the counting control unit 13 and the ball lending machine CR send and receive a 1-bit PRDY signal, a BRDY signal, a BRQ signal, and an EXS signal through each other's input / output port (parallel port) and perform a ball lending operation. Is realized. Here, the PRDY signal is a signal that notifies the ball lending machine CR that the initial operation of the counting control unit 13 has been completed.

  The BRDY signal is a signal transmitted from the ball lending machine CR to the counting control unit 13 and is controlled so that it rises when the ball lending button is properly turned on and falls when the player's desired ball lending operation is completed. The In the following description, one ON operation of the ball lending button means 125 ball lending requests.

  The ball lending operation is realized by the BRQ signal output from the ball lending machine CR and the EXS signal output from the count control unit 13. That is, as shown in FIG. 3B, the counting control unit 13 that grasps the ball lending request at the rising edge (T1) of the BRQ signal raises the EXS signal to indicate that the request has been confirmed (T2). .

  Then, the ball lending machine CR that recognizes this change causes the BRQ signal to fall (T3), and the count control unit 13 that recognizes this falling edge executes the ball lending operation for the reference number (T3 to T4). . Assuming that the reference number is 25, 25 × 5 = 125 gaming balls are lent out by repeating the above-described operations T1 to T4 five times.

  However, since the present embodiment is an enclosed game machine, 125 game balls are not actually paid out, and sound effects are output based on the pseudo payout operation and Only the display number is finally incremented by +125. Incidentally, the stored content of the magnetic card is decreased by -5 and the numerical value of the frequency display portion NUM is decreased by -5 in response to the increase in the number of game balls held (+125).

  As described above, the ball lending operation is started by the player turning on the ball lending button. However, if the “ball lending request X with password” transmitted from the ball lending machine CR to the counting control unit 13 is not valid when the ball lending button is turned on, the counting control unit 13 subsequently transmits a BRDY signal or Even when the BRQ signal rises, the above-mentioned ball lending operation is not executed. In addition, the counting control unit 13 that has grasped the illegal ball lending request X starts an abnormality notification operation.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the ball lending button and the clearing button are redundantly connected to the input port of the ball lending machine CR and the counting control unit 13 in order to realize the above-described security operation. The count control unit 13 and the one-chip microcomputer of the ball lending machine CR are connected by two serial ports. Each serial line is configured to be capable of bidirectional communication. At the first port A (first port a), a password is transmitted from the ball lending machine CR to the count control unit 13, and the count control unit 13 that has received the password. A response signal is sent back to the ball lending machine CR. This operation is executed when the power is turned on.

  Further, the first port A (first port a) is used for the purpose of notifying the count control unit 13 of an illegal act detected by the ball lending machine CR during the game operation. That is, in connection with the ON operation of the clearing button, the ball lending machine CR that has detected the fraudulent action uses the first port a to inform the first port A of the count control unit 13 to that effect (abnormality detection information). In response, the count control unit 13 receives this and starts an abnormality notification operation.

  Similarly, the first port A (first port a) is also used for the purpose of transmitting the password-added ball lending request X from the ball lending machine CR to the counting control unit 13. Specifically, the ball lending machine CR that recognizes the ON operation of the ball lending button transmits a ball lending request X with a password to the count control unit 13, and the count control unit 13 receives the ball lending request X. After confirming the validity, the subsequent ball lending process is started.

  In addition, the counting control unit 13 uses the second port B to give the clearing request Y and the clearing number (the number of game balls TOTAL) to the second port b of the ball lending machine CR with a password. The ball lending machine CR that has transmitted and received this is configured to determine its validity. Then, the ball lending machine CR returns the validity determination result to the second port B of the counting control unit 13 using the second port b. The subsequent security operation will be described later.

  4 to 7 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the above-described count control unit 13 and the one-chip microcomputer of the ball lending machine CR.

  The control program of the counting control unit 13 includes a main process (FIG. 4 (a)) executed at the time of CPU reset and a timer interrupt process (FIG. 4 (b)) started every predetermined time (τ: several milliseconds). A prize ball interrupt process (FIG. 4C) activated to receive a prize ball command, a reception interrupt process A (FIG. 5) activated when serial data is received at the first port A, And reception interrupt processing B (FIG. 7B) that is activated when serial data is received at the 2-port B.

