JP2016041351A - Device for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate management of values of game media handed in exchange for articles and enable a reliable refund of values due to a cancellation of an exchange for articles, without greatly modifying a system.SOLUTION: A salesperson's visitor card (i.e., an order card) in which the number of game balls exchanged can be identified is received (S556), and when a refunded amount is received from a remote controller (YES at S561), if the received refunded amount is equal to or less than the upper limit as well as an exchanged compensation immediately before, a payout processing in the number of refunded balls equivalent to the refunded amount is performed (S563).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 42

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming apparatus. Specifically, a game recording medium that is arranged corresponding to the gaming machine and that can specify the possession value owned by the player is received, and the possession value that is identified from the accepted game recording medium is used in the game. The present invention relates to a gaming apparatus that performs use processing.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a wagon service for goods such as coffee at a game hall, there has been a system in which the number of balls corresponding to the value of an article is withdrawn from a stored ball and settled upon request from a card unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1) ).

  In addition, in each unit counting system installed for each gaming machine that counts the prize balls, the number of balls corresponding to the value of the goods is counted from the counting balls according to the operation for exchanging the goods for the wagon service and the counting balls. There has been a system that subtracts and issues a receipt for the subtraction (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-9-276519 JP 2001-129236 A

  However, in the system of Patent Document 1, since payment is made on the data, there is no record that the person in charge of the wagon service has exchanged the goods and the prize ball. (Also referred to as “game media”).

  In addition, in the system of Patent Document 2, since a receipt is issued, it becomes easy to manage the prize balls passed to the staff of the wagon service, but it is necessary to provide a configuration for printing the receipt. In order to install such a system, there was a problem that the original system had to be greatly modified.

  The present invention has been made based on such a background, and the object thereof is to facilitate the management of the value of a game medium delivered in exchange for an article without greatly modifying the system. An object of the present invention is to provide a possible gaming device.

  The present invention adopts the following means in order to solve the above problems. Note that the reference numerals used in the description and drawings of the embodiments for carrying out the invention to be described later are added in parentheses for reference, but the constituent elements of the present invention are not limited to those added.

First, the invention according to means 1
A game recording medium (member card or visitor card) arranged corresponding to the game machine (pachinko machine 2) and capable of specifying the possession value (the number of possessed balls) owned by the player is received and the received game A gaming device (card unit 3 according to the first embodiment) for performing a use process (Sb25 payout process) for using the possessed value specified from a recording medium for a game,
An instruction receiving means (IR light receiving unit 315) for receiving instruction information that can specify at least the predetermined value when an article having a desired predetermined value (the number of exchange balls) is exchanged using the possession value;
When the instruction information is received during acceptance of the game recording medium (YES in Sem2 or Sev2), the remaining possessed value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the possessed value can be specified from the accepted game recording medium A first processing means (Sem4 and Sem5, or Sev4, Sev5, and Sev8a processing unit 328) that executes a first specific process for
A first discharge control means (control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem8 or Sev8) for discharging the accepted game recording medium when the first specific process is executed;
A second specifying process for enabling the predetermined value to be specified from a new game recording medium (visitor card) in response to the acceptance of the game recording medium being received by the first discharge control means; Second processing means to execute (Sem13 and Sem14, or a control unit 328 that performs Sev13 and Sev14 processing);
A second discharge control means (a control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem17 or Sev17) for discharging the game recording medium when the second specific process is executed;
A storage unit for storing the new game recording medium;
A gaming device comprising: an informing means for informing when the number of game recording media stored in the storage section is less than a predetermined number.

The invention according to means 2
A game recording medium (member card or visitor card) arranged corresponding to the game machine (pachinko machine 2) and capable of specifying the possession value (the number of possessed balls) owned by the player is received and the received game A gaming apparatus (card unit 3 according to the second embodiment) for performing a use process (Sb25 payout process) for using the possessed value specified from a recording medium for a game,
An exchange instruction accepting means (IR light receiving unit 315) for accepting an exchange instruction capable of specifying at least the predetermined value when an article having a desired predetermined value (number of exchange balls) is exchanged using the possession value;
On the condition that the exchange instruction is received during acceptance of the game recording medium (YES in Sem2 or Sev2), the remaining possessed value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the possessed value is obtained from the accepted game recording medium. First processing means (control unit 328 that performs processing of Sem4 and Sem5, or Sev4, Sev5, and Sev8a) for executing a first specifying process for enabling specification;
First discharge control means (control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem8 or Sev8) that discharges the accepted game recording medium on condition that the first specific process has been executed;
Acceptance control for accepting an attendant recording medium (order card), which is an attendant's game recording medium, in response to the receipt of the accepted game recording medium by the first ejection control means Means (control unit 328 for performing the processing of Sem9 ′);
On the condition that the attendant recording medium has been received, second processing means (holding means) for executing a second specifying process for adding the predetermined value to the specified ownership value from the received attendant recording medium. A control unit 328) which records the number of balls + the number of exchanged balls on the order card and performs the processing of Sem14 or Sev14;
A second discharge control means (control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem17 ′ or Sev17 ′) that discharges the accepted clerk recording medium on condition that the second specific process is executed;
Refund instruction receiving means (IR light receiving unit 315) for receiving a refund instruction capable of specifying a refund value (number of payout balls) to be refunded from the predetermined value specified from the staff recording medium discharged by the second discharge control means; ,
The refund value specified from the refund instruction is refunded on condition that the clerk's recording medium ejected by the second ejection control means is accepted (S556a) and the refund instruction is accepted (YES in S561). Refund processing means (control unit 328 for performing the processes of S562 and S563) for executing a refund process for
It is provided with the game apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.

The invention according to means 3 is
A gaming device (card unit 3) described in means 1 or 2,
The refund processing unit executes the refund process (S521) on condition that the refund value received by the refund instruction receiving unit is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit (YES in S512). A gaming device.

The invention according to means 4 is
A gaming device (card unit 3) described in any one of means 1 to 3,
The refund processing means executes the refund process (S521) on condition that the refund value received by the refund instruction receiving means is equal to or less than the predetermined value added by the immediately preceding second specifying process (YES in S514). ) Is executed.

The invention according to means 5 is
A gaming device (card unit 3) described in any one of means 1 to 4,
The refund instruction accepting unit can accept the refund instruction (S561) on condition that the mode has shifted to the refund mode (YES in S550),
The new game recording medium or the staff recording medium discharged by the second discharge control means can be received only during the payout mode (the exchange flag is ON (YES in St2a) when the card is received in the normal mode). The game device is characterized in that the card is returned (St18).

The invention according to means 6 is
A game recording medium (member card or visitor card) arranged corresponding to the game machine (pachinko machine 2) and capable of specifying the possession value (the number of possessed balls) owned by the player is received and the received game A game device (card unit 3) for performing a use process (Sb25 payout process) for causing the game to use the possessed value specified from the recording medium;
Management for managing the possession value of the player who owns the game recording medium in association with the game recording medium identification information that is communicable with the game apparatus and that can individually identify the game recording medium A device (management computer 150 having a member saving management table and a visitor saving management table);
A gaming system including:
The gaming device is:
An exchange instruction accepting means (IR light receiving unit 315) for accepting an exchange instruction capable of specifying at least the predetermined value when an article having a desired predetermined value (number of exchange balls) is exchanged using the possession value;
On the condition that the exchange instruction is received during acceptance of the game recording medium (YES in Sem2 or Sev2), the remaining possessed value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the possessed value is obtained from the accepted game recording medium. First processing means (control unit 328 that performs processing of Sem4 and Sem5, or Sev4, Sev5, and Sev8a) for executing a first specifying process for enabling specification;
On the condition that the first specifying process has been executed, remaining ownership value information that can identify the game recording medium identification information and the remaining ownership value of the accepted game recording medium is provided to the management device. Remaining ownership value information transmitting means (control unit 328 for performing the processing of Sem5 or Sev5),
First discharge control means (control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem8 or Sev8) that discharges the accepted game recording medium on condition that the first specific process has been executed;
A second specifying process for enabling the predetermined value to be specified from a new game recording medium (visitor card) in response to the acceptance of the game recording medium being received by the first discharge control means; Second processing means to execute (Sem13 and Sem14, or a control unit 328 that performs Sev13 and Sev14 processing);
Exchange that transmits exchange value information that can specify game recording medium identification information and the predetermined value of the new game recording medium to the management device on condition that the second specifying process has been executed Value information transmission means (control unit 328 for performing the processing of Sem14 or Sev14);
A second discharge control means (control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem17 or Sev17) for discharging the new game recording medium on the condition that the second specific process is executed;
Refund instruction accepting means (IR light receiving unit 315) for accepting a payout instruction that can specify a payout value (number of payout balls) to be paid back from the predetermined value specified from the new game recording medium discharged by the second discharge control means. )When,
The payout value specified from the payout instruction is determined on condition that a new game recording medium discharged by the second discharge control means is accepted (S556) and the payout instruction is accepted (YES in S561). A refund processing means (control unit 328 for performing the processes of S562 and S563) for executing a refund process for the refund;
Refund for transmitting, to the management device, refund value information capable of specifying the game recording medium identification information and the refund value of the received new game recording medium on condition that the refund process has been executed. Value information transmission means (a control unit 328 that performs the processing of S565 and S566),
The management device
Based on the reception of the remaining property value information, the remaining property value included in the received remaining property value information is managed as the property value in association with the game recording medium identification information included in the remaining property value information. (Sem6 or Sev6),
Based on the receipt of the exchange value information, the predetermined value included in the received exchange value information is associated with the game recording medium identification information included in the exchange value information and managed as the possession value (Sem 15 or Sev15),
Based on the receipt of the refund value information, the refund value included in the received refund value information is subtracted from the possessed value managed in association with the game recording medium identification information included in the refund value information. (S567) A gaming system characterized by the above.

The invention according to means 7
A game recording medium (member card or visitor card) arranged corresponding to the game machine (pachinko machine 2) and capable of specifying the possession value (the number of possessed balls) owned by the player is received and the received game A game device (card unit 3) for performing a use process (Sb25 payout process) for causing the game to use the possessed value specified from the recording medium;
Management for managing the possession value of the player who owns the game recording medium in association with the game recording medium identification information that is communicable with the game apparatus and that can individually identify the game recording medium A device (management computer 150 having a member saving management table and a visitor saving management table);
A gaming system including:
The gaming device is:
An exchange instruction accepting means (IR light receiving unit 315) for accepting an exchange instruction capable of specifying at least the predetermined value when an article having a desired predetermined value (number of exchange balls) is exchanged using the possession value;
On the condition that the exchange instruction is received during acceptance of the game recording medium (YES in Sem2 or Sev2), the remaining possessed value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the possessed value is obtained from the accepted game recording medium. First processing means (control unit 328 that performs processing of Sem4 and Sem5, or Sev4, Sev5, and Sev8a) for executing a first specifying process for enabling specification;
On the condition that the first specifying process has been executed, remaining ownership value information that can identify the game recording medium identification information and the remaining ownership value of the accepted game recording medium is provided to the management device. Remaining ownership value information transmitting means (control unit 328 for performing the processing of Sem5 or Sev5),
First discharge control means (control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem8 or Sev8) that discharges the accepted game recording medium on condition that the first specific process has been executed;
Acceptance control for accepting an attendant recording medium (order card), which is an attendant's game recording medium, in response to the receipt of the accepted game recording medium by the first ejection control means Means (control unit 328 for performing the processing of Sem9 ′);
On the condition that the attendant recording medium has been received, second processing means (holding means) for executing a second specifying process for adding the predetermined value to the specified ownership value from the received attendant recording medium. A control unit 328) which records the number of balls + the number of exchanged balls on the order card and performs the processing of Sem14 or Sev14
On the condition that the second specifying process has been executed, the recording device identification information for identifying the clerk recording medium and the exchange value information for identifying the predetermined value can be provided to the management device. Exchange value information transmission means for transmission (control unit 328 for performing the processing of Sem14 or Sev14);
A second discharge control means (control unit 328 for performing the process of Sem17 ′ or Sev17 ′) that discharges the accepted clerk recording medium on condition that the second specific process is executed;
Refund instruction receiving means (IR light receiving unit 315) for receiving a refund instruction capable of specifying a refund value (number of payout balls) to be refunded from the predetermined value specified from the staff recording medium discharged by the second discharge control means; ,
The refund value specified from the refund instruction is refunded on condition that the clerk's recording medium ejected by the second ejection control means is accepted (S556a) and the refund instruction is accepted (YES in S561). Refund processing means (control unit 328 for performing the processes of S562 and S563) for executing a refund process for
Refund value information for transmitting repayment value information capable of specifying the repayment record medium identification information and the repayment value of the received clerk recording medium to the management device on condition that the refund process has been executed. Transmission means (control unit 328 for performing the processing of S565 and S566),
The management device
Based on the reception of the remaining property value information, the remaining property value included in the received remaining property value information is managed as the property value in association with the game recording medium identification information included in the remaining property value information. (Sem6 or Sev6),
Based on the reception of the exchange value information, the predetermined value included in the received exchange value information is managed as the possession value in association with the staff recording medium identification information included in the exchange value information (Sem15 or Sev15),
Based on the receipt of the refund value information, the refund value included in the received refund value information is subtracted from the possessed value managed in association with the staff recording medium identification information included in the refund value information. (S567) A gaming system characterized by the above.

  Further, according to each means described above, when exchanging an article of a desired predetermined value using the possession value, an exchange instruction that can specify at least the predetermined value is accepted and exchanged while accepting the game recording medium On condition that the instruction has been accepted, a first identification process is executed to make it possible to identify the remaining possession value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the possession value from the game recording medium being accepted, and the first identification process is performed. If the game recording medium being accepted is ejected on the condition that it has been executed, and the game recording medium being accepted is ejected, a predetermined value is added to the new game recording medium or an accepted clerk. A second identification process for enabling identification from the recording medium for the game is executed, and on the condition that the second identification process is executed, a new game recording medium or a staff recording medium is ejected.

  For this reason, it is possible to exchange the goods and the value usable for the game without newly providing a configuration for printing a receipt. Further, the value of the game medium exchanged with the article can be specified from the new game recording medium or the staff recording medium. As a result, it is possible to facilitate the management of the value of the game medium passed in exchange for the goods without greatly modifying the system.

It is a system configuration figure showing the whole picture of a game system in an embodiment of the invention. It is a front view which shows the pachinko machine and card unit which were used for the game system of the embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is top view sectional drawing which shows the structure of the card reader / writer used for the card unit of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the protrusion part of the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the counting and fraction payout unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the card unit of an embodiment of the invention. It is a fracture | rupture top view which shows the internal structure of the counting and fraction discharge unit used for embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the card table of the card unit used in embodiment of this invention, (b) is a figure which shows the game information table of the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. (C) is a figure which shows the member game information used in embodiment of this invention, (d) is a figure which shows the number-of-balls data used in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the transmission data sequence transmitted from the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the various modes in the card unit used in embodiment of this invention, and its content. It is explanatory drawing which shows the information transmitted / received between the card unit used in embodiment of this invention, the management computer, and the system controller. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the system controller used in embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the member card table in the system controller used in embodiment of this invention, (b) is a figure which shows a visitor card table. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the management computer used in embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the member saving management table in the management computer used in embodiment of this invention, (b) is a figure which shows a visitor saving management table. (A) is a figure which shows the unit management table used in embodiment of this invention, (b) is a figure which shows the storage / payout history table used in embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the member information table in the management computer used in embodiment of this invention, (b) is a figure which shows the game history table classified by member. It is a figure which shows the storage ball discharge | emission setting screen in the management computer used in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content implemented in the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of the count information processing implemented in the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of the lending process implemented in the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of the return process implemented in the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of the payout process implemented in the card unit used in embodiment of this invention. (A)-(d) is a figure explaining the flow path in the inside of the counting and fraction discharge unit used for embodiment of this invention, and the flow-down condition of the pachinko ball. (A) is a flowchart which shows the content of the process at the time of business closing implemented in the card unit in embodiment of this invention, (b) is the processing content of the count invalidation process which comprises the process at the time of business end FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the information transmitted / received between the management computer, card unit, and system controller which were used in this Embodiment, and the process based on it. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the sharing process performed with the card unit in this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the shared presence exchange management process performed with the management computer in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the update of the number of balls in the management computer in the process for sharing in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of addition addition of the number of balls of a visitor card which records the number of shared balls in the management computer in the process for sharing in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the database of the shared information in the management computer in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of sharing a possession when the membership card in this embodiment is accepting. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of sharing a possession ball when the visitor card in reception is receiving. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the seat exchange process performed with the card unit in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the update of the number of balls in the management computer in the process for seat presence change in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of addition update of the number of balls of a visitor card which records the number of exchanged balls used for the presence exchange by the management computer in the process for presence exchange in this Embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows the database of the exchange information in the management computer in this Embodiment, (b) is a figure which shows the database of the exchange information in a card unit. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of exchanging a seat with the article | item of a wagon service when the member card in this Embodiment is receiving. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of performing seat presence exchange with the goods of a wagon service when the visitor card in this embodiment is receiving. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the refund process performed with the card unit in this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of performing the refund process when the membership card or visitor card in this embodiment is receiving. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the POS terminal for prize exchange in this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the POS process performed by the prize exchange POS in this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the subroutine of a shared presence exchange management process performed with the management computer in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the various modes in the card unit used in 2nd Embodiment, and the content. It is a figure which shows the order card saving management table in the management computer in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the seat exchange process performed with the card unit in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process at the time of reception abnormality which is a subroutine of the seat exchange process performed with the card unit in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of addition addition of the number of balls of a salesperson's order card which records the number of exchanged balls used for the presence exchange by the management computer in the process for attendance exchange in 2nd Embodiment. is there. It is a figure which shows the database of the exchange information in the management computer in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of exchanging a seat with the goods of the wagon service when the membership card in 2nd Embodiment is receiving. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of exchanging a seat with the goods of the wagon service when the visitor card in 2nd Embodiment is receiving. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the refund process performed with the card unit in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement in the case of performing the refund process when the membership card or visitor card in 2nd Embodiment is receiving.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing a gaming apparatus and a gaming system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
First, FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an overall image of a gaming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The gaming system includes a card reader pachinko machine (hereinafter abbreviated as a pachinko machine) 2 that is a gaming machine arranged in parallel on each of the gaming islands (not shown) arranged in the game hall, and a predetermined side of the pachinko machine 2 A visitor card having a prepaid function, which is a game recording medium that is issued to a general player who is not registered as a member in a one-to-one correspondence with the pachinko machine 2 at a side position of A process for accepting a membership card, which is a game recording medium issued to a member player registered as a member of the gaming machine, and lending a pachinko ball, which is a gaming medium used for gaming in the gaming machine, A card unit 3 that counts pachinko balls acquired in a game in the pachinko machine 2 that performs and pays out (returns) pachinko balls within the counted number of pachinko balls, and a card A system controller 100 for managing visitor cards, membership cards, and card units 3 used in the knit 3, and the number of balls managed to manage the number of balls counted in each card unit 3 as the number of balls A management computer 150 for managing the number of stored balls (the number of stored balls and the number of stored balls) that the member player possessing the member card can use for replay and the number of stored balls recorded on the visitor card; Hall computer 140 serving as a game information management device for managing game information such as machine data of each pachinko machine 2 installed in the hall, and a prize exchange POS terminal for exchanging prizes provided at a prize counter in the game hall 170, mainly.