  On the other hand, the control program for the ball lending machine CR includes a main process (FIG. 6 (a)) that is executed when the CPU is reset, and a reception interrupt process a that is activated when serial data is received at the first port a of the ball lending machine CR. (FIG. 6B) and a reception interrupt process b (FIG. 7B) started when serial data is received at the second port b of the ball lending machine CR. Although not particularly limited, the data transmitted and received at the first and second serial ports is an ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) character string, and is transmitted with a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) code added. ing.

  Hereinafter, the main process (FIG. 4A) of the count control unit 13 will be described. When the CPU of the counting control unit 13 is reset, the infinite loop process is repeated after executing the initial process (ST10). Here, the initial process includes a process of starting up a PRDY signal (power-on signal) and outputting it to the ball lending machine CR and the main control unit 11. At the timing when the initial processing is completed, the timer interrupt (FIG. 4B), the prize ball interrupt (FIG. 4C), and the reception interrupt A (FIG. 5) are set to the interrupt enabled state, and the reception interrupt B (FIG. 7B) is set to the interrupt disabled state. Therefore, the processing of the reception interrupt B is not started meaninglessly due to the influence of noise or the like.

  By the way, the timing to raise the PRDY signal (power-on signal) may be the data output process (ST26) which is the final process of the first timer interrupt process after the CPU is reset. As a result, the communication is started in a state in which various processes in the timer interrupt process are completed without at least the runaway of the count control unit 13, so that the signal from the main control unit 11 or the ball lending machine CR is missed. No fear.

  In any case, as a result of the initial processing, interrupt requests other than the reception interrupt B (FIG. 7B) can be accepted. First, the winning ball interruption (FIG. 4C) will be described. When a prize ball interrupt occurs in response to the main control unit 11 outputting a prize ball command, the one-chip microcomputer of the counting control unit 13 uses the data of the input port for the prize ball command (FIG. 3A). Acquired and specifies the number of winning balls PAY instructed by the main controller 11 (ST11). Then, the award ball number PAY is added to the number of game balls held TOTAL at that time, and the interruption process is completed (ST11). Specifically, the addition operation of TOTAL ← TOTAL + PAY is executed.

  When a prize ball interrupt occurs, the process is completed simply by storing the input port data in the storage area (ring buffer), and the data stored in the storage area is analyzed in the timer interrupt process. The number of prize balls PAY indicated by 11 may be specified to update the possession number. In this case, it is desirable to update the possessed number at a timing before executing the settlement execution process (ST22).

  Next, timer interrupt processing (FIG. 4B) will be described. As shown in FIG. 4B, in the timer interrupt process, it is first determined whether or not the timer variable TM matches the upper limit value MAX (ST12). If the upper limit value MAX has not been reached, the timer variable TM is incremented. It is updated by processing (ST13). This timer variable TM is used for time management that allows a password to be accepted from the ball lending machine CR only for a predetermined time (MAX × τ) from the CPU reset.

  Next, data is acquired from the input port connected to the counting control unit 13 (ST14). The input data includes a BRDY signal and a BRQ signal output from the ball lending machine CR, and a clearing button signal whose level changes during an ON operation. When a rising edge or a falling edge of each signal is detected, a detection flag to that effect is set. For example, when the clearing button is pressed, the clearing ON operation flag is set. When the ball lending button is pressed, the monitoring flag is set and the monitoring timer is initialized. The clearing ON operation flag is used for notifying the ball lending machine CR of a clearing request Y indicating the pressing of the clearing button with a password (see ST20).

  On the other hand, the monitoring flag and the monitoring timer receive the ball lending request X indicating the depression of the ball lending button within a predetermined time with a password from the ball lending machine CR that grasps the button depression at the same timing as the counting control unit 13. It is used to determine whether or not (see ST25).

  When the above processing is completed, the detection variable EM is subsequently cleared and switch signals of various detection switches are acquired (ST15). For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the H level of each switch signal is an active level.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the detection switch includes a fire ball detection switch and a fire ball return detection switch. Therefore, when it is detected that the launch ball detection switch has risen, the detection variable EM is set to 1 (ST16). On the other hand, when it is detected that the launch ball return detection switch has risen, the value of the detection variable EM is updated by the processing of EM ← EM-1 (ST17). Since the timer interrupt period is several milliseconds, there is no possibility that two or more game balls are fired in one timer interrupt period, and the detection variable EM is set to 1 or −1. There is no.

  Although the detection variable EM is used in the above description, it is preferable to update only the owned number TOTAL from the viewpoint of simplicity. That is, when it is detected that the launch ball detection switch has risen, 1 is subtracted from the possessed number TOTAL, and when it is detected that the launch ball return detection switch has risen, 1 is added to the possessed number TOTAL to obtain the possessed number TOTAL. It is enough to update.

  If any of the setting processes in steps ST16 and ST17 is executed, next, the possession number TOTAL of the player's game balls is updated (ST18). In this embodiment, since the variable TOTAL manages the number of possessions, specifically, the processing of TOTAL ← TOTAL + EM is executed (ST18). Note that the value of the detection variable EM is EM = ± 1.

  Next, whether or not the settlement button has been pressed is determined by the settlement ON operation flag (ST19). As described above, the settlement ON operation flag is set by the process of step ST14.

  If the settlement ON operation flag is set, an ON operation notification process is executed to notify the ball lending machine CR that the button has been pressed (ST20). The specific contents are as shown in FIG. 7A, and a clearing request Y with a password is output to the ball lending machine CR using the serial port B.

  Next, the settlement flag is determined (ST21). If the settlement flag is in the ON state, the settlement process is executed (ST22). The clearing flag is set in the reception interrupt B shown in FIG. 7B on the condition that the validity of the “password clearing request Y” is confirmed in the ball lending machine CR (ST58). The specific contents of the clearing process are as shown in FIG. 7 (a), and the number of game balls held at that time TOTAL is sandwiched between the start code and the end code qualified with the password, Is transmitted to the machine CR.

  If the process of step ST22 is completed, the ball lending flag is determined (ST23), and if the ball lending flag is ON, the ball lending process is executed (ST24). The ball lending flag is set when the BRQ signal rises to H level under the condition of BRDY = H level as a result of the data acquisition process (ST14). The contents of the ball lending process (ST24) are as shown in the time chart of FIG. 3B, and the processes from timing T1 to timing T4 are executed across a plurality of timer interruption processes.

  However, the count control unit 13 does not set the ball lending flag if the “ball lending request with password X” returned from the ball lending machine CR to the count control unit 13 is not valid when the ball lending button is turned on. Therefore, the ball lending operation is not started, and an illegal ball lending operation is prevented.

  Subsequently, after other necessary management processing is executed (ST25), various signals are output from the output port and the interrupt processing is finished (ST26). The management process (ST25) includes the time management process shown in FIG. This relates to a monitoring flag that is set when the ball lending button is pressed. If the monitoring flag is set, the monitoring timer is updated (ST1, ST2). When the monitoring timer is updated until the limit value (monitoring upper limit time) is reached, an alarm operation is started (ST3, ST4).

  The reason why such an operation is executed is that the counting control unit 13 considers the possibility of receiving a camouflaged ball lending button signal (a camouflaged BRDY signal or BRQ signal received thereafter) from an illegal board ( This is because the validity of the ball lending button signal received by the counting control unit 13 is confirmed. That is, in this embodiment, the ball lending button is redundantly connected to the counting control unit 13 and the ball lending machine CR (see FIG. 3), and the depression of the ball lending button can be grasped also by the ball lending machine CR. The validity of the ball lending button signal can be confirmed by returning a ball lending request X indicating that the ball lending button has been turned ON from the ball lending machine CR to the counting control unit 13. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a certain degree of security function can be exhibited without giving a password to the ball lending request X.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the reception interrupt process A of the count control unit 13. In this embodiment, the count control unit 13 receives the password from the ball lending machine CR when the power is turned on, and acquires the abnormality detection information and the “ball lending request X with password” during the subsequent steady operation. It has become. The reception interrupt A is a process for acquiring such information, and is set so that the process of FIG. 5 is started each time the first port A receives 1 byte of serial data.