  And each apparatus which comprises these gaming systems of this embodiment is connected so that bidirectional | two-way data communication is possible via the hub (HUB) 7 and the communication cable 8, as shown in FIG. Each connected device is assigned a local IP address to form a local area network (LAN), and each of these devices connected to the local area network (LAN) can be individually identified. Each device has an IP address table in which a device (unit) ID and a local IP address are associated with each other, a unit management table (see FIG. 17A) described later, and the like. By assigning each local IP address specified from the device (unit) ID to the transmission data and transmitting / receiving it, It has to be able to perform the transmission and reception of data to.

  As described above, the system controller 100 of the present embodiment manages the prepaid balance (game value) remaining in each member card and each visitor card, and these members via the communication line 11. It is connected to a management server 12 installed in a card management company outside the game hall that manages cards and visitor cards so that bidirectional data communication can be carried out. By transmitting the management information, the card management company can grasp the sales by the membership card and the visitor card of each game hall by the management server 12.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a monitoring camera system for monitoring the inside of the game hall is connected to the hall computer 140 of the present embodiment, and the monitoring image inside the gaming hall captured by the monitoring camera system. However, it is stored and managed together with the base data of each pachinko machine 2 and the like. Note that game information such as the base data of each pachinko machine 2 managed by the hall computer 140 is updated to the latest information by transmission data transmitted from the card unit 3 corresponding to each pachinko machine 2, as will be described later. It has been updated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the card unit 3 and the pachinko machine 2 are provided with various signals associated with the lending of a plurality (25 in this embodiment) of pachinko balls that are predetermined as payout units. The terminal terminal lending completion signal (EXS) and the table READY signal (PRDY) output from the pachinko machine 2, the card unit READY signal (BRDY) output from the control unit 328, and the terminal terminal lending request completion confirmation signal (BRQ). ) Are connected so as to be able to send and receive, and a jackpot signal, a probability changing signal, a time-shortening signal, a winning ball signal, and a start signal, which will be described later, output from the pachinko machine 2 are connected to be inputable.

  First, the pachinko machine 2 which is a gaming machine used in the present embodiment will be briefly described below. The pachinko machine 2 has a glass door frame 22 formed in a frame shape as shown in FIG. A hitting ball supply tray 23 is provided on the lower surface of the glass door frame 22. An operation unit 14 is provided at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the hitting ball supply tray 23, and a lower tray 24 that stores pachinko balls overflowing from the hitting ball supply tray 23 is provided below the hitting ball supply tray (upper plate) 23. A hitting operation handle (hereinafter referred to as an operation knob) 25 for emitting a hitting ball is provided.

  A game board 26 is detachably attached to the rear side of the glass door frame 22. A game area 27 is provided in front of the game board 26. A special figure variable display section 28 in which a plurality of types of identification information called “special symbols” are variably displayed in a lower area on the right side of the game area 27, and a plurality of types called “effect symbols” in the vicinity of the center thereof. Are provided, and an effect variable display unit 29 for displaying effect images and a variable display device 30 for variably displaying a plurality of types of identification information called “ordinary symbols” are provided. The game board 26 is provided with a plurality of winning holes 44, a passing gate 31, a starting winning hole 34, and a variable winning ball device 36. A recovery outlet 46 is formed.

  When a hitting ball is won in each of these winning openings, a winning ball corresponding to each winning opening is paid out by a ball cutting / dispensing device (not shown) and according to the number of winning balls paid out by the ball cutting / dispensing device. A prize ball signal (1 pulse per 10 balls) is output to the outside, so that the number of prize balls is notified to the outside.

  A hit ball fired by a hammer (not shown) that is swung by the operation of the hitting operation knob 25 enters the game area 27 through the hitting rail, and then flows down the game area 27. At this time, pachinko balls whose launch momentum is too weak to reach the game area 27 are circulated to the lower plate 24 through a circulation path (not shown).

  In addition, when the ball that has been driven into the game area 27 passes through the passing gate 31, the normal symbol that is stopped and displayed on the variable display device 30 is variably started.

  When the display result after the variable display operation of the variable display device 30 is a predetermined display result (for example, ◯), the movable piece 35 provided at the start winning opening 34 is opened for a predetermined time and the player This is an advantageous state.

  When a pachinko ball is won at the start winning opening 34, all special symbols are variably displayed (variable display) in the special figure variable display section 28, and the effect display is started in the effect variable display section 29. After that, when the special symbol in the special figure variable display unit 28 stops and the result of the stop display becomes a predetermined specific display mode, the left, middle and right effects in the production variable display unit 29 are displayed. The variable display of the symbol is also stopped, and the display mode of the effect symbol is also set to a predetermined specific display mode (for example, 777), so that a specific gaming state (big hit state) occurs and a big hit signal is output. By being in a state, the occurrence of the jackpot is notified to the outside.

  Further, when the special symbol on the special symbol variable display unit 28 is stopped, a start signal having a predetermined pulse width is output, and the special symbol variable display (variable display) is performed on the special symbol variable display unit 28. Will be notified.

When the big hit state occurs in this way, the opening / closing plate 4 provided in the variable winning ball apparatus 36.
0 is established and becomes a first state advantageous to the player. This first state ends when a predetermined period (for example, 30 seconds) or a predetermined number of hit balls (for example, 10) wins, whichever comes first, and then for the player This is a disadvantageous second state.

  If a hit ball that has entered the large winning opening of the variable winning ball apparatus 36 in the first state wins a specific winning area (V pocket) and is detected by a V count switch (not shown), Waiting for the end of the first state, repeated continuation control is performed to control from the second state to the first state. The upper limit number of the repeated continuation control is set to 15 times, for example.

  When the display result of the special figure variable display unit 28 and the display result of the effect symbol of the effect variable display unit 29 are stopped and displayed with a combination of predetermined jackpot symbols, a big hit occurs as described above. A reach state may occur in a state before the stop display.

  When the special symbol variably displayed on the special figure variable display unit 28 and the production variable display unit 29 and the production symbol are stopped and displayed with a combination of symbols corresponding to a predetermined probability variation symbol type, After the completion of ”, the probability variation state in which the probability of a big hit again becomes a higher probability state than the normal probability state becomes a probability variation state. In the probability variation state after the end of the probability variation jackpot, the probability variation state signal is output, and the occurrence of the probability variation state is notified to the outside.

  Further, when the special symbol variably displayed on the special symbol variable display unit 28 and the production variable display unit 29 and the production symbol are stopped and displayed with a combination of symbols other than the predetermined probability variation symbol, the “big hit” by the repeated continuation control is performed. The special symbol and effect variable display part in the special figure variable display part 28 until the variable display reaches the predetermined number of times or the next big hit occurs in the special figure variable display part 28 and the effect variable display part 29. When the variable display time (variation time) of the effect symbol in 29 is shortened compared to the normal gaming state, it becomes a short state, and during these short states, the short and medium signal is output, The occurrence of a short time condition is notified to the outside.

  The pachinko machine 2 of the present embodiment is equipped with an information output board (not shown) for outputting these signals to the outside, and the information output board and the card unit 3 are connected via a signal cable (not shown). From the information output board, an external output signal consisting of a big hit signal, a probability changing signal, a short time signal, a start signal, and a prize ball signal is output to the card unit 3 via a signal cable.

  Here, the big hit signal is a signal that is in the output state during the big hit state period, the probability changing signal is a signal that is in the output state only during the probability changing state period, and the short and medium time signal is the period in the short time state The start signal is a pulse signal of a predetermined width that is output when the variable display is completed after all the display results of the special figure variable display section 28 are derived and displayed. The ball signal is a pulse signal having a predetermined width that is output every time a predetermined number of balls (10 balls in the present embodiment) is paid out.

The pachinko machine 2 according to the present embodiment has a control for counting and paying out a predetermined number of prize balls from a game control board that controls the game in the pachinko machine 2 based on a prize ball signal that is output based on a prize. And a prize ball control board (not shown) that performs control for counting and lending out 25 pachinko balls, which are payout units, based on signals input / output from the card unit 3 in the same manner as a normal CR machine. In addition, pachinko balls can be lent out in multiples of 25 balls, which is the payout unit.

  Next, the visitor card and membership card used in the present embodiment will be briefly described. The visitor card and membership card used in the present embodiment are non-volatile for storing various data. Use of an IC card equipped with an IC chip having a volatile memory and a controller for rewriting and reading out the recorded information and performing non-contact communication with an external reader / writer device. Cards and membership cards are card IDs that can identify individual cards. Specifically, visitor cards have a card ID that starts with VC, and membership cards have a membership card ID that starts with KC (simply “card ID”). Is also stored in advance so as not to be rewritable, its type can be identified from the card ID, and the remaining prepaid And prepaid balance data which can specify, (with "1" flag, "0" indicating no flags) test flag indicating that it has been used in the test mode various data for are stored.

  The member card is issued to a member player who has registered as a member in the amusement hall, and a member ID assigned to the member is stored in a non-rewritable manner. In addition, as will be described later, the member player using the membership card can use the pachinko ball once acquired and counted as a holding ball that can be used again for the game on that day, or for the game again after the next day. It is possible to deposit them as game balls at the amusement hall, but these membership cards do not directly record the number of balls that are the data of the balls and the number of balls that are the data of the balls. As will be described later, the number of possessed balls and the number of accumulated balls are stored in association with the member card ID and the member ID in the management computer 150, and are specified from the member card ID and the member ID. Yes.

  The visitor card is purchased and issued by a card issuing / payment machine (not shown) installed in the amusement hall, and is also issued by the card unit 3. The visitor card stores the number of balls and date based on the counted number of balls counted by the player who owns the visitor card, and the number of balls is stored only on the day of each game in the game hall. The card unit 3 can be used.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the number of possessed balls is written and recorded only on the visitor card, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of retained balls and the number of accumulated balls are not limited thereto. The data may be recorded on the membership card as in the visitor card.

  Next, the card unit 3 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 10 and FIG. 25. As shown in FIG. Various display units such as a multi-function lamp 301 that is configured by LEDs and can be informed of the state of the card unit 3 by being lit in a plurality of colors, a bill insertion slot 302 for inserting bills, and a device from the front of the device A protruding portion 305 formed to protrude to the front side, a payout button 311 for receiving a counting payout operation for paying out the counted number of balls, and a card insertion slot 309 for inserting a member card or a visitor card are provided. .

  A card insertion slot 309 provided on the front surface of the card unit 3 is connected to a card slot 392 of a card reader / writer 327 (see FIG. 7) built in a position corresponding to the card insertion slot 309. A visitor card or a membership card can be inserted into the card slot 392 through the insertion slot 309.

A protruding portion 305 is provided on the front surface of the card unit 3 so as to protrude forward. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, on the surface of the protruding portion 305 facing the player, a display unit 312 capable of displaying various information, a menu button 316 for displaying a main menu screen, a table When a table data button 318 for displaying data and a member card is received, a replay game using the member card ID recorded on the member card and the number of balls specified by the member ID is performed. Receiving infrared signals from a replay button 319, a replay display unit 320 for notifying that the operation of the replay button 319 is valid, and a remote control (not shown) possessed by a store clerk or salesperson of the game hall And an IR light receiving unit 315 that converts the electrical signal into an electrical signal and outputs the electrical signal. Each surface displayed on the display unit 312 is displayed on the surface of the display unit 312. Transparent touch panel 314 to be input is provided a display item by touching with a finger.

  Further, a liquid crystal display 313, which will be described later, and a switch corresponding to each button are provided inside the protrusion 305, and these correspond to the protrusion 305 as shown in FIG. By being connected to the display control board 329 provided at the position in the apparatus, display control of the liquid crystal display 313, input position detection by the transparent touch panel 314, and the like are performed by the display control board 329.

  At the upper position in the card unit 3, a banknote inserted in the banknote insertion slot 302 is connected, and a bill inserted into the banknote insertion slot 302 is taken to identify its authenticity and banknote type. A banknote identification unit 321 that outputs to a control unit 328, which will be described later, provided in the unit is provided. In the banknote identification unit 321, various banknotes (10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, 2,000 yen, 1,000 yen each) (Banknotes) can be accepted.

  Further, a control unit 328 for controlling the operation of the card unit 3 is provided at a substantially central position of the card unit 3 so as to be easily connected to each part constituting the card unit 3, and as will be described later. Various operations of the card unit 3 are controlled by the control unit 328.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a recovery channel box 348 having a recovery channel inclined from the front side to the rear (inward) side of the card unit 3 is provided at the lowermost position of the card unit 3. In addition, the card unit 3 is disposed at the lower end position of the front surface of the card unit 3 on the front surface side of the recovery flow path box 348 at the lower position of the lower plate 24 of the pachinko machine 2, thereby being discharged from the lower plate 24. There is a connecting rod 344 for allowing the pachinko balls discharged from the box-like counting / fractional payout unit 340 to flow into the card unit 3 while counting the pachinko balls that are less than the payout unit number. A connecting rod mounting port 348 ′ to be mounted is provided, and the pachinko balls that flow down the connecting rod 344 and flow into the recovery flow path box 348 from the connecting rod mounting port 348 ′ are recovered. The road box 348 from the front side of the card unit 3 will flow down to the rear (inner) side, and is discharged to a collecting gutter (not shown) of the game island from the rear lower end of the card unit 3.

  In the card unit 3 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the card unit 3 main body engages with a unit holder 31 'formed at the upper and lower positions thereof, and the card unit 3 main body is directed in the front direction. A cylinder lock (not shown) is provided at a predetermined position below the front surface of the card unit 3 through a unit holder 31 that is held so that it can be pulled out. The card unit 3 can be pulled out by canceling. The unit holder 31 is provided with a connector for relaying various connection cables. A communication cable or the like connected to the control unit 328 is relay-connected via the unit holder 31. It is devised so that a communication cable or the like is not entangled when the card unit 3 body is pulled out and the card unit 3 body cannot be pulled out.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the card unit 3 of the present embodiment. As described above, the card unit 3 mainly controls the bill identification unit 321, the card reader / writer 327, the display control board 329, the counting / fractional dispensing unit 340, and the control of each part of the card unit 3. And a control unit 328 that implements various functions of the card unit 3 and provides a bill recognition unit 321, a card reader / writer 327, a counting / fraction dispensing unit 340, and a display control board 329. To send and receive various data.

  The card reader / writer 327 reads and writes recorded information such as a (member) card ID, a member ID (member card only), and prepaid balance data recorded on the member card and visitor card inserted from the card insertion slot 309. I do. The prepaid balance is stored in association with the card ID without being recorded on the member card or visitor card, and is managed so that the prepaid balance corresponding to the card can be searched from the card ID of the card. May be.

  The configuration of the card reader / writer 327 used in this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4. The card reader / writer 327 is inserted with a membership card or a visitor card from the card insertion slot 309. In addition, an insertion sensor 397 for detecting that a membership card or a visitor card is being inserted, a shutter solenoid 399 for moving a shutter to prevent insertion of a new membership card or a visitor card from the card insertion slot 309, , A guide rail 398 extending from the card insertion slot 309 and allowing a membership card or a visitor card to slide, and a membership card or a visitor card disposed so as to sandwich the guide rail 398 and inserted into the card slot 392 In the card slot 392, as well as membership cards and visitors An intake / discharge roller 387 ′ for discharging the card from the card insertion slot 309, a drive motor 386 ′ for driving the intake / discharge roller 387 ′, and an inward side of the card slot 392 by the intake / discharge roller 387 ′. The movement of the taken member card or visitor card on the guide rail 398 is carried out by being driven and rotated by the drive motors 386 and 393, and one side of the transport rollers 387 and 388 is stretched. A transport mechanism comprising a transport belt 391, a solenoid 389 for raising and lowering a stop pin that stops the transported member card or visitor card at a predetermined position, or a member card or visitor card stopped at a predetermined position A communication head 390 for supplying power to the terminal and for data communication, and a member card connected to the communication head 390. And a communication board 327a for controlling data transmission / reception with a user card or a visitor card, and reading of data from the inserted member card or visitor card and writing to the member card or visitor card are in a non-contact state. It is possible at.

  The transport roller 387 constituting the transport mechanism provided in the card reader / writer 327 of the present embodiment is separated from the card insertion slot 309 by a distance substantially equal to the length dimension of one member card or visitor card. The other membership card or visitor is provided at a predetermined position corresponding to the communication head 390 while one membership card or visitor card is retained (held) between the card insertion slot 309 and the transport roller 387. Data can be read and written by stopping the card, and the visitor card issued when necessary and the member card being received can be discharged from the card insertion slot 309 almost simultaneously.

  A card storage section 370 capable of storing up to 10 visitor cards is provided at the inner terminal end position of the card unit 3 of the conveyor belt 391 provided in the card reader / writer 327 of the present embodiment. A new visitor card can be issued.

Inside the card storage section 370 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A conveyance mechanism for moving (storing and discharging) the visitor card is provided, which includes a pair of conveyance rollers 371 driven and rotated at 73 and a conveyance belt 372 stretched around the conveyance rollers 371; A pressing spring 376 that presses the visitor card stored in the card storage unit 370 toward the transport belt 372 via the support plate 377 is provided.

  A swing roller 375 that swings by a solenoid 374 is provided at a substantially central portion of the transport belt 372 in the transport mechanism. When the visitor card is taken into the card storage unit 370, the swing roller 375 is swung by the solenoid 374 and comes into contact with the transport belt 372, so that the central portion of the transport belt 372 protrudes and is already stored. By pressing the card or support plate 377, a gap for newly receiving the visitor card is formed between the conveyor belt 372 and the visitor card or support plate 377. Therefore, the inserted visitor card can be smoothly stored in the card storage unit 370, and after the visitor card is taken in, the swing roller 375 returns to a position where it does not come into contact with the transport belt 372. The visitor card is stored in a state where the protrusion of the central portion of the transport belt 372 is eliminated and the transport belt 372 contacts the entire surface of the visitor card, and when the visitor card is discharged, the visitor that contacts the transport belt 372 is stored. The card is discharged to the conveyance belt 391 by moving the conveyance belt 372 in the direction opposite to that of taking in the card.

  The card storage unit 370 is provided with a card replenishment detection sensor 378 that is an optical sensor that detects that the number of visitor cards stored in the card storage unit 370 is 1 or less. A card full detection sensor 379 is provided by an optical sensor that detects that the number of visitor cards stored in the card storage unit 370 has reached 10 (full). When the card replenishment detection sensor 378 detects that the number of visitor cards has become one or less due to the absence of light reflection from the visitor card, the detection signal is output to the control unit 328, whereby the control unit 328. When the multi-function lamp 301 is turned on in a predetermined lighting mode for requesting card replenishment, the store clerk is informed that there are not enough visitor cards, and the card full detection sensor 379 indicates the number of visitor cards. When it is detected that there are 10 sheets (full tank) due to light reflection from the visitor card, the detection signal is output to the control unit 328 so that the control unit 328 can In 370, you can recognize that the visitor card is full. The visitor card without performing the recovery of terpolymers card is ejected from the card insertion opening 309.