  As described above, the password is the number of digits determined by the contact position of the rotary switch ROT, and is configured by arbitrarily combining ASCII characters 0 to 9, a to z, and A to Z. In CR, each time the power is turned on, it is automatically generated randomly every time (ST61 in FIG. 6A). The “ball rental request with password X” is information returned by the ball lending machine CR that recognizes the ON operation of the ball lending button. On the other hand, the abnormality detection information is information indicating that the “clearing request with password Y” transmitted to the ball lending machine CR when the clearing button is turned on is authorized.

  If it demonstrates based on the above, in an interruption processing program, it will be determined first whether it is a timing which acquires a password (ST30). Specifically, it is determined whether or not the timer variable TM has reached the upper limit value MAX. If TM <MAX, the obtained 1-byte data is stored in the reception buffer in order (ST31). Even when TM = MAX, if the ball lending button is pressed, the process proceeds to step ST31 (ST45). As shown in FIG. 3, since the ball lending button is connected to the ball lending machine CR and the count control unit 13, the count control unit 13 can reliably grasp that the ball lending button has been pressed.

  In any case, when 1-byte data is stored in the reception buffer (ST31), it is determined whether or not the stored data is the final data (EOF) (ST32). Are received and stored in a predetermined area, and then the reception buffer is cleared (ST33). This is because the received data so far is not mixed into new received data received thereafter.

  Next, with respect to the data stored in the predetermined area in the process of step ST33, the presence or absence of communication abnormality is determined by CRC check or the like (ST34). If communication abnormality is recognized, NG data of 1 byte length is returned to the ball lending machine CR and the process is terminated (ST35).

  On the other hand, if no communication abnormality is recognized, OK data of 1 byte length is returned to the ball lending machine CR (ST36), and the timer variable TM is determined (ST37). If TM <MAX, it is determined that a password has been received, and the received password is stored at a predetermined address (PSW address) (ST38). Further, the serial port B is set from the reception interrupt disabled state to the reception interrupt enabled state, and the interrupt processing is finished (ST39). With the above processing, when the gaming machine is turned on, the password automatically generated by the ball lending machine CR is stored in the PSW address of the counting control unit 13.

  On the other hand, if TM = MAX in the determination of step ST37, it is determined that a ball rental request X with a password has been received, and the validity of the password, the validity of the word length of the received character string, and the monitoring flag are set. It is determined whether it has been completed (ST40). The monitoring flag is set when the ball lending button is turned on (see ST14). Therefore, even if the ball rental request X is output from the illegal board to the counting control unit 13 without passing through the player's button operation (that is, without changing the information on the magnetic card), it is not necessary to check the password. The illegality of the ball lending request X can be recognized from the monitoring flag in the reset state (see FIG. 9A).

  On the other hand, when the legitimacy is confirmed by the determination in step ST40 (ST41), the monitoring flag and the monitoring timer set in the process of step ST14 are reset and the subsequent lending operation is not prohibited ( ST42). That is, after that, when the BRDY signal rises and subsequently the BRQ signal rises, the ball lending flag is set. If the process of step ST42 is not executed by the predetermined time (monitoring upper limit time), the alarm operation of step ST4 is activated.

  In addition, when the validity of the ball lending request is not recognized in the process of step ST40, an alarm operation is activated and the subsequent ball lending operation is prohibited (ST43). Further, the abnormality detection information is transmitted from the serial port A to the serial port a of the ball lending machine CR, and the interruption process is finished (ST44). In step ST35, ST36, ST44, 1-byte data is transmitted. Correspondingly, the ball lending machine CR activates a reception interrupt a (FIG. 6B).

  By the way, in the steady operation state, abnormality detection information (1 byte length) may be transmitted to the first port A from the ball lending machine CR that has detected the illegal act. The abnormality detection information received by the serial port A of the count control unit 13 relates to the clearing button. Specifically, (1) when the clearing button is pressed, it is transmitted from the count control unit 13 to the ball lending machine CR. This is the case where the validity of the password-added clearing request Y is not recognized, and (2) the case where the validity of the password-added clearing information transmitted thereafter is not recognized.