  When a visitor card is replenished to the card storage unit 370, a visitor card with a remaining balance of 0 is entered into the card insertion slot 309 in a state where the store clerk has shifted to the card replenishment mode (see FIG. 11) by operating the remote controller. By sequentially inserting, the inserted visitor cards are sequentially stored in the card storage unit 370.

Next, the control unit 328 of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 328 is accepting a central processing unit (CPU) 328a capable of executing a control program and a card reader / writer 327. (Membership) card ID and prepaid balance of the visitor card and membership card, the number of balls, the number of stored balls, the number of points visited, the corresponding pachinko machine 2 machine data, the game information of the members in the game, the counting and fraction payout unit The RAM 328b that can store various data such as the number of balls stored, which is the number of pachinko balls stored in 340, the control program executed by the central processing circuit (CPU) 328a, and the device ID of the card unit 3 Non-volatile memory that can rewrite and store various data such as setting information and (member) card IDs that are away EEPROM 328c and a real-time clock (RTC) 328d capable of outputting time information, calendar information, etc. at that time. RAM 328b is backed up by a battery (not shown), and is stored for a predetermined period even when the power is cut off. Data is retained.

  The control unit 328 of the present embodiment is connected to the prize ball control board (not shown) provided in the pachinko machine 2 so as to be able to exchange various signals accompanying the lending of the pachinko balls as described above. In addition, as described above, by connecting to the information output board of the pachinko machine 2 through the signal cable, various external output signals such as a big hit signal can be input.

  The control unit 328 is connected to an out ball counter 16 provided at a lower position of the corresponding pachinko machine 2 so that each count signal from the out ball counter 16 can be input. In response to the input of the count signal from the counter 16, a predetermined number corresponding to the count signal is added to the value of the total number of shot balls in a game information table (see FIG. 9B) to be described later.

  Further, the control unit 328 is connected to the counting / fractional payout unit 340 and, as will be described later, in response to the reception of the counting information output from the counting / fractional payout unit 340, the lower position of the display unit 312 The total number of balls counted by the counting and fraction paying unit 340 (before that time) is updated by updating the value of the counted balls (see FIG. 5) displayed in If the number of balls already counted on that day already exists, the total number of balls held) is displayed as the counted number of balls.

  The control unit 328 is connected to a payout button switch 311 ′ corresponding to a payout button 311 provided at a position below the protrusion 305 on the front surface of the apparatus, and a signal corresponding to the operation of the payout button 311 By inputting from the button switch 311 ′, the presence / absence of the operation of the payout button 311 is grasped, and when the payout button 311 is operated, a payout process described later is performed to pay out pachinko balls corresponding to the number of payout units. While performing from the corresponding pachinko machine 2, the pachinko balls with a fraction less than the number of payout units are paid out from the counting / fractional payout unit 340.

  In the card table stored in the RAM 328b of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, the (member) card ID or member ID read from the visitor card or member card inserted into the card reader / writer 327 is displayed. (Member card only), (Member) card ID and prepaid balance based on prepaid balance data, Card ID or (Member) card ID and number of possessed balls specified from member ID, (Member) card The number of stored balls specified from the ID and the member ID (members only) and the number of store visit points specified from the member ID (members only) are stored.

  Further, in the game information table of the present embodiment stored in the RAM 328b, as shown in FIG. 9B, game information for three days including today, that is, today's data, previous day's data, and previous day's data. Is remembered. The previous day data and the previous day data are also stored in the EEPROM 328c. However, when displaying the previous day data and the previous day data, the present day data and the previous day data can be processed at a higher speed than reading from the EEPROM 328c. In the embodiment, the previous day data and the previous day data read from the EEPROM 328c in advance are stored in the game information table stored in the RAM 328b.

In the game information table of the present embodiment, the current state based on the input statuses of the above-mentioned jackpot signal, probability changing signal, and short time signal output from the corresponding pachinko machine 2 to the input terminals 1 to 3 (not shown). Game state (only today) and latest game state data (input state of input terminal 1 to input terminal 3, 0: LOW / not connected, 1: HIGH, only today) from the left bit and previous game state data (Game state data before being updated to the latest game state data, today only), the total number of balls hit from the start of business, the total number of winning balls, the number of difference balls (total number of driving balls-total number of winning balls ), The total number of starts, reset every time the occurrence of a big hit state is identified, the number of start after hit that is the number of start after the occurrence of the big hit, the number of big hits that is the number of occurrence of the big hit from the start of business, the start of business Occurrence of probability change from time The number of probability changes that is the number of times, the number of times that the short-time state has occurred since the start of business operation, and the number of consecutive games that are the number of jackpots that occurred from the big hit that occurred in the normal gaming state to the next normal gaming state The game information consists of the latest information based on the jackpot signal, the probability changing signal, the short time signal, the start signal, the winning ball signal, and the out ball count signal input to the input terminal. Updated to

  Note that today's table data tabulated and managed in these game information tables, as shown in FIG. 10, a specific data header indicating that it is transmission data including the table data at the head, and the card unit 3. In response to reception of a transmission request from the hall computer 140 as a transmission data string of a predetermined format to which a device ID and a mode flag that can specify a mode type (a normal mode, a test mode, and an erasure mode to be described later) are assigned. (When the game state changes, at that time). The ECC in FIG. 10 is an error correction code.

  Further, in the member game information table of the present embodiment stored in the RAM 328b, as shown in FIG. 9C, the game information from the time when the member card is inserted into the card reader / writer 327, that is, the The game information regarding the game of the member who possesses the inserted member card is stored.

  Specifically, the start time when the member started playing (member card acceptance time), the end time when the member finished playing (member card return time), the member's game time, and after the member started playing The number of start-ups, the number of jackpots that have occurred since the member started playing, the number of jackpots that have occurred since the member started playing, the number of positive changes that have occurred since the member started playing, the member has started playing The number of balls acquired from (the difference from the number of balls counted at the start of the game), the spending amount used by the member for the game, the number of replay balls used for replay after the member started the game, The number of balls used since the member started the game is updated and stored, and the game information (table data) since the member player playing the game with the corresponding pachinko machine 2 can start grasping. It is like that.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9 (d), stored ball number data is stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 328 b, and the counting / fractional payout unit 340 is stored in a later-described storage unit inside the counting / fractional payout unit 340. The number of pachinko balls that have flowed in as a result of counting is added and updated to the stored ball count data, while the number of pachinko balls that have been paid out from the counting / fractional payout unit 340 is subtracted and updated from the stored ball count data. Thus, the number of pachinko balls currently stored in the storage unit can be specified by the stored ball number data.

  Further, as described above, the control unit 328 includes a remaining amount indicator provided in the operation unit 14 of the corresponding pachinko machine 2, a loan button switch for detecting the operation of the loan button, a member card and a visitor being received. A return button switch for detecting the operation of the return button operated when returning the card is connected, so that the operation of the lending button and the operation of the return button can be detected, and the display control of these remaining amount indicators is performed.

The control unit 328 receives various information input from the display control board 329 in response to an output from the IR light receiving unit 315 according to transmission from the remote controller, operation of various buttons provided on the protrusion 305, or operation of the transparent touch panel. Or in the multifunction lamp connected to the control unit 328 in response to the currency identification information by the banknote identification unit 321, the card insertion information from the card reader / writer 327, the visitor card storage state information, etc. As shown in FIG. 20, it is inserted into the card insertion slot 309 as a whole operation control such as lighting control of each LED such as the full-color LED 301a, control of the card reader / writer 327, display control board 329, display control of the remaining amount indicator, etc. Card acceptance processing to determine whether or not a member card or visitor card can be used Loan processing that uses the prepaid balance based on the prepaid balance data read from the member card or visitor card being accepted, return processing to return the member card or visitor card being accepted by operating the return button, and money In response to the receipt of money, the payment to the prepaid balance remaining on the member card or visitor card being accepted, the issuance / payment processing to write and issue the prepaid balance on a new visitor card, and the replay processing using the number of stored balls In response to the operation of the payout button 311, the number of balls counted (including those specified by the inserted visitor card and member card) is paid out (returned), and the number of balls paid out is subtracted from the counted number of balls. Payout processing, transition to the away mode by receiving a signal based on the remote control Other player for the number of balls specified based on the number of balls held based on the operation of the menu button 316, the menu display processing for displaying the main menu based on the operation of the menu button 316, and the operation of the sharing button on the main menu Based on sharing processing for sharing with other visitor card IDs, wagon service button operations, etc., attendance exchange processing for associating the number of balls equivalent to the sales amount with the visitor's visitor card ID, sales Based on the reception of the signal indicating “refund” from the remote control of the employee, various processes such as a refund process for paying the player the number of balls associated with the visitor's visitor card ID are executed.

  The control unit 328 is connected to the system controller 100, the hall computer 140, the management computer 150, etc. connected to the local area network (LAN) via the communication unit 334 and the HUB 7 so as to be able to perform data communication. These computers can send and receive various data through the communication unit 334.

  The display control board 329 connected to the control unit 328 includes a liquid crystal display 313 that forms the display unit 312, a transparent touch panel 314, various switches (a menu switch 316 a corresponding to the menu button 316, and a base data button 318. The corresponding table data switch 318a, the replay switch 319a corresponding to the replay button 319), the IR light receiving unit 315, and the electronic components such as the LED 320a provided in the replay display unit 320 are connected. Operation information on the transparent touch panel 314, operation information on various switches, and information based on the output signal output from the IR light receiving unit 315 are output to the control unit 328 via the display control board 329.

  In the display control board 329 of the present embodiment, a display driving circuit (not shown) that performs display driving of the liquid crystal display 313 and a position that is pressed based on an output signal from the transparent touch panel 314 are specified. An input position detection circuit (not shown) that outputs the specified input position information, a VDP (not shown) that performs processing related to a display image displayed on the display unit 312, image data used for menu display, and the like are stored. Independent of the VROM (not shown), the VRAM (not shown) that temporarily stores display data to be displayed on the display unit 312, and the control unit 328, processes and determinations and processes associated with inputs from various switches and a transparent touch panel are processed. A display control microcomputer to be implemented based on a program is mounted, and based on display data (page data) output from the control unit 328 The various display screens, and is capable of displaying on the liquid crystal display 313 constituting the display unit 312.

  Here, the various operation modes in the card unit 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The card unit 3 is roughly divided into a normal mode that is shifted when performing various processes during business, and these business modes. Three modes: a test mode that is transferred when performing operation checks (tests) of various processes, and an erase mode that is transferred when erasing recorded data recorded on the visitor card used in these test modes As shown in FIG. 12, the mode transition control process is performed in response to the reception of various mode transition requests from the management computer 150, as shown in FIG. The request moves to each applicable mode.

In addition to these modes, the leaving mode is switched when the player interrupts the game and leaves the seat. When the store clerk refills the card storage unit 370 of the card reader / writer 327, the switching is performed. Card replenishment mode, additional reservation mode that is transferred when a pachinko ball is replenished to a storage unit 338 in a counting / fractional payout unit 340, which will be described later, an order mode that is transferred when using a wagon service, and a wagon service It has a payout mode that is transferred when returning the number of balls that have been ordered but not used to the player, and these various modes can be transferred in both the normal mode and the test mode. .

  In other words, the away mode, card replenishment mode, added reservation mode, order mode, and refund mode are lower modes that are shifted in the normal mode, which is the basic mode, and in the test mode. As will be described later, the operation is performed by operating a remote controller (not shown) possessed by a store clerk or salesperson. Further, regarding the order mode, the mode is also shifted to by operating the “wagon service” button displayed on the display unit 312 of the card unit 3.

  Specifically, in the normal mode, as shown in FIG. 11, the lighting state of the multi-function lamp 301 is set to the non-lighting state, and all the operations can be performed and recorded on the membership card or the visitor card. Normal data (no additional data) is recorded as the data to be transmitted, and the transmission data including the normal flag (00) indicating the normal mode is transmitted as the mode flag of the transmission data transmitted to the management computer 150, the hall computer 140, etc. Data is sent.

  Further, in the test mode, as shown in FIG. 11, the lighting state of the multi-function lamp 301 is a continuous red lighting state, and all the operations can be performed and recorded on the membership card or the visitor card. As data to be transmitted, a test flag is additionally recorded, and transmission data including a test flag (10) indicating a test mode is transmitted as a mode flag of transmission data transmitted to the management computer 150, the hall computer 140, and the like. .

  Further, in the erase mode, as shown in FIG. 11, the lighting state of the multi-function lamp 301 is a red blinking lighting state, and only the operation related to the erase mode process can be performed, and the test flag is recorded. As for the visitor card, all the data to be erased is erased from the recorded data, and as a mode flag of transmission data transmitted to the management computer 150, the hall computer 140, etc., an erase flag (11) indicating an erase mode is used. The transmission data including is transmitted.

  In the away mode, the function lamp 301 is lit yellow to indicate that the user is away from the seat, and the display unit 312 displays “being away”. The returned membership card or visitor card can only be accepted and verified, and the mode flag of the transmission data sent to the management computer 150, hall computer 140, etc. should be the normal mode at the time of transition to the away mode. For example, the transmission data including the normal flag (00) indicating the normal mode is transmitted, and if the time when the mode is shifted to the away mode is the test mode, the transmission data including the test flag (10) indicating the test mode is transmitted.

  Further, in the card replenishment mode, the lighting state of the function lamp 301 does not change, and the display unit 312 displays “replenishment is possible”, and operations include receiving a visitor card to be replenished and the card storage unit 370. Only the operation related to the card replenishment such as the storage operation of the card can be performed, and the mode flag of the transmission data transmitted to the management computer 150, the hall computer 140 or the like may be the normal mode when the mode is shifted to the card replenishment mode. For example, transmission data including a normal flag (00) indicating the normal mode is transmitted, and if the time when the mode is shifted to the card replenishment mode is the test mode, transmission data including the test flag (10) indicating the test mode is transmitted.

In addition, in the added reservation mode, the lighting state of the function lamp 301 is not changed, and “display is possible” is displayed on the display unit 312. As operations, the pachinko ball to be replenished and the inserted pachinko are displayed. Only operations related to replenishment of pachinko balls, such as storage operations in the ball storage unit 338, can be performed, and the mode flag of transmission data transmitted to the management computer 150, the hall computer 140, etc. is shifted to the additional reservation mode. If the received time is the normal mode, the transmission data including the normal flag (00) indicating the normal mode is transmitted, and if the time when the mode is shifted to the addition reservation mode is the test mode, the test flag (10) indicating the test mode is included. Transmission data is transmitted.

  Further, in the order mode, the lighting state of the function lamp 301 does not change, the display unit 312 displays “order available”, and the operation can be only the operation related to the seat exchange process described later. As the mode flag of the transmission data transmitted to the management computer 150 or the like, transmission data including the normal flag (00) indicating the normal mode is transmitted if the time point when the transition to the addition reservation mode is the normal mode, If the time point of transition to the addition reservation mode is the test mode, transmission data including a test flag (10) indicating the test mode is transmitted. In addition, for visitor cards that are ejected from the card unit 3 during the order mode and in which the number of replacement balls corresponding to the sales amount is written, an exchange indicating that the card is a salesperson card together with the number of replacement balls A flag is written. In the present embodiment, a visitor card on which an exchange flag is recorded can be accepted only in the refund mode.

  Further, in the refund mode, the lighting state of the function lamp 301 is not changed, and the display unit 312 displays “can be refunded”. As an operation, only an operation related to a later-described refund process can be performed. As a mode flag of transmission data transmitted to the management computer 150 or the like, transmission data including a normal flag (00) indicating the normal mode is transmitted if the time point of transition to the addition reservation mode is the normal mode. If the time of transition to the mode is the test mode, transmission data including a test flag (10) indicating the test mode is transmitted. In the refund mode, only the visitor card on which the exchange flag is recorded can be accepted by the card unit 3, and the visitor card and the member card on which no exchange flag is recorded are returned without being accepted even if inserted.

  Further, as will be described later, the control unit 328 communicates with the management computer 150 depending on whether or not an online confirmation request is periodically transmitted from the management computer 150 (about every 10 seconds in the present embodiment). It is possible to detect whether the device is online or offline (communication disabled), and an online confirmation response including the device ID is returned to the management computer 150 in response to the reception of these online confirmation requests. The management computer 150 can also detect the online / offline state of each card unit 3. These online confirmation requests may be substituted by other data transmission requests.

  As the detection of these offline, the control unit 328 sends an online confirmation request to the management computer 150 when the online confirmation request has not been received for a predetermined time, and responds to the transmission of the online confirmation request. When there is no online confirmation response, it is determined that an offline state has occurred.

  Similarly, in the management computer 150, when an online confirmation request is transmitted again to the card unit 3 to which an online confirmation response is not returned, and the online confirmation response is not replied to the online confirmation request again, It is determined that an offline state has occurred.

  The control unit 328 is connected to the counting / fractional payout unit 340 so that various data such as counting information and a fractional payout request can be transmitted and received by serial communication capable of transmitting and receiving data with a small number of communication lines.

  Here, the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. The counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 according to the present embodiment includes a lower plate of the pachinko machine 2 as shown in FIGS. 24 and the front plate 1 of the game island is a horizontally long box shape, and is connected to a recovery flow path box 348 provided at the lowest position of the card unit 3 via a connecting rod 344. Has been.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the end of the connecting rod 344 bent at a right angle is attached to the connecting rod mounting port 348 ′ connected to the recovery flow path box 348 provided below the front surface of the main body of the card unit 3. Thus, the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 is positioned immediately below the lower plate 24.

  The top surface of the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 is formed with a hopper-shaped insertion portion 345 into which pachinko balls discharged from the lower plate 24 are inserted, and the front side of the card unit 3 main body ( On the left side), there is provided a return storage section 342 for storing the paid-out (returned) fractional pachinko balls so that they can be taken out.

In addition, a step portion is provided on the hitting operation handle 25 side of the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 of the present embodiment, and an elastic member is provided on the upper surface of the step portion so that the height of the elastic member is high. A hand placement member 343 whose position can be adjusted is arranged so that the player can place a portion near the wrist of the hand on the hand placement member 343 when operating the hitting operation handle 25. In a long game, it is possible to prevent the hand from getting tired by operating the hitting operation handle 25, but the present invention is not limited to this. The member 343 may not be provided.

  The counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 mainly includes an upper unit 340a constituting the upper part of the unit and a lower unit 340b constituting the lower part of the unit. The upper unit 340a is detachable from the lower unit 340b. Has been.

  The upper part of the upper unit 340a is a throwing-in part 345 having a concave shape capable of temporarily storing pachinko balls discharged from the lower plate 24.

  An inflow port 346 connected to the counting channel 347 formed in the lower unit 340b is provided at the lowest position on the bottom surface of the charging unit 345. As will be described later, the counting channel 347 is formed so as to be inclined toward the connecting rod 344 so that the connecting rod 344 side is downward, and the inflow port 346 is connected to the counting channel 347. It is provided so as to open toward the rear side of the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340, which is in a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction.

  Therefore, the pachinko balls thrown into the insertion portion 345 flow into the counting channel 347 from the inlet 346 and flow down on the counting channel 347 in the direction of the connecting rod 344. Counting is performed by a counting sensor 356 (described later) provided in the downstream portion (see FIG. 8).

  That is, a counting passage is formed by the inflow port 346 and the counting channel 347, and the direction of the inflow port 346 is provided so as to be perpendicular to the direction of the passage in the counting channel 347. Thus, it is possible to prevent the rod-shaped metal member from being inserted through these inlets 346 and reaching the counting sensor 356.

  In addition, an inclined cover portion 345 ′ formed so as to be inclined to the front side of the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 is provided at the upper portion of the counting channel 347, and the pachinko balls on the inclined cover portion 345 ′ are It flows down to the front side of the input part 345. That is, the pachinko balls thrown into the throwing portion 345 are once collected at the front side position of the throwing portion 345, and then the bottom of the throwing portion 345 has the bottom of the throwing portion 345 in which the inflow port 346 is formed. By being inclined toward the hand placement member 343 side (right side), it flows down toward the inflow port 346 and flows from the inflow port 346 toward the rear of the counting / fractioning unit 340. It has become.

  In this way, the pachinko balls put in from the lower plate 24 are once collected on the front side of the loading unit 345, so that the pachinko balls in the loading unit 345 can be easily taken out without being obstructed by the lower plate 24. This is preferable. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inserted pachinko balls may not be collected on the front side of the input unit 345.

  The inlet 346 is provided with an inlet shutter 352 for blocking the inflow of pachinko balls from the inlet 346. By opening the inlet shutter 352, the inlet 345 A pachinko ball flows into the counting channel 347 from the inlet 346.

Further, a counting operation unit 355 operated by a player when counting is provided on the side surface of the upper unit 340a on the connecting rod 344 side (left side), and the counting operation unit 355 is provided.
As a result of the operation in, the inlet shutter 352 is opened in response to the operation of the counting switch 355 ′ built in the counting operation section 355.

  On the other hand, on the front surface of the lower unit 340b, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a bottomed box-like return storage section 342 is provided at the end position of the connecting rod 344. A front portion of the return storage portion 342 is provided so as to protrude from the front surface of the lower unit 340b, and a take-out concave portion 342 ′ is provided at a portion of the front surface of the upper unit 340a that is an upper position of the return storage portion 342. It is provided so that the fractional pachinko balls paid out to the return storage section 342 can be easily taken out from the return storage section 342.

  Next, the structure of the lower unit 340b of this Embodiment is demonstrated based on FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the counting / fractional dispensing unit 340 when the upper unit 340a is removed, as viewed from above, that is, a plan view of the lower unit 340b as viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 8, it mainly includes a counting channel 347, a counting module 330, an inflow channel 339, a storage unit 338, a discharge channel 337, a return channel 335, and a return storage unit 342.

  The counting channel 347 is a two-channel channel formed across the lower unit 340b in the rear part of the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 that is located immediately below the inclined cover portion 345 ′. Pachinko balls flow down in alignment toward the connecting rod 344 side.

  The counting module 330 is provided on the downstream side of the counting channel 347 and includes a counting sensor 356 for detecting and counting pachinko balls flowing down the counting channel 347.

  On the front side of the counting flow path 347, there is a storage part 338 for storing pachinko balls used for paying out pachinko balls having a fraction less than the payout unit number, and the front side of the storage part 338 has a height on the rear side. The storage portion 338 and the downstream portion of the counting module 330 are connected by an inflow passage 339 inclined toward the storage portion 338 side. The pachinko balls that have been counted by the counting sensor 356 are allowed to flow into the storage section 338 through the inflow passage 339 and be stored.

  A pachinko ball outlet 338 ′ stored in the reservoir 338 is provided at a front side position of the reservoir 338, and the outlet 338 ′ is directed toward the outlet 338 ′ in the reservoir 338. Guide grooves (not shown) formed so as to meander are provided, and the pachinko balls that have flowed into the storage portion 338 are stored in an aligned state on the guide grooves in the order of flow, The pachinko balls stored in advance are discharged from the outlet 338 ′.

  In addition, two flow paths are formed in the counting module 330, and among the two flow paths, one flow path on the front side is a flow path changing shutter at the downstream end position of the counting module 330. 351 is provided, and when the flow path changing shutter 351 is projected and retracted, the flow direction of the pachinko balls can be switched to the connecting rod 344 side or the inflow path 339 side.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a storage ball sensor 357 for detecting and counting pachinko balls flowing down the inflow passage 339 and stored in the storage portion 338 is located near the branch portion to the inflow passage 339. Is provided.

Further, the outlet 338 ′ has the lowest height in the reservoir 338 so that the pachinko balls stored in the reservoir 338 naturally flow down toward the outlet 338 ′. The outlet 338 ′ is connected to the discharge channel 337 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the discharge passage 337 is provided with a recess mounted on the rotation shaft of the discharge motor 353 and having a recess capable of accommodating one pachinko ball on the outer periphery thereof, as shown in FIG. A sprocket 353 ′ is arranged, and the discharge sprocket 353 ′ regulates the natural outflow of pachinko balls from the outlet 338 ′, and the discharge motor 353 is operated to rotate the discharge sprocket 353 ′. Pachinko balls that have flowed out to the outlet 338 ′ are taken into the recesses formed in the payout sprocket 353 ′ one by one and discharged into the discharge flow path 337 by the rotation of the payout sprocket 353 ′. It flows down the path 337, joins the connecting rod 344, and is collected in the card unit 3.

  In the middle of the discharge flow path 337, a pachinko ball that has flowed down the discharge flow path 337 by advancing and retreating the flow dividing port 336 to the return passage 335 connected to the return storage section 342 and the flow path switching plate mounted. The flow path switching solenoid 358 that can be switched to the connecting rod side or the return path side is provided, and a discharge sprocket 353 ′ is disposed at an upstream position of the flow outlet 336 of the discharge flow path 337. A payout sensor 354 for detecting and counting the pachinko balls lifted and supplied to the discharge flow path 337 is provided, and the payout sensor 354 pays out (returns) to the player through the return passage 335. The number of balls can be counted, and pachinko balls collected (discharged) in the card unit 3 from the storage unit 337 through the connecting rod 344 can be counted. It has become to so that.

  In addition, inside the lower unit 340b located below the stepped portion where the hand placement member 343 is provided, a control microcomputer or the like serving as a control unit 350 for controlling the counting / fractional dispensing unit 340 is mounted. A control board 341 is incorporated.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control board 341 includes the flow path changing shutter 351, the inlet shutter 352, the dispensing motor 353, the dispensing sensor 354, and the counting switch 355 ′ incorporated in the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340. The counting sensor 356, the storage ball sensor 357, and the flow path switching solenoid 358 are connected, and the control board 341 is controlled to form each function of the counting / fractional dispensing unit 340.

  In addition, the control board 341 is electrically connected to the main body of the card unit 3 via a connecting rod 344.

  Specifically, a connection channel formed so as to incline from the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 toward the connection rod mounting port 348 ′ is provided inside the connection rod 344, and the connection channel The connecting rod cover 344 ′ is attached to the upper portion of the connecting rod cover, and a connecting cable is installed in the connecting rod cover 344 ′.

  A predetermined number of metal connection terminal pins 349 ′ connected to the control unit 328 or a power supply circuit (not shown) via a connection cable are provided at an upper position on the front side of the recovery flow path box 348 inside the card unit 3 body. A connection terminal portion 349 is provided.

  These connection terminal pins 349 ′ are provided so as to face the upper position of the connection rod attachment port 348 ′ attached to the connection rod 344.

  On the other hand, a terminal insertion member connected to the connection cable in the connection rod cover 344 ′ is provided at the end of the connection rod cover 344 ′ attached to the connection rod attachment port 348 ′.

  Therefore, when the connecting rod 344 is mounted in the connecting rod mounting port 348 ′, the connection terminal pin 349 ′ is inserted into the terminal insertion member, and the connection terminal pin 349 ′ and the terminal insertion member are electrically connected to each other. The control unit 328 and the control board 341 inside the main body are communicably connected, and operating power is supplied to the control board 341 from the card unit 3 main body.

  Here, the flow of the pachinko balls in the counting / fractional payout unit 340 will be described with reference to FIG. 25. When pachinko balls are counted in a state where no pachinko balls are stored in the storage unit 338, FIG. As shown in (a), when the flow path is changed to the inflow path 339 side by the flow path changing shutter 351, the counted pachinko balls counted by the counting sensor 356 pass through the inflow path 339 into the storage unit 338. It flows into and is stored.

  At this time, the pachinko balls flowing into the inflow path 339 and the storage section 338 are detected by the storage ball sensor 357, and each time one pachinko ball is detected, the control board 341 (control section 350). On the other hand, when the detection signal is output, the number of replenishment balls, which is the number of pachinko balls flowing into the storage portion 338 and the inflow path 339 in the control board 341 (control unit 350), is counted. The replenishment ball number information including the counted replenishment ball number is transmitted to the control unit 328, whereby the replenishment ball number is added and updated to the stored ball number data. The replenishing ball number information is given the device ID of the card unit 3 by the control unit 328 and transmitted to the management computer 150, so that the replenishing ball number information is stored in the storage / dispensing history table based on the replenishing ball number information. As a storage / dispensing history corresponding to the device ID, a storage / dispensing history including the type of “storage” and the number of supplementary balls is registered.

  Specifically, from the start of input of a detection signal according to detection of a new pachinko ball by the storage ball sensor 357, the storage ball sensor 357 causes the storage portion 338 and the inflow path 339 to be filled with the pachinko balls. Count the number of detection signals that are input until the pachinko ball is detected continuously for a predetermined time or longer, or until the pachinko ball is not detected for a predetermined time or longer, and the count number is replenished. To the control unit 328, the control unit 328 adds and updates the count number included in the supplemented ball number information to the stored ball number data.

  After the inside of the storage section 338 and the inflow path 339 are filled with pachinko balls in this way, the flow path change to the inflow path 339 side by the flow path change shutter 351 is canceled as shown in FIG. As a result, all the pachinko balls that have been counted by the counting sensor 356 flow down the connecting rod 344 and are collected in the game island via the collection flow path box 348 inside the card unit 3.

  In the state where pachinko balls are stored in the storage unit 338 in this way, when the number of pachinko balls having a fraction less than the dispensing unit, for example, 20 balls are paid out (returned), that is, as will be described later. In addition, when a fraction payout request including 20 balls, which is the fraction to be paid out (returned), is received from the control unit 328, the flow path is switched by the flow path switching solenoid 358 to the return path 335 as shown in FIG. , And by operating the payout motor 353 until a detection signal of 20 which is the payout ball number (fraction) included in the received fraction payout request is input from the payout sensor 354, the payout ball number (fractional number) ) 20 pachinko balls are supplied to the discharge flow path 337, so that the 20 pachinko balls supplied to the discharge flow path 337 Flows into the return passage 335 from, comes to be stored is returned to the return reservoir 342.

When a number of detection signals corresponding to these fractions are input from the dispensing sensor 354, a fraction dispensing completion notification is transmitted to the control unit 328 as a response to the fraction dispensing request. 328 subtracts and updates 20 which is the fraction included in the fraction payout request from the stored ball count data, and transmits a payout completion notification to the management computer 150 as will be described later.

  In addition, when a discharge request including the number of discharged balls, for example, 55 balls, transmitted from the control unit 328 in response to receiving the discharge instruction from the management computer 150 is received, as shown in FIG. In addition, the payout motor 353 is operated until the detection signal 55, which is the number of discharged balls included in the received discharge request, is input from the payout sensor 354 without switching the flow path to the return passage 335. Thus, by supplying 55 pachinko balls corresponding to the number of discharged balls to the discharge flow path 337, the 55 pachinko balls supplied to the discharge flow path 337 are connected to the inside of the connecting rod 344 and the card unit 3 main body. It is recovered in the game island through the recovery flow path box 348.

  When a number of detection signals corresponding to the number of discharged balls are input from the payout sensor 354, a discharge completion notification is transmitted to the control unit 328 as a response to the discharge request. In 328, 55, which is the number of discharged balls included and transmitted in the discharge request, is updated by subtraction from the stored ball number data.

  In addition, when the number of discharged balls included in the discharge request is the total number, the payout motor 353 is operated until no pachinko ball detection signal is input from the payout sensor 354, so that the storage unit 338 and the inflow passage 339 are operated. All the stored pachinko balls are discharged to the connecting rod 344, and the storage part 338 and the inflow path 339 are in an empty state.

  Next, the system controller 100 of this Embodiment is demonstrated based on FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 13, the system controller 100 used in the present embodiment has a data bus 101 that transmits and receives data inside a computer, a CPU 102 that performs various processes performed by the system controller 100, and a work memory. RAM 103, RTC 104 that outputs time information and calendar information, storage device 105 such as a hard disk, input device 106 such as a keyboard and mouse, display device 107 that displays and outputs various screens, and prints various information Printer 108, a communication unit 109 that performs data communication with each device such as a card unit 3 (control unit 328) and a card issuing / payment machine connected to a local area network (LAN), and a management server installed in the card company 12 for data communication with Bis Unit (DSU) 110 is connected is a conventional computer.

  The storage device 105 has a membership card table (FIG. 14 (FIG. 14)) for managing prepaid balance remaining in the membership card in addition to a processing program in which processing contents for performing various processes executed in the system controller 100 are described. a)) and a visitor card table (see FIG. 14B) for managing the prepaid balance remaining on the visitor card.

  In the membership card table, as shown in FIG. 14A, each membership card is associated with a membership card ID that can be individually identified, and the membership ID of the membership player who has issued the membership card, and prepaid The remaining amount and an unusable flag indicating whether or not the member card is unusable are stored, and the prepaid balance or the use of the member card can be used from the member card ID or member ID stored in the member card. Can be specified.

In the visitor card table, as shown in FIG. 14B, each visitor card is associated with a card ID that can be individually identified, and the status of the visitor card (whether it is being used or stored). ), The latest issuance date and time when the prepaid card was issued, the prepaid balance, and an unusable flag indicating whether or not the card is unusable are stored in the visitor card. The prepaid balance, the availability of the visitor card, and the latest issue date and time can be specified from the card ID.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the storage device 105 stores a membership card table and a visitor card table used for managing information related to card usage during the test mode of the card unit 3. And a normal mode storage area in which a member card table and a visitor card table used for managing information related to card use in the normal mode of the card unit 3 are stored. When the mode flag included in the transmission data (see FIG. 10) such as various requests and notifications transmitted from 3 is a flag corresponding to the test mode, the member card table or the visitor card table in the test mode storage area Is updated while the mode included in the transmission data (see FIG. 10) is updated. If the flag is a flag corresponding to the normal mode, the information in the test mode and the information in the normal mode are stored separately by updating the member card table or the visitor card table in the normal mode storage area. , Has come to be managed.

  The system controller 100 (CPU 102) of the present embodiment transmits the device ID of the card unit 3 transmitted from each card unit 3 in response to the reception of the membership card or the visitor card in the card unit 3, and the received membership card or In response to receipt of a card acceptance notification including the (member) card ID read from the visitor card and the prepaid balance, a card acceptance process is performed for determining whether or not the member card or visitor card can be used and returning it to the card unit 3 .

  In addition, the system controller 100 (CPU 102) of the present embodiment is included in the received lending completion notification in response to reception of a lending completion notification (to be described later) transmitted along with lending processing in the card unit 3 (membership). ) Subtract update processing for subtracting and updating the tax-included usage amount included in the loan completion notice from the prepaid balance stored in the member card table or visitor card table corresponding to the card ID is performed.

  Further, the system controller 100 (CPU 102) of the present embodiment receives the received card payment notification, which will be described later, transmitted in response to the issue / payment process in the card unit 3 or the card issue / payment machine. Corresponding to the (member) card ID included in the card payment notification, a payment update process is performed to add and update the payment amount included in the card payment notification to the prepaid balance stored in the member card table or visitor card table.

  In addition, the system controller 100 (CPU 102) of the present embodiment is included in the received issuance notification in response to the issuance notification transmitted from the card unit 3 when the card unit 3 issues the visitor card. Corresponding to the card ID, “0” is stored in the prepaid balance stored in the visitor card table, and update processing for updating the data of the status and the latest issue date is performed.

Next, the management computer 150 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 15, the management computer 150 used in the present embodiment has a central processing unit that performs various processes performed by the management computer 150 on a data bus 151 that transmits and receives data inside the computer. (CPU) 152, RAM 153 used as a work memory, real-time clock (RTC) 154 for outputting time information and calendar information, a storage device 155 including a hard disk, an input device 156 such as a keyboard and a mouse, and various screens A display device 157 for displaying and outputting, and a printer 15 for printing various information.
8. A normal computer to which a communication unit 159 that performs data communication with the card unit 3 and the gift exchange POS terminal 170 connected to the local area network (LAN) is connected.

  In the storage device 155, in addition to a processing program in which processing contents for performing various processing executed in the management computer 150 are described, the number of saving balls owned by the member player possessing the membership card Recorded in the visitor card and member saving management table (see FIG. 16 (a)) for managing the number of possessions acquired by the member player and the number of stored balls acquired by the member player before the day. A visitor saving management table (see FIG. 16 (b)) for managing the number of possessions acquired on the day by the player possessing the visitor card, and the counted balls at that time in each card unit 3 in the game hall A unit management table (see FIG. 17 (a)) for managing the number and the card being received by each card unit 3, and each card unit. A storage / payout history table (see FIG. 17B) for managing the number of existing storages stored in the storage unit 338 at that time, the storage history from the storage unit 338, and the payout history; A member information table (see FIG. 18 (a)) in which member information relating to a member player who owns the player is stored, and a game history including game information of the member player for each member ID that can identify the member player A stored game history table for each member (see FIG. 18B) is stored.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the storage device 155 includes a test mode storage area in which the various tables used for managing information during the test mode of the card unit 3 are stored, and the card unit 3. The normal mode storage area storing the above-described various tables used for managing information in the normal mode is provided separately, and is included in the transmission data transmitted from the card unit 3 (see FIG. 10). If the mode flag is a flag corresponding to the test mode, the corresponding data in the test mode storage area is updated, while the mode flag included in the transmission data (see FIG. 10) is a flag corresponding to the normal mode. In some cases, the corresponding data in the normal mode storage area is updated, so that the information in the test mode and the normal mode are updated. Information and is stored separately in the middle, and is managed. However, the unit management table and the storage / payout history table shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B are common to each mode.