  Therefore, if the timer variable TM is TM = MAX when the reception interrupt A is activated (ST30), the abnormality detection information is analyzed on the condition that the determination in step ST45 is NO (ST46). Since the abnormality detection information is an abnormality when the clearing button is pressed and an abnormality when transmitting the clearing information thereafter, an abnormality notification operation corresponding to the abnormality content is started and the reception interrupt process is completed (ST47).

  The operation of the counting control unit 13 has been described above. FIG. 6B is a flowchart illustrating the reception interrupt process of the first port a in the ball lending machine CR. This corresponds to the processing of steps ST35, ST36, ST44 in the counting control unit 13. When the reception interrupt process of the first port a is started, the received data is stored (ST72), and it is determined whether the received data is abnormality detection information (ST73). The abnormality detection information received by the serial port a relates to the process of step ST44, and means an abnormality when the ball lending button is pressed. Therefore, the ball lending machine CR turns on an abnormality alarm lamp indicating that and ends the interrupt process (ST75).

  On the other hand, when the received data is not abnormality detection information, the received data relates to the processing of step ST36 or step ST35, and is OK data or NG data. Therefore, the determination flag is set based on the content of the received data, and the process ends (ST74). Here, for convenience, OK data or NG data is set as it is in the determination flag.

  Next, the operation of the ball lending machine CR when the CPU is reset will be described with reference to FIG. When the CPU is reset such as when the power is turned on, the one-chip microcomputer waits for the PRDY signal to rise (ST60). The PRDY signal is a signal indicating that the initial operation of the count control unit 13 has been completed. By providing the process of step ST60, it is possible to prevent an error in acquiring the password by the count control unit 13.

  Next, the contact position of the rotary switch ROT is grasped, and a password with the number of digits based on the contact position is randomly generated automatically (ST61), and the determination flag is initially set to an initial value of zero (ST62). The automatically generated password is transmitted to the count control unit 13 for each byte (ST63). As described in relation to the processing in steps ST35 and ST3 in FIG. 5 and the processing in step ST74 in FIG. 6B, the determination flag indicates the presence or absence of communication abnormality, and the reception interrupt at the first port a is indicated. It is set based on the acquired data (ST74). Therefore, the process waits for the determination flag to change from the initial value (ST64). If the determination flag = NG, the processes of steps ST62 to ST64 are repeated a predetermined number of times (ST65). When the determination flag changes to an OK value, it means that a new password has been stored at the PWD address of the counting control unit 13, so that the ball lending machine CR also starts subsequent steady processing. In the determination process of step ST63, if the determination flag = NG exceeds the reference number, it is determined as a communication error, and a notification to that effect is executed in the ball lending machine CR. Note that the determination of the determination flag may be executed while repeating the processes of steps ST62 to ST64, as indicated by a broken line.

  In any case, when the process of step ST64 is finished and the steady process that is repeated in an infinite loop is started, it is repeatedly determined whether or not each switch signal is raised by turning on the ball lending button or the settlement button. (ST66, ST67).

  When the rising edge of the ball lending button signal is detected, a “ball lending request with password” is provided on the condition that a magnetic card worth paying out a reference number of game balls is inserted in the ball lending machine CR. X ”is transmitted to the counting control unit 13. Specifically, the determination flag is initially set to an initial value of zero (ST68), and “ball rental request with password X” is transmitted to the count control unit 13 for each byte (ST69).

  The configuration of the transmission data is not particularly limited. For example, an ASCII character string of password + dummy character string + X (ball lending request) is transmitted as a series of transmission data. Here, the dummy character string is added for the purpose of improving security, and the number of words is determined by, for example, an addition value of lower two bits of the character string constituting the password. For example, if the password is “H67bQ”, the character code of the password is 48H, 36H, 37H, 62H, 51H. Therefore, the sum of the lower 2 bits is 0 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 8, and the dummy character string includes 8 arbitrary characters. Consecutively configured.

  When the character data string as described above is transmitted, it waits for the determination flag to change from the initial value (ST70), and if the determination flag = NG, the processing of steps ST68 to ST69 is repeated a predetermined number of times (ST71). When the determination flag changes to an OK value, the process proceeds to the subsequent processing. When the state of the determination flag = NG exceeds the reference number, it is determined as a communication error and a notification to that effect is given. Also in this case, the determination of the determination flag may be executed while repeating the processes of steps ST68 to ST70 as indicated by a broken line.

  When the rising edge of the clearing button signal is detected during the steady process (ST67), the monitoring flag is set and the monitoring timer is initialized (ST75). The monitoring flag and the monitoring timer are used to determine whether or not a clearing request Y indicating that the clearing button is pressed is received within a predetermined time from the count control unit 13 that grasps the button press at the same timing as the ball lending machine CR. (Refer to ST86 in FIG. 7).

  Specifically, if the monitoring flag is set, the monitoring timer is updated (ST76, ST77), and when the monitoring timer reaches a limit value (monitoring upper limit time), an abnormal alarm operation is started (ST79).

  The reason why the ball lending machine CR receives the camouflaged clearing button signal from the illegal board (FIG. 9B) is that the ball lending machine CR receives the ball lending machine CR. This is to confirm the validity of the clearing button signal. In other words, in this embodiment, the clearing button is connected to the counting control unit 13 and the ball lending machine CR in an overlapping manner (see FIG. 3), and pressing of the clearing button can be grasped by the counting control unit 13 as well. The correctness of the clearing button signal can be confirmed by transmitting a clearing request Y indicating that the clearing button has been turned on from the unit 13 to the ball lending machine CR. Therefore, a certain degree of security function can be exhibited without giving a password to the settlement request Y.

  FIG. 7A is a flowchart for explaining the settlement button ON operation notification process (ST20 in FIG. 4) and the settlement execution process (ST22 in FIG. 4). Since both processes have many common parts, It is described collectively.

  First, the ON operation notification process (ST20 in FIG. 4) will be described. In the ON operation notification process, it is first determined whether or not the transmission operation is currently in progress (ST50). This is because the timer interrupt process is executed every several milliseconds, while the transmission process is repeated in units of 1 byte. If the transmission operation is not in progress, a series of data with a password added is stored in the transmission buffer (ST51). Here, since the case where the settlement button is turned on has been described, password + dummy character string + Y (clearing request) is stored as a series of data.

  As described above, in this embodiment, since a series of data is composed of ASCII character strings, the clearing request corresponds to, for example, character data Y (= 59H). Further, the number of words of the dummy character string provided by the counting control unit 13 is also determined by the addition value of the lower 2 bits of the character string constituting the password, for convenience, as in the case of the ball lending machine CR. Therefore, if the password is “H67bQ”, the dummy character string is composed of eight consecutive arbitrary characters.

  Since the series of data as described above is transmitted in units of 1 byte, it is determined whether the transmission is completed based on the value of the corresponding register of the serial communication port B (ST52). Is set in the corresponding register of the serial communication port B to start the transmission operation (ST53). Next, it is determined whether or not all transmissions are completed. If completed, the transmission buffer is cleared and the settlement ON operation flag is reset (ST55).

  The settlement button ON operation notification process (ST20 in FIG. 4) has been described above, but the operation content is basically the same for the settlement execution process (ST22) to be started when the settlement flag is set. However, in the clearing operation, in order to further increase security, a series of data is configured as a start code + dummy character string + number of possessions + end code. Here, the start code and the end code are not fixed codes but character strings appropriately modified using a password. In the process of step ST55, the transmission buffer is cleared and the settlement flag is reset.

  Next, the reception interrupt b of the ball lending machine CR will be described with reference to FIG. Since this interruption process is started due to the operation of step ST53 of the counting control unit 13, the reception data is sequentially stored in the reception buffer (ST80). Then, it is determined whether or not the stored data is the final data (EOF) (ST81). If the final data is acquired, the reception buffer is cleared and whether or not there is a communication abnormality by CRC check or the like. Determine (ST82). If a communication abnormality is recognized, unless the number of abnormalities exceeds the reference number (ST89), 1-byte NG data is returned to the count control unit 13 and the process is terminated (ST90). When the number of abnormalities exceeds the reference number, a communication abnormality notification operation is executed in the ball lending machine CR.