  In the member saving management table, as shown in FIG. 16A, a member ID that is member identification information that can be associated with each member card ID and that can individually identify the member player who has issued the member card. And the total number of balls acquired by the member player on that day, which is the number of balls that have not been used for game or prize exchange, and the number of balls acquired by that member player before that day The number of stored balls, which is the total number of balls that are unused for gaming or prize exchange, is stored, and the savings owned by the member player from the member card ID or member ID stored in the member card It is possible to specify the number of balls and the number of balls that are balls.

  Note that the number of possessions managed in the member savings management table is managed as the number of possessions only on that day, and the number of possessions existing in the member savings management table in the processing at the end of business (data update processing) after the end of business. The number of balls is reset after being added to the number of balls.

  In the member saving management table, as shown in FIG. 16A, a member ID that is member identification information that can be associated with each member card ID and that can individually identify the member player who has issued the member card. And the total number of balls acquired by the member player on that day, which is the number of balls that have not been used for game or prize exchange, and the number of balls acquired by that member player before that day The number of stored balls, which is the total number of balls that are unused for gaming or prize exchange, is stored, and the savings owned by the member player from the member card ID or member ID stored in the member card It is possible to specify the number of balls and the number of balls that are balls.

  Note that the number of possessions managed in the member savings management table is managed as the number of possessions only on that day, and the number of possessions existing in the member savings management table in the processing at the end of business (data update processing) after the end of business. The number of balls is reset after being added to the number of balls.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16B, the visitor saving management table associates each visitor card with a card ID that can be individually identified, and possesses the latest issue date and time of the visitor card and the visitor card. The total number of balls that the player has acquired on that day and the number of balls that are unused for the game or prize exchange are stored, and the card ID stored in the visitor card It is now possible to specify the number of possessions possessed by a player.

  The number of balls managed in the visitor savings management table is valid only on that day when the number of possessed balls is counted, and is present in the visitor savings management table in the processing at the end of business after the closing of business described later. It is invalidated by resetting the number of holding balls to be reset. In addition, when the number of possessions before the day is recorded on the visitor card, the number of possessions is erased as invalid.

  In the unit management table, as shown in FIG. 17A, the local IP address of the card unit 3 is stored in association with the device ID uniquely assigned to each card unit 3 installed in the game hall. A local IP, an island where the island number of the game island where the card unit 3 is installed are stored, a situation where the card unit 3 is receiving a card or is waiting, and The corresponding unit number in which the unit number of the pachinko machine 2 corresponding to the card unit 3 is stored, the reception ID in which the card ID of the member card or visitor card being received is stored, and the count of each card unit 3 at that time The number of finished balls is stored, and the data of the counted number of balls is periodically updated according to the reception of the transmission request from the management computer 150. Is transmitted from each card unit 3 after a predetermined time (for example, after 5 seconds) after the change of the counted number of balls, so that the latest counted number of balls is managed. Yes. The data of “situation”, “reception ID”, and “counted number of balls” are reset when the mode is shifted to the normal mode or the test mode.

  As shown in FIG. 17B, the storage / payout history table is linked to the card unit 3 in association with the device ID uniquely assigned to each card unit 3 installed in the game hall. The number of pachinko balls stored at that time is stored in the storage unit 338 inside the counting / fractional payout unit 340 together with the current storage number, the type of whether it is date, storage or payout (including discharge), storage or In the case where the number of balls paid out and the type is storage, a storage / payout history including the number of pachinko balls remaining in the storage unit 338 out of the number of stored balls is stored, The number of pachinko balls stored in the storage section 338 of each card unit 3 can be specified at the time, and the time when the pachinko balls are stored or dispensed can be specified. It has become.

  In addition, when the storage / dispensing history of the type “dispensing” is newly registered, the number of balls included in the newly registered “dispensing” storage / dispensing history is set to the oldest type “storage”. Subtraction update from the existing number of storage / dispensing histories (if the number of existing items is small, the subtraction update is performed in order from the oldest history in order), and the number of existing items becomes zero and the number of existing items is zero. All the previous history is deleted, and in this way, the pachinko that has been stored in the storage unit 338 for the longest by the storage / dispensing history of the oldest type is “storage”. The storage period of the balls can be specified, and the storage periods of the pachinko balls existing in the storage unit 338 can also be specified.

As shown in FIG. 18 (a), the member information table is associated with the member ID of the member player who owns the member card, and the personal identification number and the day of receiving the member card. Membership consisting of store visit points where the predetermined store visit points are added and updated once, rank based on store visit status, member's name (last name and name), gender, age, birthday, occupation, address, e-mail address Attribute information (personal information) is registered.

  In the member-specific game history table, as shown in FIG. 18 (b), for each member ID, the game history of the member player, specifically, the date of visit to the store, the table of the pachinko machine 2 that played the game. Number, model name, game start time (time), game end time (time), game time from game start to end, number of starts, number of bonuses, number of probability fluctuations (number of probability changes), number of balls earned, expenditure A game history including the amount of money, the number of replay balls, and the number of used balls is stored. The visit date of the member-specific game history table stores the date when the game history is stored based on the calendar information output from the RTC 154, and the game start time, game end time, game time, start count, The game history of the number of bonuses, the number of chances of change, the number of balls acquired, and the amount of money spent is stored based on member game history data transmitted from the card unit 3 when the member card is returned via the counting / payout unit 4.

  Further, the management computer 150 of the present embodiment has a function of causing the storage unit 338 of each card unit 3 to discharge pachinko balls stored after a preset upper limit period, and these pachinko balls In the stored ball discharge setting screen shown in FIG. 19, settings such as an upper limit period for discharging the water can be performed individually in the normal mode and the test mode.

  In the storage ball discharge setting screen of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the setting item of the storage upper limit period for designating the upper limit period and the timing for determining whether or not the upper limit period is exceeded Whether to set the item of determination time for designating and the form of discharging only pachinko balls that exceed the upper limit period or the form of discharging all pachinko balls stored in the storage unit 338 In the card unit 3 that has performed the discharge, it is necessary to refill the storage portion 338 with the pachinko balls that are required to be discharged when the discharge is performed. There are provided a discharge notification item for designating whether or not to perform discharge notification, and a notification time item for designating the execution time for performing the discharge notification.

  For each of these items, after selecting the desired content, by selecting and inputting the “setting” selection input section provided below the stored ball discharge setting screen, the setting content of the stored ball discharge setting screen Is updated and stored. Note that, when a “reset” selection input section provided at the bottom of the stored ball discharge setting screen is selected and input, the contents of each item on the screen are initialized to a predetermined default state.

  Here, for example, in the case where the storage ball discharge setting screen is set as shown in FIG. 19, the flow of discharging the pachinko balls stored in the storage unit 338 of each card unit 3 will be described. Briefly, the management computer 150 performs the storage ball discharge process shown in FIG. 26B when the determination time of the storage ball discharge setting screen is reached, that is, when the process at the end of business is executed. Then, the card unit 3 in which the pachinko balls are stored exceeding the storage upper limit period set on the stored ball discharge setting screen is stored in the storage / dispensing history table (see FIG. 17B). Based on the stored data, the pachinko balls stored over the storage upper limit period are discharged.

  Specifically, the number of existing storages and the date of the oldest storage / dispensing history whose type is “storage” is higher than “3 days”, which is the upper limit period set in the storage upper limit period item. Whether or not it is the previous one, that is, the device ID of the card unit 3 that includes a date older than the date three days ago and that stores the storage / dispensing history of the type “storage”, transmits the discharge instruction. Extract all as targets.

  When “all” is selected as the discharge mode, a discharge instruction including the total number of discharged balls is transmitted to the card units 3 of all the extracted device IDs.

  In response to the reception of the discharge instruction, the card unit 3 discharges the control unit 328 including the total number of discharged balls from the control unit 328 to the control board 341 (control unit 350) of the counting / fractional payout unit 340 as described above. By transmitting the request, all the pachinko balls stored in the storage part 338 and the inflow path 339 are discharged to the connecting rod 344, and the storage part 338 and the inflow path 339 are emptied. In addition, when the number of existing storages becomes “0” due to this discharge, all the storage / payout histories stored corresponding to the device IDs of the card units 3 that have performed these discharges are erased.

  In addition, when “excessive period balls only” is selected as the discharge mode, the number of pachinko balls that have exceeded the period (number of excess period balls) is specified for each card unit 3 of each extracted device ID. Then, a discharge instruction including the specified number of balls over the specified period as the number of discharged balls is transmitted.

  The number of balls that exceed the period is all of the history that includes the date before the upper limit period of “3 days” in the storage / dispensing history that includes the type of storage that is stored corresponding to each extracted device ID. It is specified by specifying and totaling the number of existence in the specified storage / dispensing history.

  As described above, the card unit 3 counts from the control unit 328 in response to the discharge instruction including the specified number of excess balls as the number of discharged balls being transmitted to the card unit 3. -By sending a discharge request including the number of balls over the period, which is the number of balls to be discharged, to the control board 341 (control unit 350) of the fraction dispensing unit 340, the old in the inflow path 339 and the guide groove of the storage unit 338 Of the pachinko balls stored in the state of being arranged in order, only the number of over-period balls stored in the area near the outlet 338 ′ as the leading portion is counted and discharged to the connection channel 344. In addition, as a result of this discharge, a new storage / payout history including the date, the number of balls that have been discharged, and the type of “payout” is newly registered, as described above, before the upper limit period. As the number of existences in the storage / dispensing history of the storage type “0” becomes “0”, the storage / dispensing history in which the existence number has become “0”, as well as the storage / dispensing in which these types are “0”. All the storage / dispensing histories in which the types older than the history are paid out are deleted.

  Then, the device ID extracted as the transmission target of the discharge instruction is registered as the card unit 3 to be discharged and is notified at the notification time on the stored ball discharge setting screen, that is, before the business disclosure (opening process). At this time, by transmitting a discharge notification instruction to the card unit 3 of the device ID registered as the discharge notification target, the pachinko stored in the display unit 312 of the card unit 3 that has received the discharge notification instruction. By displaying the discharge notification message that the ball is discharged and the storage unit 338 needs to be replenished with the pachinko ball, it is notified that the stored pachinko ball has been discharged.

  In response to the display of the discharge notification message, the game shop clerk operates the remote controller (not shown) to carry out the added reserve mode operation to shift the card unit 3 to the added reserve mode and refill the pachinko machine. After throwing the balls into the throwing unit 345, by operating the counting operation unit 355, the thrown pachinko balls are stored in the storage unit 338 and added to the pachinko balls without being added to the counted number of balls. Is done. After the replenishment, the store clerk operates the remote controller again to cancel the added reserve mode and return to the normal mode.

Along with this discharge notification message, the number of pachinko balls required for replenishment, that is, the number of balls that can be newly stored is specified and displayed from the difference between the number of stored balls and the maximum number of stored balls at that time. Anyway.

  In addition, the management computer 150 according to the present embodiment has an information providing function for transmitting member information such as store visit points stored in the member information table to the system controller 100 and the hall computer 140. A store clerk or the like can check the member information on the hall computer 140 used for checking the game information of the pachinko machine 2 in the game hall or checking the video of the surveillance camera.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the card unit 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the control unit 328 of the card unit 3 is activated by turning on the power to the card unit 3, thereby performing the activation process of Sb1, initializing various tables, checking the connection status of each unit, and system controller. 100, hall computer 140, management computer 150 connection confirmation request transmission and each setting data based on the setting information returned from system controller 100, hall computer 140, management computer 150 in response to the connection confirmation request transmission Set initial values, etc.

  Then, after the activation process is completed, the process of Sb2 to Sb13 is performed to accept the card, which is the insertion of the member card or visitor card into the card insertion slot 309, and the rental button by the player (member or visitor) Operation, cash acceptance by inserting a bill from the bill insertion slot 302, operation of a return button by a player, operation of a replay button 319 (reception of replay operation information from the display control board 329), operation of a payout button 311, Leave operation (remote seat operation information received from the display control board 329) on the remote control owned by the store clerk, operation of the menu button 316 (receive main menu display operation information from the display control board 329), share button in the main menu Operations (reception of shared operation information from the display control board 329), wagon service buttons Down operation (receiving wagon service operation information from the display control board 329), salesperson enters a standby state for detecting a refund operation in remote controller possession (receive refund operation information from the display control board 329).

  The control unit 328 monitors the reception of the counting information transmitted from the counting / fractioning unit 340 in parallel with the normal processing shown in FIG. 20 after the start processing of Sb1. Processing, processing for monitoring reception of an added reserve request transmitted from the remote controller in response to an added reserve mode operation on the remote controller, and a big hit signal, probability change output from the corresponding pachinko machine 2 or out ball counter 16 An interrupt monitoring process (not shown) for monitoring the input or change of the medium signal, the short / middle signal, the start signal, the prize ball signal, and the out ball counting signal is based on a processing task that is separate from the processing task that performs these normal processes. By performing, it is possible to monitor the occurrence of each target state, and sequentially perform addition update to the counted number of balls, transition to and cancellation of the added reserve mode, and game information update processing It has become the jar.

  Here, the flow in which the pachinko balls are counted in the card unit 3 will be described. When counting pachinko balls, the player is first paid out from the pachinko machine 2 and stored in the lower plate 24. The pachinko balls are thrown into the throwing portion 345 by operating a lever provided on the lower plate 24.

  Then, after the amount of pachinko balls to be counted is thrown into the throwing part 345, the counting operation part 355 is operated to open the inlet shutter 352 provided at the inlet 346 to the counting channel 347. As a result, the pachinko balls temporarily stored in the insertion portion 345 flow into the counting channel 347 from the inlet 346, flow down the counting channel 347, and are detected by the counting sensor 356. Every time a pachinko ball is detected, a count sensor signal of a predetermined pulse is output to the control board 341 (control unit 350).

  When a predetermined number (for example, 10) of count sensor signals are input from the count sensor 356 within a predetermined time (for example, 1 second), the control board 341 (control unit 350) has 10 balls. Count information including a constant count command indicating that the counter is counted is transmitted to the control unit 328 every time a predetermined number of count sensor signals are counted, and within a predetermined time (for example, 1 second). When a predetermined number (for example, 10) of counting sensor signals are not input, the counting includes a fraction counting command corresponding to the number of counting sensor signals that are input and counted at a predetermined time (for example, 1 second). Send information. As these fraction counting commands, a command of a type corresponding to a number less than a predetermined number may be determined in advance. If the predetermined number is 10, the fraction counting command corresponding to 1 to the fraction counting corresponding to 9 is performed. Nine types of fraction counting commands up to the command may be used.

  The count information is received at the SS1 step in the count information processing shown in FIG. 21 performed by the control unit 328, and it is determined that the count information is received, and the process proceeds to the SS2 step. It is determined whether or not the count prohibition state is outputting the count prohibition instruction.

  When counting is prohibited, the process proceeds to step SS5, where the display unit 312 displays that a counting error has occurred, and the process proceeds to an error notification process in which the multifunction lamp 301 is lit. If counting is not prohibited, the process proceeds to step SS3, and it is determined whether or not it is in the addition reservation mode by the remote controller owned by the store clerk.

  The number of balls specified from the command included in the count information received during the prohibition of counting is returned by paying out the pachinko balls stored in the storage unit 338 in the same manner as the fractional payout. You may make it return to the storage part 342. FIG.

  If not in the reserve mode, the process proceeds to step SS4 to add and update the number of balls according to the type of command included in the received count information to the number of balls in the card table and the number of balls counted in the display unit 312. Then, the process returns to the SS1 step. On the other hand, in the addition reservation mode, the process returns to the SS1 step without performing the SS4 step.

  That is, the pachinko balls that have flowed into the counting flow path 347 from the inlet 345 through the inlet 346 are detected one by one by the counting sensor 356 and added to the number of held balls and the number of balls already counted.

  In addition, in these additions, an addition end detection timer for detecting the end of the addition (in this embodiment, 5 seconds is set) is reset for each addition, and the addition end detection timer is timed up. When the predetermined time set in the addition end detection timer has elapsed since the last addition was performed, the device ID of the card unit 3, the card ID of the receiving card, and the addition Is sent to the management computer 150 so that the number of balls after addition is the number of balls in the member saving management table or visitor saving management table of the management computer 150. The counted number of balls in the unit management table is updated without delay to the counted number of balls included in the number-of-rolls-update request. In the case of a visitor card, when the addition completion detection timer expires, the counted number of balls after the addition is also recorded on the card itself as the number of possessed balls.

  Next, when the player inserts a visitor card or member card into the card insertion slot 309 in the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 described above, the insertion detection information accompanying the insertion of the visitor card or member card is a card reader. As a result of output from the writer 327 to the control unit 328, the control unit 328 determines that there is card acceptance in Sb2, advances to the step of Sb20, and performs card acceptance processing.

  In the card acceptance process of the present embodiment in Sb20, an instruction for taking in the membership card or visitor card inserted into the card insertion slot 309 is output to the card reader / writer 327, and the inserted membership card or visitor card is used as the card. Data stored in the card slot 392 of the reader / writer 327 and stored in the member card or visitor card, specifically, the (member) card ID and member ID (member card only) of the member card or visitor card ), Prepaid balance data, number of possession data (visitor card only), test flag, and the like.

  When the current mode is the normal mode, the control unit 328 determines that the read test flag is “1” and the received card is a member card based on the read card ID. , Eject and return the membership card. In other words, the membership card stored (registered) in the member savings management table and member information table of the test mode storage area so that it can be used in the test mode is returned without being accepted in the normal mode and only in the test mode. It has come to be used.

  Note that the prepaid balance of the membership card in which the test flag is “1” can be erased only in the erase mode described later, and the test flag which is recording data other than the prepaid balance can be erased, It is possible to delete information stored (registered) in the member saving management table or the member information table in association with the member card ID of the member card by executing a predetermined operation in the management computer 150. Yes.

  In addition, when the mode at that time is the normal mode, the control unit 328 determines that the read test flag is “1” and the received card is a visitor card from the read card ID. Sends an erasure request for the recorded data (prepaid balance, number of possessions, test flag) recorded on the received visitor card to the management computer 150, as in the erasure mode described later. The recorded data is erased accordingly.

  Specifically, if there is a prepaid balance in the accepted visitor card, the system controller 100 is given a card ID read from the accepted visitor card, a prepaid balance to be erased, and a mode flag indicating a test mode. In response to receiving the balance erasure permission returned in response to the transmission of the balance erasure request, the prepaid balance is erased. In addition, when the balance erasure permission is not received (when the balance erasure cannot be received), the prepaid balance is not erased, a prepaid balance error is displayed on the display unit 312 to notify the error, and the visitor card is displayed. Discharge.

  When the system controller 100 receives the balance deletion request, the system flag is included in the visitor card table stored in the test mode storage area because the mode flag indicating the test mode is included in the balance cancellation request. The prepaid balance is erased (updated to “0”) on condition that the prepaid balance stored in association with the card ID included in the balance elimination request matches the prepaid balance included in the balance elimination request. In both cases, the balance erasure permission is returned, and if they do not match, the balance erasure impossible is returned.