  On the other hand, if no communication abnormality is recognized, 1-byte-long OK data is returned to the count control unit 13 (ST83), and the validity of the received series of data is determined (ST84). As described above, the received character string is not only the settlement request Y or the number of game balls TOTAL, but also a password added thereto. Since the password is generated in the ball lending machine CR, the ball lending machine CR can determine the validity of a series of character strings based on the password generated by itself.

  Further, even when the clearing request Y is validated, it is determined whether or not the monitoring flag is set at that timing (ST84, ST85). In the ball lending machine CR, since the monitoring flag is set when the clearing button is turned on (see ST75), the clearing request Y is output from the illegal board to the ball lending machine CR without the player's button operation. However, without checking the password, the illegality of the settlement request Y can be recognized from the monitoring flag in the reset state (see FIG. 9B).

  In this sense, the settlement request Y does not need to be encrypted with a password or the like, and may be simple 1-byte plain text data (clear text).

  In any case, when it can be determined that the received information (clearing request Y, owned number TOTAL) is valid (ST85), the clearing process proceeds. For example, when it is determined that the clearing request Y is valid, the monitoring flag and the monitoring timer set in the process of step ST75 are reset, and then the clearing information to be transmitted (the number of game balls held TOTAL ) Can be acquired on the security check (ST84) (ST86). If the process of step ST86 is not executed by the predetermined time (monitoring upper limit time), the alarm operation of step ST79 is activated.

  Further, in the determination at step ST85, when the settlement request Y is not valid, the subsequent settlement operation is prohibited, and the transmitted settlement information is ignored (ST87). Therefore, fraudulent acts that misuse the clearing operation are prevented at this timing.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST85 that the possessed number TOTAL is valid, processing corresponding to the transmitted clearing information (the retained number TOTAL of game balls) is started. That is, the ball lending machine CR prints the number of game balls TOTAL of the player on the receipt and issues it to the player.

  Next, the abnormality detection information is transmitted to the count control unit 13 using the serial communication port a of the ball lending machine CR, and the interruption process is finished (ST88). The transmitted abnormality detection information is received by the operation of the reception interrupt A (FIG. 5) of the count control unit 13, and a corresponding abnormality notification operation is executed (ST46 to ST47).

  By the way, the OK data and the NG data returned in the processes of steps ST83 and ST90 are received by the operation of the reception interrupt B of the count control unit 13. FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing the operation content of the reception interrupt B. When the reception data is stored (ST56) and NG data is received, the corresponding flag is reset (ST57).

  This is a process for re-executing the same operation in response to a communication error. If the communication error occurs when the settlement button is turned on, the settlement button ON operation flag is reset. As a result, the count control unit 13 re-executes the ON operation notification process (ST20) shown in FIG. If the communication error occurs during the settlement execution process (ST22) after the settlement button ON operation is accepted, the settlement flag is reset and the settlement execution process (ST22) is re-executed.

  On the other hand, if OK data is received when the clearing button is turned on, this is stored, and a clearing flag is set to start the clearing execution process (ST22) of the game ball (ST58).

  When OK data is received during the clearing execution process (ST22) after the clearing button ON operation is accepted, the number of game balls owned TOTAL managed by the counting control unit 13 is cleared and the number of possessed is displayed. The display content of part 8 is also cleared to zero.

  As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was described in detail, the concrete description content does not specifically limit this invention. In particular, the processing contents of FIGS. 4 to 7 and the configurations of the serial ports A and B are merely examples, and are changed as appropriate. In addition, the password-added information is transmitted in response to the button ON operation. In particular, when lending a ball, the counting control unit 13 receives the BRDY signal and the BRQ signal at the rising edge separately from the button ON operation. It is suitable for transmitting security information to the ball lending machine CR.

  In addition, when any one of the clearing and ball lending processes is executed, the other process is desirably skipped.

  In the embodiment, the password is generated in the ball lending machine CR based on the contact point position of the rotary switch ROT operated by the attendant. However, the password may be generated on the gaming machine side. In this case, the transmission process (ST62 to ST65 in FIG. 6) in the ball lending machine CR and the reception process (ST31 to ST39 in FIG. 5) in the count control unit 13 are interchanged. In addition, the number of digits and components of the password can be set as appropriate, and the components are not limited to numbers and alphabets.

  Furthermore, it is not always necessary to automatically generate a password, and the ball lending machine CR and the counting control unit 13 hold a common security setting table, and based on the contents described there, the ball lending machine CR and the counting control unit 13 May have worked. In this case, which security information is used is specified by the rotational position of the rotary switch ROT. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the ball lending machine CR and the counting control unit 13 may commonly recognize only the row number used in the security setting table, and only the rotational position of the rotary switch ROT is set to one. Notification is enough.

  FIG. 8 illustrates a security setting table, in which a plurality of sets of security information including a password, the number of dummy characters, an operation key code, a communication baud rate, and the like are stored. Note that the calculation key code defines a coefficient value of a conversion formula for converting the owned number TOTAL to be liquidated. For the sake of convenience, in brief, when the transmission number TOTAL is multiplied by a, the coefficient a becomes an operation key code. Of course, a more complicated expression is used as an actual conversion formula.

  Further, the security information such as the password may be changed and reset as appropriate during the game operation, instead of being notified from one to the other only once when the power is turned on. In the embodiment, the ball lending machine CR and the gaming machine GM have been described as separate units. However, the game lending machine CR is integrated with the ball lending unit that functions in the same way as the ball lending machine CR. It's okay. If such a configuration is adopted, the rotational position of the rotary switch can be commonly recognized by the ball lending unit and the counting control unit 13 without performing communication processing. Therefore, in combination with the configuration of FIG. Can be greatly increased. That is, since not only the rotation position of the rotary switch but also the password transmission / reception process can be omitted, the illegal board cannot grasp the security information unless the rotation position of the rotary switch is grasped by a special method.

CR management device X management information ST33 first means ST42 second means ST4 third means ST43 third means

To achieve the above object, the present invention is a game medium in response to the operation of the player, the management device operable to be provided to substantially player, connectable to the gaming machine main body, the game A gaming machine that directly or indirectly provides a player with game results obtained in response to a game operation using a medium, wherein a predetermined operation unit is connected to the gaming machine body, and On the condition that the management information received from the management device that has recognized the ON operation of the operation unit is received by the gaming machine body, and the management information received by the first unit is normal, the predetermined operation unit ON And a second means for starting a game medium providing operation corresponding to the operation.

Claims (9)

A management device that operates so as to be provided with game media in response to the player's operation is configured to be connected to the gaming machine body, and directly obtains game results obtained in response to game operations using the game media. A game machine that is provided to a player either manually or indirectly,
The predetermined operation unit is configured to be redundantly connected to the management device and the gaming machine body,
A first means for receiving management information from a management device that recognizes an ON operation of a predetermined operation unit at a gaming machine body;
A second means for starting a game medium providing operation corresponding to an ON operation of a predetermined operation unit on condition that the management information received by the first means is normal;
A gaming machine comprising a third means for starting an abnormality detection operation when normal management information is not received from the management device by a predetermined time.   The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the management device and the gaming machine main body are connected to each other via a serial communication line so that bidirectional communication is possible. The gaming machine body that recognizes the ON operation of the predetermined operation unit starts the time counting operation,
The gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second means is not activated unless normal management information is received within a predetermined time. The gaming machine body that has received the management information determines its legitimacy based on the security information shared with the management device,
The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the management information is determined to have been normally received on the condition that the validity is recognized. Management information is transmitted with an additional signal if communication abnormality can be detected,
The gaming machine body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gaming machine body that has received the management information is configured to return a determination result as to whether or not a communication abnormality has been detected to the management device. The management device that has received the determination result indicating the communication abnormality is
The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the gaming machine is configured to retransmit the management information repeatedly unless the prescribed number of times is exceeded.   The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gaming machine main body and the management device operate by sharing automatically generated security information. The gaming machine main body and the management device are each configured to hold a storage table storing a plurality of sets of security information,
The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein information regarding which security information is used is operating in common.   The gaming machine according to claim 7 or 8, wherein security information to be used is configured to be randomly specified at a timing including when the power is turned on.

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