If the received visitor card has the number of possessed balls, the management computer 150 issues an erasure request including the card ID read from the accepted visitor card, the number of retained balls, and a mode flag indicating the test mode. The number of possessed balls is erased by receiving the erasure permission returned in response to the transmission. When no erasure permission is received (when erasure is not accepted), the recorded data is not erased, a recording data error is displayed on the display unit 312 to notify the error, and the visitor card is ejected. .

  In response to the reception of the erasure request, the management computer 150 includes a mode flag indicating the test mode in the erasure request, so that the visitor saving management table stored in the test mode storage area stores , It is determined whether the number of possessed balls stored in association with the card ID included in the erasure request matches the number of possessed balls included in the erasure request, and the number of possessed balls is identical. If the number of possessed balls is erased and a permission for erasure is returned, and if the number of possessed balls does not match, the erasure is returned.

  Further, in the normal mode, the control unit 328 continues to accept the visitor card and the membership card whose read test flag is “0”.

  In addition, when the mode at that time is the test mode, the control unit 328 determines that the read test flag is “0” and the received card is a member card from the read card ID. Ejects the membership card and returns it. That is, when a regular member card is received by mistake during the test mode, it is possible to prevent the remaining prepaid amount of the member card, the number of stored balls, and the number of held balls from being used.

  In addition, when the mode at that time is the test mode, the control unit 328 determines that the read test flag is “0” and the received card is a visitor card based on the read card ID. Will continue accepting when there is no prepaid balance and number of possessions (0), while if there is a prepaid balance or number of possessions (not 0), the visitor card will be the same as the membership card. Drain and return.

  In this embodiment, when a visitor card whose test flag is “0” is received during the test mode, the visitor card is held at a predetermined reading position of the card reader / writer 327 so that the reception is continued. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and by accepting the visitor card whose test flag is “0” in the card storage unit 370, the acceptance is continued, that is, in the test mode. You may make it usable.

  Further, in the test mode, the control unit 328 continues to accept the visitor card and the membership card whose read test flag is “0”.

  That is, the control unit 328 matches the test flag of the accepted member card or visitor card with the mode at that time (if the test flag is “1”, it is in the test mode, and if the test flag is “0”, it is in the normal mode. ), And when the visitor card with the prepaid balance and the number of balls in the test mode is not present and the test flag is “0”, the acceptance is continued, while the test flag is “ If you receive a membership card or visitor card that is “0” (either the prepaid balance or the number of possessions is present), return the received membership card or visitor card without erasing the recorded data, If a member card with a test flag of “1” is accepted during normal mode, it will be accepted without erasing the data. Return the membership card, when in the normal mode test flag has received a visitor card is "1", to discharge the visitor card accepted to erase the data that has been recorded (return).

In other words, the normal mode of the present embodiment has a function of an erasing mode for erasing recorded data of a visitor card used in the test mode, as will be described later, and is a mode that also serves as these erasing modes. In this way, it is preferable that the recorded data of the visitor card used in these test modes can be erased without shifting all the card units 3 in the game hall to the erase mode as will be described later. The present invention is not limited to this, and the normal mode may not serve as the erase mode.

  Note that, in these normal mode and the erasure mode described later, the processing contents when a member card with a test flag of “1” is accepted are different, but the present invention is not limited to this. These member cards may be similarly processed in the erasing mode (erasing the prepaid balance).

  When the control unit 328 determines that the acceptance is continued (except when a visitor card having no prepaid balance and no number of balls is accepted during the test mode), the control unit 328 reads out from the accepted membership card or visitor card ( (Member) An authentication request including a card ID, prepaid balance data, device ID, and mode flag is transmitted to the system controller 100, and a card authentication process for receiving an authentication result from the system controller 100 is performed.

  In response to the reception of the authentication request, the system controller 100 determines that the (member) card ID included in the received authentication request is a member card table or a visitor card table (mode flag is set) corresponding to the mode flag included in the received authentication request. If the value corresponds to the normal mode, the member card table or visitor card table in the normal mode storage area, and if the value of the mode flag corresponds to the test mode, the member card table or visitor card table in the test mode storage area) It is determined whether or not “1” is stored in the unusable flag as well as whether or not it exists, and “1” is not stored in the unusable flag, that is, “0” is stored in the unusable flag. If stored, the member card table is associated with the (member) card ID. Or, the prepaid balance stored and managed in the visitor card table matches the prepaid balance included in the received authentication request, that is, the prepaid balance specified from the received prepaid balance data read from the member card or visitor card On the condition that it matches, if it matches, “authentication OK” is returned as an authentication result, and if the (member) card ID does not exist in the member card table or the visitor card table, or an unusable flag If “1” is not available for use, and if the prepaid balance does not match, “authentication NG” is returned. However, if the prepaid balance does not match and the prepaid balance specified from the prepaid balance data included in the authentication request is smaller, the prepaid balance in the member card table or visitor card table is set to the small amount. In addition to renewing the amount, “authentication OK” is returned to permit use of the member card or visitor card.

  In the following description, if each table in the system controller 100 and the management computer 150 is in the normal mode storage area or the test mode storage area, unless otherwise specified, It is assumed that the storage area corresponding to the mode flag in the transmission data to be transmitted is used.

  When the authentication result returned from the system controller 100 is “authentication NG”, the card unit 3 outputs an instruction to eject the accepted member card or visitor card to the card reader / writer 327 and inserts the inserted member card or visitor. If the returned authentication result is “authentication OK” while returning the card and completing the card acceptance process, the (member) card ID, member ID (member only), and prepaid balance read from the accepted card are returned. Are stored in the card table, and as shown in FIG. 27, the management computer 150 reads (member) card ID, device ID, and number of balls (visitor card only) read from the received membership card or visitor card. And a card insertion notification including a mode flag.

In response to the reception of the card insertion notification, the management computer 150 first determines whether or not there is the number of balls included in the received card acceptance notification, and if there is, checks the number of balls. Perform verification processing.

  Specifically, in the visitor saving management table, whether or not the number of possessed balls stored corresponding to the card ID included in the card insertion notification matches the number of retained balls included in the received card acceptance notification. Determine whether.

  If they do not match in the verification determination, the card unit 3 returns the verification error information indicating that the verification of the number of possessed balls is NG to the card unit 3 that is the transmission source of the received card insertion notification. The visitor card is returned.

  On the other hand, if they match in the collation determination, or if the received card acceptance notification does not include the number of possessed balls (in the case of a membership card), the process proceeds to a normal acceptance process.

  In the normal acceptance process, the management computer 150 first updates the “status” data corresponding to the device ID included in the card acceptance notification to “accepting” in the unit management table and is included in the card insertion notification. The (member) card ID is stored in the “reception ID” item of the unit management table.

  Next, the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls (member only) corresponding to the (member) card ID included in the received card insertion notification are associated with the (member) card ID in the member saving management table or visitor saving management table. In addition to specifying from each stored data, if the card ID is a member card ID, further specify the PIN and store visit point stored in the member information table corresponding to the member card ID, The sender of the received card insertion notification, including the card insertion result including the specified number of owned balls, number of stored balls (member only), store visit point (member only), PIN (member only), and (member) card ID In response to the card unit 3.

  In response to the reception of the card insertion result, the card unit 3 (control unit 328) determines the number of possessed balls, the number of stored balls (member only), the point of visit (member only), and the PIN (member only) included in the received card insertion result. ) Is stored in the card table, and the prepaid balance stored in the card table is displayed on the remaining balance indicator of the corresponding pachinko machine 2, and the number of balls stored in the card table is used as the counted number of balls. It displays on the display part 312 and returns to the standby state of Sb2-Sb13.

  When the player operates the lending button after the prepaid balance is displayed on these remaining amount indicators, a signal from the lending button switch for detecting the lending button operation by the player is sent to the control unit 328. The control unit 328 determines that there is an operation of the lending button in the step Sb3 in the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, proceeds to the step Sb21, and executes the lending process.

  In this lending process, as shown in FIG. 22, first, in S001, the card is read from the inserted member card or visitor card (including the visitor card issued by inserting the banknote) and stored in the RAM 328b (card table). It is determined whether or not the prepaid balance is less than 1 frequency (= 100 yen) corresponding to 25 balls as the payout unit in the corresponding pachinko machine 2, and the prepaid balance is less than 1 frequency (= 100 yen) If it is determined (YES), the lending process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, while the prepaid balance is determined to be 1 frequency (= 100 yen) or more (NO). In S002, whether or not the prepaid balance is equal to or greater than 5 times (= 500 yen) set as the use frequency of the lending process in the present embodiment. Judges.

  Here, if it is determined that the prepaid balance is equal to or greater than 5 frequency (= 500 yen), which is the frequency of use (YES), in S003, the money amount lending process is performed while the frequency of usage is 5 frequency. If it is determined that the price is less than (= 500 yen) (NO), in S013, the display amount ball lending process is performed, and the process proceeds to S004.

  In the use amount ball lending process of S003, a payout signal for instructing the payout of the number of pachinko balls corresponding to the frequency of use (= 500 yen), specifically, the payout of 25 balls that is the frequency of use. (BRQ) is output five times, and the corresponding pachinko machine 2 is made to pay out 125 balls corresponding to 5 times (= 500 yen).

  Specifically, PRDY HIGH / LOW output from the pachinko machine 2 is determined. If PRDY is HIGH, a predetermined error process is performed, and the lending process is terminated.

  When PRDY is LOW, after BRDY is switched to LOW, BRQ is set to LOW, and a state of waiting for detection of HIGH of EXS from the pachinko machine 2 is entered, and BRQ is set based on detection of LOW of EXS. Switch to HIGH and wait for detection of EXS HIGH.

  Next, when the payout for one time in the pachinko machine 2 is completed and the HIGH level of the EXS is detected, the control unit 328 displays the prepaid balance displayed on the balance indicator, the prepaid balance data on the card table, and the receiving member. 100 yen corresponding to the one time is subtracted from the prepaid balance data stored in the card or visitor card, and the number of BRQs is counted, and the counted number of BRQs is equivalent to the number of use of 5 times. Compare with 5 times.

  If the number of BRQs counted in this comparison does not match the number of 5 times, the payout process for the above-mentioned 1 times is performed again, and the number of BRQs counted in the comparison with the above-mentioned usage frequency Is equal to 5 times, BRDY is set to HIGH, and the used amount ball lending process in S003 is terminated.

  In S004, the device ID uniquely assigned to the card unit 3 to the system controller 100, the card ID of the member card or the visitor card being accepted, and the usage amount (500 yen) corresponding to the usage frequency. And a mode completion flag including the mode flag are transmitted, and reception of an update completion notification transmitted from the system controller 100 is awaited in S005. The system controller 100 that has received the lending completion notification subtracts the usage amount included in the lending completion notification from the prepaid balance stored in the member card table or the visitor card table in association with the card ID included in the lending completion notification. Update is performed, and an update completion notification is returned to the card unit 3.

  When an update completion notification is received from the system controller 100 (YES in S005), it is determined in S006 whether the card being received is a visitor card. If it is determined that the card is not a visitor card (NO), While the lending process is ended and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, if it is determined that the visitor card is (YES), in S007, the prepaid balance displayed on the balance display (in the card table of the RAM 328b) It is determined whether or not the same as the stored prepaid balance is zero.

  If it is determined that the prepaid balance is not zero (NO), the lending process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, while the prepaid balance is determined to be zero (YES). In step S008, it is determined whether the number of balls stored in the card table of the RAM 328b is zero.

  If it is determined that the number of balls is not zero (NO), the lending process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, while the number of balls is determined to be zero (YES). In step S009, a capture notification including the card ID of the visitor card is transmitted to the system controller 100. In step S010, the device ID of the card unit 3 and the card ID of the card unit 3 are transmitted to the management computer 150. A capture notification including the visitor card ID is transmitted, and reception of an update completion notification transmitted from the system controller 100 and the management computer 150 is awaited in S011.

  The system controller 100 that has received the capture notification changes the “status” corresponding to the card ID included in the received capture notification to “in storage” in the visitor card table, and An update completion notification is transmitted to the card unit 3.

  In addition, the management computer 150 that has received the take-in notification updates the number of held balls corresponding to the card ID included in the received take-in notification in the visitor savings management table, and unit management In the table, change the “status” corresponding to the device ID included in the received capture notification to “standby”, delete the card ID stored in “acceptance ID”, and send the capture notification from An update completion notice is transmitted to the card unit 3.

  If it is determined in S011 that an update completion notification has been received from the system controller 100 and the management computer 150 (YES), in S012, an accepting process of taking in the accepted visitor card and storing it in the card storage unit 370 is performed. The lending process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13. Note that when the visitor card is taken in S012, the number of balls to be recorded on the card becomes zero.

  On the other hand, in the display amount ball lending process of S013, the frequency obtained by dividing the prepaid balance (same as the prepaid balance stored in the card table of the RAM 328b) displayed on the balance indicator by 100 yen corresponding to 1 count. If the prepaid balance is 400 yen, for example, a payout signal (BRQ) for instructing the payout of 25 balls, which is a single frequency, is output four times, and the number of 4 times corresponding to 400 yen (= 100) The corresponding pachinko machine 2 is paid out in the same manner as in the case of the above-mentioned payout, and the prepaid balance displayed on the balance indicator, the prepaid balance data on the card table, and the receiving 400 equivalent to the number of 4 times that prepaid balance data recorded on a membership card or visitor card is used for pachinko ball lending Amount of money but that is subtraction update, that is updated to "0", the program proceeds to S004. In this case, it is always determined as YES in S007 that has proceeded from S004.

  As described above, in the usage amount ball lending process in S003, the usage amount (here, 5 times (= 500 yen)) is used, and in the display amount ball lending process in S013, the display amount (that is, 1 time ( = Integer multiple of 100 yen) is used, so the prepaid balance used in this lending process is always an integral multiple of 1 degree (= 100 yen). Therefore, the prepaid balance specified from the prepaid balance data recorded on the card is always an integer multiple of 1 (= 100 yen), and no fraction less than 100 yen is generated.

Further, in the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 described above, when the player inserts cash (banknote) from the banknote insertion slot 302, the currency identification information associated with the insertion of the cash (banknote) is controlled from the banknote identification unit 321. By outputting to the unit 328, the control unit 328 determines that there is acceptance of cash in the step of Sb4, proceeds to the step of Sb22, and performs issue / payment processing.

  In this issuance / payment process, first, the amount of money inserted is specified from the input money identification information, and it is determined whether or not there is a member card or visitor card accepted by the card reader / writer 327. To do.

  When it is determined that there is no member card or visitor card being received, the control unit 328 moves the visitor card stored in the card storage unit 370 to a predetermined reading position on the card slot 392, The card ID of the visitor card is read out, and an issuance request including the read card ID, the input amount, the mode flag, and the device ID of the card unit 3 is transmitted to the system controller 100.

  In response to receipt of this issuance request, the system controller 100 determines whether the card ID included in the received issuance request is a visitor card table (in this case, either the normal mode storage area or the test mode storage area). If it exists, the “status” of the visitor card table corresponding to the card ID is updated to “in use”, and the current date and time output from the RTC 104 is updated. In addition to storing in the latest issue date and time, the received input amount is stored in the “remaining amount” as a prepaid remaining amount, and “issuance permission” is returned to the card unit 3 that sent the issue request. If the received card ID does not exist in the visitor card table, “Issuance impossible” is returned.

  However, if the card ID included in the issuance request is stored in the visitor card table in a storage area different from the storage area corresponding to the mode flag, the storage of the card ID is stored in the storage area corresponding to the mode flag. After moving to the visitor card table, the memory of the visitor card table in the transfer source storage area is deleted.

  In addition, with the transmission of “issue permission”, the system controller 100 includes the latest issue date and time stored, the card ID and device ID included in the received issue request, and the received issue request to the management computer 150. The management computer 150 notifies the management computer 150 of the issue notification including the received mode flag, and the management computer 150 receives the received issue at the latest issue date and time of the visitor saving management table corresponding to the card ID included in the received issue notification. The latest issue date and time included in the notification is stored, the “status” of the unit management table corresponding to the device ID included in the received issue notification is updated to “accepting”, and the received card is received as the “reception ID” The ID is stored and the unit management table is updated.

  Upon receipt of the above “issue permission”, the card unit 3 (control unit 328) writes the prepaid balance corresponding to the inserted amount and the test flag (only in the test mode) to the visitor card moved to the card slot 392. And storing the card ID of the visitor card and the prepaid balance corresponding to the inserted amount in the card table, and displaying the prepaid balance on the remaining amount indicator, and then ending the issue / payment processing to complete Sb2 Return to the standby state of Sb13.

  In addition, when "Issuance is impossible" is received from the system controller 100 and when a visitor card is not stored in the card storage unit 370, the cash (banknote) inserted from the banknote insertion slot 302 is returned, An error notification process for turning on the multi-function lamp 301 in a predetermined error notification mode is performed until the error state is eliminated, thereby notifying the occurrence of an error.

  On the other hand, if there is a member card or visitor card being accepted in the card slot 392 at the time of cash (banknote) insertion, the amount specified above is stored in the member card or visitor card being received and the card table. After adding the prepaid balance specified from the stored prepaid balance data and updating each of the prepaid balance data to the prepaid balance data that can be specified, the deposit amount (to the input amount) is updated. The same) and the device ID of the card unit 3, the (member) card ID of the member card or visitor card being received, and the mode flag are transmitted to the system controller 100, and the system controller 100 Member card table or visitor card table The said input money amount of money to be added update the prepaid balance, which is stored in association with the (membership) card ID Te.

  Then, the remaining amount of the prepaid displayed on the remaining amount display is updated and displayed as a new amount after the addition update, the deposit process is terminated, and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  In addition, when the player operates the return button in the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 described above, a signal from the return button switch for detecting the operation of the return button by the player is input to the control unit 328. As a result, the control unit 328 determines that there is an operation of the return button in Sb5, proceeds to Sb23, and performs return processing.

  In this return process, as shown in FIG. 23, first, in S201, it is determined whether there is a card (member card or visitor card) being received by the card reader / writer 327. If it is determined that there is no card being accepted (NO), in S202, the return operation accepted in Sb5 is invalidated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S201 that there is a member card or visitor card being received by the card reader / writer 327 (YES), the operation of the payout button 311 is invalidated and the counting / fractional payout unit 340 is determined in S203. Is output to prohibit counting.

  In response to the output of the counting prohibition instruction, the counting / fraction dispensing unit 340 disables the operation of the counting operation unit 355, thereby prohibiting the opening of the inflow shutter 352, so that a new pachinko ball is counted. It is forbidden.

  In step S204, it is determined whether the card being received by the card reader / writer 327 is a membership card. If it is determined in S204 that the accepted card is a membership card (YES), the membership card ID of the membership card and the member game information table are stored in the hall computer 140 in S210. The card discharge notification including the member game information data being stored is transmitted, and the device ID of the card unit 3, the card ID of the card to be returned, and the card table are stored in S211 in S211. A card discharge notification including the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls (members only) and a mode flag is transmitted, and reception of the card discharge result transmitted from the hall computer 140 and the management computer 150 is waited in S212.

  The hall computer 140 that has received the card discharge notification stores the member game information data included in the card discharge notification in the member-specific game history table in association with the member card ID included in the received card discharge notification. The card discharge result is transmitted to the card unit 3 that is the transmission source of the card discharge notification.

  In addition, the management computer 150 that has received the card discharge notification receives the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls stored in correspondence with the (member) card ID included in the received card discharge notification in the member saving management table. The number of balls held and the number of stored balls included in the received card discharge notification are updated, and in the unit management table, the “status” corresponding to the device ID included in the received card discharge notification is changed to “standby” and “accepted” The member card ID stored in “ID” is deleted, and the card discharge result is transmitted to the card unit 3 that is the transmission source of the card discharge notification.

  If it is determined in S212 that the card discharge result has been received from the hall computer 140 and the management computer 150 (YES), a test flag (only in the test mode) is recorded on the member card in S213, and a discharge instruction is issued to the card reader / writer. The member card being output to 327 is ejected from the card insertion slot 309 and returned. In S214, the card table and member game information table are reset. In S215, the operation of the payout button 311 is invalidated and the counting / fractional payout is performed. The prohibition of counting in the unit 340 is canceled, and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  That is, the membership card being accepted by the card unit 3 is different from the case of a visitor card, which will be described later, regardless of whether the prepaid balance is zero and whether the number of possessed balls is a fractional unit. Always returned. If the prepaid balance of the returned membership card is not zero, the prepaid balance can be settled in the settlement apparatus 180.

  When the card to be returned is a member card, the control unit 328 transmits a return notification including the member game information data stored in the member game information table and the mode flag, and resets the member game information table. Thus, the member game information data is registered in the member-specific game history table.

  If it is determined in S204 that the card being accepted is a visitor card (NO), the prepaid balance stored in the card table (that is, the prepaid balance recorded in the visitor card) is zero in S220. It is determined whether or not. If it is determined in S220 that the prepaid balance is not zero (NO), it is determined in S221 whether or not the number of possessed balls stored in the card table is a fractional number (24 or less in this example). judge. If it is determined in S221 that the number of possessed balls is not a fraction less than the unit (NO), that is, it is determined that the number of retained balls is equal to or greater than the payout unit, the number of retained balls and the test flag (only in the test mode) are displayed in S222. Record on the visitor card and proceed to S216. On the other hand, if it is determined in S221 that the number of possessed balls is a fraction less than a unit (YES), in S223, a pachinko ball having a fraction less than a unit is paid out from the pachinko balls stored in the ball storage unit 355 and played. Less than the unit payout process for returning to the user, the number of balls (in this case zero) and the test flag (only in the test mode) are recorded on the visitor card, and the process proceeds to S216. Details of the payout of the pachinko balls stored in the ball storage unit 355 will be described in detail in Sh5 of FIG. If it is determined in S221 that the number of balls is zero, the process proceeds to S216 without performing the process in S223.

  Next, in S216, a card discharge notification including the device ID of the card unit 3, the card ID of the visitor card, and the number of possessed balls stored in the card table is transmitted to the management computer 150, In S217, the reception of the card discharge result transmitted from the management computer 150 is awaited.

  The management computer 150 that has received the card discharge notification receives the number of possessed balls stored in correspondence with the card ID included in the received card discharge notification in the visitor saving management table of the storage area corresponding to the mode flag. Updated to the number of possessed balls included in the received card discharge notification, the current date and time output from the RTC 104 is stored in the latest issue date and time, and the received card discharge notification is stored in the unit management table of the storage area corresponding to the mode flag. Change the “status” corresponding to the device ID included in the card to “standby”, delete the card ID stored in the “acceptance ID”, and send the card to the card unit 3 that is the transmission source of the card ejection notification. Send the discharge result.

  When the card discharge result is received from the management computer 150 (YES in S217), in S218, the discharge support is output to the card reader / writer 327, and the accepted visitor card is discharged from the card insertion slot 309 and returned, and in S219, The card table is reset, and the process proceeds to S215. In other words, the visitor card being accepted by the card unit 3 is always returned when the prepaid balance is not zero. The prepaid balance of the returned visitor card can be settled in the settlement apparatus 180.

  If it is determined in S220 that the prepaid balance is zero (YES), in S231, the number of held balls stored in the card table is less than a unit fraction (24 balls or less in this example) as in S221. ). If it is determined in S231 that the number of held balls is not a fraction less than the unit (NO), that is, it is determined that the number of held balls is equal to or more than the payout unit, in S232, the number of held balls is stored in the visitor card as in S222. Record and proceed to S216. That is, the visitor card being accepted by the card unit 3 is returned on condition that the number of possession balls is not zero when the prepaid balance is zero. Since the prepaid balance of the visitor card returned here is zero, it cannot be settled in the settlement apparatus 180.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S231 that the number of possessed balls is a fractional unit (YES), a pachinko ball having a fractional unit fraction is stored in the ball storage unit 355 in S233, similarly to S223. A less than unit payout process for paying out from the pachinko ball and returning it to the player is performed, and the process proceeds to S240. If it is determined in S231 that the number of possessed balls is zero, the process proceeds to S240 without performing the process in S233.

  In S240, a card discharge notification including the card ID of the visitor card is transmitted to the system controller 100. In S241, the device ID of the card unit 3 and the card ID of the visitor card are transmitted to the management computer 150. In step S242, a card discharge notification including the above is waited for to be received from the system controller 100 and the management computer 150.

  The system controller 100 that has received the card discharge notification changes the “status” corresponding to the card ID included in the received card discharge notification to “in storage” in the visitor card table, The card discharge result is transmitted to the card unit 3. In addition, the management computer 150 that has received the card discharge notification updates the number of held balls corresponding to the card ID included in the received card discharge notification in the visitor saving management table to zero, and the unit management table The “status” corresponding to the device ID included in the received card discharge notification is changed to “standby”, the card ID stored in “acceptance ID” is deleted, and the card discharge notification transmission source The card discharge result is transmitted to the card unit 3.

  When the card discharge result is received from the system controller 100 and the management computer 150 (YES in S242), in S243, the accepting visitor card is taken in and stored in the card storage unit 370, and the process proceeds to S219. That is, the visitor card being accepted by the card unit 3 is taken in without being returned when the prepaid balance is zero and the number of held balls is a fractional unit. According to this, it is possible to prevent a loss of the game hall caused by returning and throwing away a visitor card in which a small number of balls are recorded. Note that when the visitor card is taken in S243, the number of balls to be recorded on the card becomes zero.

Returning to FIG. 21, when the player operates the replay button 319 in the above-described standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, the replay operation information is displayed from the display control board 329 that detects the operation of the replay button 319. Is input to the control unit 328, the control unit 328 determines that there is an operation of the replay button 319 in Sb6, proceeds to Sb24, and performs a replay process.

  In this replay process, first, it is determined whether or not the number of balls is “0”. If the number of balls is not “0”, the operation is invalidated, and “ After the message “Please operate the payout button” is displayed on the display unit 312, the process returns to the standby state of Sb <b> 2 to Sb <b> 13, but if the number of held balls is “0”, the RAM 328 b is further added. It is determined whether or not the collated flag indicating whether or not the password stored in the password is “1” indicating that the collation has been completed. Perform the PIN code acceptance process.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the number of possessed balls acquired by the member player on the day is different from the number of accumulated balls, and payout is performed without requiring a fee. Disabling the replay operation when it exists, eliminates the disadvantage of the member player due to the use of the accumulated number of fees in spite of the existence of the number of balls that do not charge Can be done.

  In the password acceptance process of the present embodiment, first, a password acceptance screen including a numeric keypad and an announcement display for prompting entry of the password are displayed on the display unit 312 to accept the password.

  Then, the received personal identification number is compared with the personal identification number stored in the card table, and when the two coincide, the collation flag in the predetermined area in the RAM 328b is updated to “1” indicating the collation. If the number of stored balls stored in the card table is multiplied by a commission rate (for example, 0.63), the number of stored α balls is not less than a predetermined number of replayed unit balls (125 balls). Carry out the play ball lending process.

  On the other hand, in the case of “1” indicating that collation has been completed, it is further determined whether or not the LED 320a is in a lit state, that is, whether or not the α storage ball number is equal to or larger than a predetermined replay unit ball number, When the LED 320a is lit, the replay unit number / α ball is subtracted from the number of stored balls stored in the card table, the replay display unit 320 (LED 320a) is turned off, and the replay ball lending is performed. Perform the process. In the replay ball lending process of the present embodiment, the payout of the number of pachinko balls corresponding to the number of replay units (125 balls) is paid out in the corresponding pachinko machine 2 as in the case of the lending process described above. The pachinko machine 2 is executed by outputting a signal for instructing the payout of 25 balls 5 times.

  In addition, when the number of α stored balls after subtraction update of the number of replay unit balls is equal to or more than the number of replay unit balls, the replay display unit 320 (LED 320a) is again displayed after the replay ball lending process is completed. It is turned on.

  Then, a replay completion notification including the member card ID and member ID stored in the card table, the number of stored balls (replay unit number / α), and a mode flag is transmitted to the management computer 150. Then, the replay process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  The management computer 150 that has received the replay completion notification, in the member saving management table, determines the number of replay units / number from the membership card ID included in the replay completion notification and the number of balls stored in association with the member ID. α is subtracted and updated.

  When the payout button 311 is operated in the above-described standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, an operation signal from the payout button switch 311 ′ is input to the control unit 328, so that the control unit 328 pays out in Sb7. When it is determined that the button 311 is operated, the process proceeds to Sb25, and the payout process shown in FIG. 24 is performed. When the payout operation is invalid, the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 is continued without proceeding to Sb25.

  In the payout process of the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 24, it is determined whether or not there is a counted number of balls, that is, the number of balls in the card table (Sh1).

  In the determination in the step of Sh1, if there is no counted number of balls (the number of held balls), the process proceeds to the step of Sh6 and, for example, an error message “There is no counted number of balls” on the display unit 312. Is displayed and the player is informed that there is no counted number of balls (the number of balls held), and then the payout process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  On the other hand, if there is a counted number of balls (the number of balls held), the process proceeds to step Sh2, where the counted number of balls is 125 balls or more corresponding to a preset number of 5 payouts which is a predetermined payout setting number. It is determined whether or not there is.

  If it is determined that the number of balls is 125 or more, the process proceeds to Sh8 and a payout set number payout process is performed.

  Specifically, in the payout set number payout process, the high / low PRDY output from the pachinko machine 2 is determined as in the case of the usage frequency loan process described above, and the condition is that PRDY is LOW. After switching BRDY to LOW, BRQ is set to LOW, and a state of waiting for detection of EX HIGH from the pachinko machine 2 is entered, and BRQ is switched to HIGH based on detection of the LOW of EXS. The payout of 25 pachinko balls corresponding to the frequency is executed, and a state of waiting for detection of HIGH of EXS is entered.

  Next, when the payout of one payout unit in the pachinko machine 2 is completed and the HIGH of the EXS is detected, the control unit 328 counts the number of BRQs, and the counted number of BRQs corresponds to the number of payouts set to 5 degrees. Compare with 5 times.

  If the number of BRQs counted in this comparison does not match the number of 5 times, the above-mentioned payout process is performed once again, and the number of BRQs counted in the above comparison is the set number of payouts. If it matches the 5th frequency, BRDY is set to HIGH.

  Then, the control unit 328 determines from the counted number of balls in the display unit 312 and the number of balls in the card table (if the card being received is a visitor card, the number of balls in the visitor card being received). While subtracting and updating the number of balls, the device ID uniquely assigned to the card unit 3, the (member) card ID of the member card or visitor card being received, and the ball that has been paid out to the management computer 150 The payout completion notification including the number (125 balls) and the mode flag is transmitted and stored in association with the (member) card ID in the member saving management table or visitor saving management table of the management computer 150. After subtracting and updating the number of balls paid out from the number of balls (125 balls), the process proceeds to the card collection determination process of Sh20.

  In this card collection determination process, it is determined whether or not the accepted card is a visitor card whose number of counted balls (number of balls) after subtraction update is “0”. If the visitor card is “0”, the prepaid balance is also “0”, as in the case where the prepaid balance in the aforementioned lending process is “0”. After collecting the visitor card, the payout process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  On the other hand, when the determination result in the step of Sh2 is a determination result that is not equal to or greater than the set number of payouts, the process proceeds to the step of Sh3 and 25 balls, which is the number of payout units in the corresponding pachinko machine 2, It is determined whether it is above.

  When it is determined that the number of balls is not more than 25 in the determination, for example, when the counted number of balls is 20, the process proceeds to the step of Sh4 and is stored in the storage unit 338 specified from the stored ball number data. It is determined whether or not the number of remaining pachinko balls (remaining number) is 20 or more that is the counted number of balls, that is, whether or not 20 balls that are the counted number of balls can be paid out. .

  In this determination, when it is determined that the number of pachinko balls (remaining number) stored in the storage unit 338 is not equal to or greater than the counted number of balls, that is, 20 pachinko balls cannot be paid out. If it is, the process proceeds to the step of Sh7, and the display unit 312 displays a message “Cannot pay out due to lack of balls. Please call the store clerk.” The storage ball remaining number error notification process of lighting in a predetermined lighting mode for notifying that a storage ball remaining number error has occurred is performed.

  As described above, the store clerk who grasps that the number of pachinko balls (remaining number) stored in the storage unit 338 is small by using this notification, shifts to the added reservation mode using the remote control, as described above. By replenishing the pachinko balls, the pachinko balls can be paid out from the storage unit 338.

  On the other hand, in the determination in the step of Sh4, if it is determined that the number of pachinko balls (remaining number) stored in the storage unit 338 is equal to or more than 20 balls, which is the counted number of balls, the step of Sh5 is performed. Going forward, a fraction payout request including the number of payout balls of 20 which is the counted number of balls is transmitted to the counting / fractional payout unit 340.

  In response to the reception of the fraction payout request, the counting / fractional payout unit 340 switches the flow path to the return passage 335 by the flow path switching solenoid 358 and is the number of payout balls (fraction) included in the received fraction payout request. By operating the payout motor 353 until 20 detection signals are input from the output sensor 354, 20 pachinko balls corresponding to the payout balls (fraction) are returned from the diversion port 336 on the discharge flow path 337. By flowing into the passage 335 and being returned to and stored in the return storage unit 342, the player can take out these 20 paid-out pachinko balls from the return storage unit 342.

  Then, at the stage where the payout of 20 pachinko balls based on the fraction payout request is completed, the control unit 350 of the counting / fractional payout unit 340 transmits a fraction payout completion notification to the control unit 328.

  In response to the reception of the fraction payout completion notice, the control unit 328 determines the number of balls counted on the display unit 312 and the number of balls held on the card table (if the card being received is a visitor card, the visitor card being received). The number of balls paid out is subtracted and updated from the number of possessed balls). Thereby, the counted number of balls and the number of balls are “0”.

And, to the management computer 150, the device ID uniquely assigned to the card unit 3, the (member) card ID of the member card or visitor card being accepted, the number of paid-out balls (20 balls), The payout ball returned from the number of possessed balls stored in association with the (member) card ID in the member saving management table or visitor saving management table of the management computer 150 by transmitting a payout completion notification including the mode flag After the number (20 balls) is subtracted and updated to “0”, the card collection determination process of Sh20 described above is performed, and then the payout process is terminated and the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  When these payout completion notifications are received, the “payout” type and the number of payout balls are stored as the storage / payout history corresponding to the device ID in the storage / payout history table based on the payout completion notification. A storage / dispensing history including (20 balls) is registered.

  That is, when the counted number of balls (the number of possessed balls) is a fraction less than 25 balls corresponding to the number of times that is the payout unit, the player operates the payout button 311 so that the pachinko ball of the fraction is By being paid out from the pachinko balls stored in the storage unit 338 in the counting / fractional payout unit 340, it is returned to the player.

  On the other hand, in the determination in Sh3, when it is determined that the counted number of balls (the number of balls held) is 25 or more, the process proceeds to the step of Sh9, and the maximum payout within the range of the counted number of balls is possible. After specifying the payout unit and the fraction less than the payout unit, the process proceeds to the step of Sh10 to pay out the number of balls of the specified maximum payout unit from the corresponding pachinko machine 2, and the steps of Sh4 and Sh5 described above are performed. By carrying out, the specified number of pachinko balls are paid out to the return storage unit 342 in the counting / fractional payout unit 340.

  Specifically, for example, if the number of possessed balls (the number of counted balls) is 110 balls, in the step of Sh9, the value obtained by dividing 110 balls which is the number of retained balls by 25 balls which are payout units. An integer value of 4 is specified as the payout frequency corresponding to the maximum payout unit, and 10 balls less than the payout unit, which is the remainder of the value divided by the payout unit of 25 balls, are specified as a fraction.

  Then, in Sh10, the PRDY output from the pachinko machine 2 is determined to be HIGH / LOW, and on the condition that PRDY is LOW, BRDY is switched to LOW, then BRQ is set to LOW, and the EXS from the pachinko machine 2 is set. HIGH detection waiting state, and by switching the BRQ to HIGH based on the detection of the LOW of the EXS, 25 pachinko balls corresponding to a single payout unit are paid out, and the EXS HIGH detection It will be in a waiting state.

  Next, when the payout of one payout unit in the pachinko machine 2 is completed and the HIGH level of the EXS is detected, the control unit 328 counts the number of BRQs, and the payout number specified in the step of Sh8. Compare with 4 times corresponding to 4 degrees which is the frequency.

  If the number of BRQs counted in this comparison does not match the number of 4 times, the payout process for the above-mentioned 1 time is performed again, while the number of BRQs counted in the above comparison is the number of payouts set to 4 If it matches, BRDY is set to HIGH.

  Then, the control unit 328 calculates the number of balls counted on the display unit 312 and the number of balls held on the card table (if the card being received is a visitor card), the number of balls on the visitor card being received) In addition to subtracting and updating 100 balls corresponding to the 4 times of payout, the device ID uniquely assigned to the card unit 3 to the management computer 150 and the (member) card ID of the member card or visitor card being accepted And a payout completion notification including the number of balls paid out (100 balls) and a mode flag, and associated with the (member) card ID in the member saving management table or visitor saving management table of the management computer 150 After subtracting and updating the number of balls (100 balls) paid out from the number of held balls, the steps of Sh4 and Sh5 are carried out, 10 pachinko balls, which are the fractional number, are paid out to the return storage unit 342 in the counting / fractional dispensing unit 340, and the number of balls that have been paid out are subtracted and updated, and the counted balls in the display unit 312 are counted. And the number of balls held in the card table (if the card being accepted is a visitor card, the number of balls held on the visitor card being accepted) are all set to “0” and are being accepted by the management computer 150 The number of balls in this card is also “0”.

  In other words, when the counted number of balls (the number of balls) is 25 balls or more corresponding to one payout unit, which is less than 125 balls corresponding to the set number of payouts, and there are fractions, In order to pay out the fraction, the player can pay out the pachinko balls of that fraction from the pachinko balls stored in the storage unit 338 in the counting / fractional payout unit 340 without operating the payout button 311 individually. To be returned to. Even when these fractions are paid out, as described above, a payout completion notification including the payout ball number is transmitted to the management computer 150, so that the storage is performed based on the payout completion notification. In the payout history table, a storage / payout history including the type of “payout” and the number of payout balls (10 balls) is registered as the storage / payout history corresponding to the device ID.

  In addition, when a player wants to leave his / her seat for the purpose, it is necessary to call a store clerk and have the remote control carried by the store clerk perform a leave operation and shift to the leave mode.

  When a remote control operation is performed on the remote controller, a predetermined infrared signal corresponding to the remote control operation is output from the remote control, so that the infrared signal can be specified by the IR light receiving unit 315. By being converted into a predetermined electrical signal and output to the display control board 329, the display control board 329 outputs to the control unit 328 the leaving operation information indicating that the leaving operation has been performed.

  The output of the leaving operation information is detected at Sb8 in the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 described above, so that it is determined that there is a leaving operation, and the process proceeds to Sb26 to perform the leaving process.

  In this leaving process, the control unit 328 first invalidates all operations and outputs a count prohibition instruction to the counting / fractional payout unit 340 (control unit 350) to count new pachinko balls. Ban.

  The control unit 328 determines the (member) card ID and the member ID (member card only) and the number of balls being received by the card reader / writer 327 even if the card data in the RAM 328b is lost due to a long power interruption or the like. (Member) card ID and the member ID are stored in a predetermined storage area of the EEPROM 328c, and then a discharge instruction is output to the card reader / writer 327 to accept the member card or visitor card being received. The function lamp 301 is turned on in yellow to indicate that the user is away from the seat, and the display unit 312 displays “separated” and the elapsed time (remaining time of the predetermined away time). At the same time, by outputting a card insertion enabling instruction to the card reader / writer 327, the shutter is released along with the ejection. The solenoids 399 that the shutter of the card insertion opening 309 is a sinking state, the process proceeds to Away mode that only allows the card insertion from the card insertion opening 309.

In the present embodiment, as described above, since the RAM 328b of the control unit 328 is backed up by a battery, the card whose member ID (member only) and member ID (member only) are to be canceled in the away mode. The information may be stored again in a predetermined area in the RAM 328b, or, as in the present embodiment, the (member) card ID and member ID (member ID) are stored in the card table when a member card or visitor card is received. (Only card) is already stored, the new (member) card ID and member ID are not stored, and the (member) card ID and member ID already stored in the card table are omitted. (Membership card only) may be used.

  The player may leave his / her seat by bringing the membership card or visitor card discharged from the card insertion slot 309.

  In the transition to the above-described leaving mode, the control unit 328 transmits a leaving notice including the device ID, the (member) card ID of the ejected card, and the mode flag to the system controller 100 and the management computer 150. By registering these (member) card IDs as leaving cards, even if these discharged cards are received by other card units 3 or the POS terminal 170 for gift exchange, they cannot be used for the cards. It is supposed to be returned.

  When the player finishes his job and resumes the game, the member card or visitor card discharged at the time of leaving the seat may be inserted into the card insertion slot 309, and the member card or visitor card is inserted. In this case, the control unit 328 reads the (member) card ID and the member ID (member card only) from the inserted member card or visitor card, and stores the (member) card ID and member ID (member ID (only the member card) in the predetermined storage area of the EEPROM 328c. (Membership card only).

  If the (member) card ID and the member ID (member card only) do not match, the inserted member card or visitor card is ejected and the away mode is continued, while the (member) card ID and member ID ( (Member card only) matches, the (member) card ID and member ID (member card only) stored in the predetermined storage area of the EEPROM 328c are erased, and the operation performed in the transition to the away mode is prohibited. By canceling the prohibition of counting, the mode is changed from the away mode to the normal mode, and the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 is returned.

  In the case where the player who has left the seat does not return even if the predetermined time has passed, the seat leaving mode can be forcibly canceled. When the forced release is performed, the store clerk only has to operate a forced release button provided on the remote control that is held, and the forced release button is operated from the remote control (forced release operation) by operating the forced release button. The infrared signal is converted into a predetermined electrical signal that can specify the forced release operation by the IR light receiving unit 315 and output to the display control board 329. The forced release operation information indicating that the forced release operation has been performed is output from the display control board 329 to the control unit 328.

  When the forced release operation information is input during these leaving modes, the control unit 328 stores the (member) card ID and the member ID (member card only) and the number of balls stored in a predetermined storage area of the EEPROM 328c. Is stored in the other predetermined area of the EEPROM 328c as forced release history data, and then the data is erased and the card table is reset.

  Then, by canceling the prohibition of operation and counting prohibition performed in the transition to the away mode, the transition from the away mode to the normal mode returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13, and a new member card or visitor card and It is possible to accept bills.

The forced release history data is transmitted to both the system controller 100 and the management computer 150 in response to a transmission request from the system controller 100 and the management computer 150 or in a closing-related process at the time of closing (FIG. 26A). Since the system controller 100 and the management computer 150 store and manage the forced release history data stored and managed in the system controller 100 or the management computer 150 even when there is a complaint by a person away from the seat. Thus, even if a failure occurs in either the system controller 100 or the management computer 150, the number of balls possessed by the away person can be reliably guaranteed.

  When the player operates the menu button 316 in the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 described above, the main menu display operation information is received from the display control board 329 that has detected the operation of the menu button 316 from the control unit 328. , The control unit 328 determines that the menu button 316 is operated in Sb10, proceeds to Sb28, and performs a menu display process (not shown).

  In this menu display process, the control unit 328 first determines whether or not the player who is playing the game with the corresponding pachinko machine 2 is a member based on the data stored in the card table (whether the member ID is stored). If the player is not a member (if the member ID is not stored), the “table data”, “ranking”, “notice”, and “share” that do not include member-specific menu items are determined. The visitor main menu (see FIG. 5) including only each menu item of “wagon service” is displayed on the display unit 312 by outputting a visitor main menu display instruction to the display control board 329, while the player is a member. , The member menu shown in FIG. 5 further includes menu items “point display” and “replay” that are member items unique to the member. The down menu on the display unit 312 by outputting a membership main menu display instruction to the display control board 329.

  Each menu item displayed on the display unit 312 can be selected by the player, and if any menu item is not selected within a predetermined time, a menu display end instruction is displayed on the display control board 329. After the display of the main menu is terminated by outputting, the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13. On the other hand, if any menu item is selected within a predetermined time, it corresponds to the selected menu item. After executing the process, the process returns to the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13.

  When the “replay” menu in the main menu is selected, the replay process of Sb24 described above is executed.

  In addition, when the “device data” menu is selected, each data of today stored in the game information table is displayed. When the “ranking” menu is selected, the type of ranking, specific Specifically, a submenu screen for selecting a payout ranking, a jackpot ranking, a consecutive house ranking, etc. is displayed, and ranking data of the type selected on the submenu screen is acquired from the hall computer 140 and displayed on the display unit 312. Is displayed.

  In addition, when the “Point display” menu is selected, the number of points of the store points stored in the card table (if the store point is not stored, the store point acquisition request is sent to the management computer 150. When the “Notification” menu is selected, the notification information stored in the RAM 328b is displayed on the display unit 312. 312 is displayed.

  When the “share” menu is selected, a sharing process is performed to divide the number of players' balls into other players. The sharing process will be described later with reference to FIG.

When the “wagon service” menu is selected, it is notified by the multi-function lamp 301 that there is a request for the wagon service, and the person in charge of the wagon service comes to the player with the remote control.

  In addition, unlike the main menu, the display of the “counted number of balls” below the display unit 312 is always displayed below the display unit 312 so that the player can always display the number of counted balls. It can be confirmed.

  Next, the flow of processing at the end of business will be described based on FIG. 12 and FIG. 26. First, the system controller 100 starts up the processing at the end of business at the end of business. When the operation stop request is transmitted to the card unit 3, the card unit 3 (control unit 328) accepts various operations such as a lending operation and a payout operation, a new membership card to the card reader / writer 327, After accepting visitor card insertion and updating of various game information data such as a game information table and stored ball count data, and returning an operation stop notification to the system controller 100 indicating that the operation has been stopped, The process shifts to a reception waiting state for a processing request at the end of business from the management computer 150.

  The system controller 100 that has received the operation stop notification transmits an end-of-business notification indicating that the processing of the membership card and the visitor card has been completed to the management computer 150. Upon detecting that the business has been closed, a business time end processing request is transmitted to the control unit 328 of each card unit 3.

  The control unit 328 that has received the business end process request starts the business end process shown in FIG. In this business end process, as shown in FIG. 26 (a), the count invalidation process (Sk1), the data update process (Sk2), the stored ball discharge process (Sk3), and the tightening related process (Sk4) are performed. The

  In the count invalidation process in the step of Sk1, as shown in FIG. 26B, first, it is determined whether or not there is a card (visitor card or member card) being received by the card reader / writer 327 (Sd1). ).

  If there is no card being accepted, the process proceeds to step Sd2. On the other hand, if there is a card being accepted, the process proceeds to step Sd5 to determine whether the card being accepted is a visitor card. It is determined from the card ID read from the receiving card stored in the item of the card ID.

  When the accepted card is a visitor card, the determination in Sd5 is “Yes” and the process proceeds to Sd6. Further, whether there is a recorded number of balls (recording number of balls is present) On the other hand, when the accepted card is a membership card, it is determined as “No” in the determination of Sd5, and the process proceeds to the step of Sd9 and the return process is performed.

If there is a ball number recorded in the accepting visitor card, the process proceeds to step Sd7 to record the number of balls currently present and the date on which the number of balls was counted. When the card reader / writer 327 is instructed to erase and proceeds to step Sd8, if there is no number of balls recorded in the accepted visitor card, the process proceeds to Sd8 without going through step Sd7. Proceeding to the step, it is determined whether there is a prepaid balance of the visitor card being accepted, that is, whether there is a prepaid balance in the card table. In addition, the record of the number of possessed balls erased in Sd7 and the record of the date when the number of possessed balls are counted are used as card invalidation information including the card ID, the device ID, and the mode flag as in the step of Sd3. The recording data erased by the visitor card may be managed by the management computer 150 by transmitting to the management computer 150.

  If the prepaid balance does not exist, that is, it is “0”, the process proceeds to step Sd12, and after the visitor card being received is collected in the card storage unit 370 of the card reader / writer 327, the process proceeds to step Sd2. If the prepaid balance is present, that is, it is not “0”, the process proceeds to step Sd9 and a return process is performed.

  In the return process of step Sd9, the visiting visitor card or membership card is discharged from the card insertion slot 309. At this time, if the test mode is in effect, a test flag is recorded and discharged.

  If the card to be ejected is a membership card, it includes the device ID of the card unit 3, the membership card ID of the card to be returned, the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls stored in the card table, and a mode flag. When the return notification is transmitted to the management computer 150, the number of held balls and the number of stored balls stored in correspondence with the member card ID included in the received return notification in the member saving management table are returned. The membership card ID stored in the “accepting ID” corresponding to the device ID received in the unit management table is deleted while being updated to the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls included in the notification. When the card to be ejected is a visitor card, the return notification is not transmitted in order to collectively update the visitor saving management table in an update process described later.

  Then, the process proceeds to step Sd10, and the card discharge is notified until the card is removed or a predetermined time elapses in a notification mode corresponding to the type (visitor / member) of the discharged card. Specifically, when the visitor card is discharged, the lighting state of the multi-function lamp 301 is changed to a yellow fast blinking state to notify the discharge of the visitor card, while when the membership card is discharged, the multi-function lamp The discharge state of the membership card is notified by setting the lighting state of 301 to a high-speed blinking state of blue.

  Cards discharged in this way are collected separately by store clerk for each type of card, that is, for each visitor card or membership card, and stored until the proper owner makes an offer. When these clerk collects and collects, it is possible to confirm which card unit 3 is discharging which type of card from a distance without going to the card unit 3, so the type of these discharged cards The workability of each separate collection work is improved.

  Then, after sending discharge history information including the (member) card ID and device ID of these discharged cards to the management computer 150 (Sd11), the process proceeds to step Sd2.

  In this way, all the discharge history information transmitted from the card unit 3 is stored for a predetermined period in the management computer 150 as a discharge history file to which the date of the day is added. The card received by the card unit 3, that is, each visitor card or member card that the player has forgotten to take out, which card unit 3 was inserted (discharged) on which date was also managed later. Since it can be specified (confirmed) by the computer 150 and the information can be used as important information for specifying the legitimate owner of the visitor card or the membership card, it is easy to return these cards to the legitimate owner.

  Next, in step Sd2, it is determined whether or not there is a counted number of balls (the number of balls in the card table).

  If the number of balls already counted does not exist, it is determined as “No” in the step of Sd2, and the count invalidation process is terminated. On the other hand, if the number of balls already counted is present, the process proceeds to the step of Sd3. After the invalidation information including the ID, the counted number of balls (the number of balls held), and the mode flag is transmitted to the management computer 150, the counted number of balls (the number of balls held in the card table) is deleted ( Sd4), the count invalidation process is terminated. The management computer 150 that has received the transmitted invalidation information stores and manages the received invalidation information as an invalidation history on that day.

  Next, the control unit 328 performs the data update process of Sk2. In this data update process, each game information data in today's data of the game information table for which update is prohibited is transmitted to the hall computer 140 together with the device ID, and the game information of the hall computer 140 is updated to the final data. After updating the previous day's data two days ago, today's data the previous day, and resetting the today's data, the card table and the member game information table are reset, and the data updating process ends.

  Next, the control unit 328 performs Sk3 storage ball discharge processing. In the stored ball discharge process, the apparatus waits to receive a discharge instruction transmitted from the management computer 150. When the above-described discharge instruction is received from the management computer 150 in this discharge instruction reception waiting state, a discharge request including the number of discharged balls (for example, the total number) is output to the control board 341 (control unit 350) of the counting / fractional payout unit 340. ), And collects all the pachinko balls including the pachinko balls stored in the storage unit 338 beyond the storage upper limit period from the storage unit 338 and collects the stored ball count data “0”. Update to

  Next, the control unit 328 performs Sk4 tightening-related processing. In this closing-related process, information such as the usage history of the prepaid balance is transmitted to the system controller 100, and as described above, data such as forced cancellation history data in the absence of the seat is stored in both the system controller 100 and the management computer 150. Send to memorize.

  In the present embodiment, the above-described discharge history information is transmitted only to the management computer 150. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as with the above-described forced release history data, By sending and storing both of the management computers 150, the discharge history information may be confirmed even if either the system controller 100 or the management computer 150 malfunctions.

  In response to the completion of the Sk4 tightening-related processing, the control unit 328 transmits a processing end notification including the device ID to the management computer 150.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the management computer 150 performs data update processing in response to reception of processing end notifications from all the card units 3.

  In this data update process, all card IDs stored in the unit management table in association with the device ID included in the invalidation information (stored as invalidation history) received from the card unit 3 are extracted and extracted. When the number of possessed balls stored in the visitor savings management table in association with the card ID is reset (erased) as invalidated, and the number of retained balls exists in the visitor savings management table, After adding the number, that is, the number of balls that were recorded on the visitor card but were not used on that day and the card ID to the invalidation history, all these existing balls are reset, so that business day The number of possessed balls stored in the visitor saving management table is invalidated.

  By counting the number of balls already counted (number of balls held) included in each of these invalidation histories, the number of balls that have been invalidated in the card unit 3 (no The total number of invalidated counting balls (number of balls) including the number of balls) can be tabulated, and the total number of invalidated balls that have been tabulated and the invalidation history information are shown in the figure. As shown in FIG. 12, it is transmitted to the hall computer 140 after the completion completion notification is transmitted to the system controller, and is used and stored as data for accounting processing.

  As the last process in these data update processes, all the data of “situation”, “acceptance ID”, “counted number of balls” in the unit management table are reset to update the unit management table, and after the unit management table is updated In, an end completion notice is transmitted to the system controller.

  Upon reception of the completion completion notification from the management computer 150, the system controller 100 detects that the preparation for termination has been completed in the management computer 150, and shifts to a predetermined termination process.

  FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing information transmitted and received between the management computer, card unit, and system controller used in the present embodiment, and processing based on the information.

  Referring to FIG. 27, first, in card unit 3, the inserted member card or visitor card is processed by St1, and the stored data of the imported member card or visitor card is read by St2. Thus, it is determined by St2a whether or not the exchange flag included in the stored data is in the ON state. The exchange flag is a flag indicating whether or not the card is a card of a wagon service salesperson associated with a consideration for exchange with an article of a wagon service, and details thereof will be described later.

  If it is determined that the exchange flag is in the on state, the card is a wagon service salesperson card, so that the process proceeds to St18 in order to prohibit the card from being used in the game, and the card is returned by St18. By doing so, fraudulent use of sales card sales, that is, wagon service sales, can be prevented, and sales management of wagon services can be performed appropriately. On the other hand, if it is determined that the exchange flag is off, the process proceeds to St3.

  Next, a card insertion notification is transmitted from the card unit 3 to the management computer 150 and the system controller 100 through St3. The card ID read in St2 is transmitted to the management computer 150 together with the card insertion notification. On the other hand, the card ID read in St2 and the prepaid balance are transmitted to the system controller 100 together with the card insertion notification.

  In the management computer 150, when the card insertion notification and the card ID are received, the use permission / inhibition determination process is executed in St4. This determination process of availability is a process of determining whether the member card or the visitor card is usable based on the inserted card ID, and returns the determination result to the card unit 3. As a result of the determination, the card insertion result OK (the number of holding balls, the number of α storage balls (only in the case of a membership card)) returned in the case of a membership card or a visitor card without any abnormality, the membership card is a membership saving management table Or the card insertion result NG (card discharge) when it is a membership card or visitor card that is not registered at all such as not registered in the visitor savings management table, the number of balls and the number of stored balls of the membership card or visitor card (member card There are three types of card insertion result NG (only prepaid balance can be used) that prohibits the use.

  The control contents of the determination process of the availability are first performed by retrieving the received card ID data from the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table, and the received card ID is the member saving management table and the visitor saving management table. If the card is not registered, the card insertion result NG (card discharge) is returned to the card unit 3. On the other hand, if it is not unregistered, if an error is found with respect to the received card ID and it is necessary to prohibit the use of the number of possessed balls and the number of accumulated balls, the card insertion result NG (only the prepaid balance is used) (Yes) is sent back. For example, when the card is stolen (or lost) and the card ID of the card is registered as a revoked card, the error regarding the received card ID is the same as the card ID registered as the revoked card. Is transmitted from the card unit 3. If no error is found with respect to the received card ID, a process of returning a card insertion result OK (the number of possessed balls, the number of α storage balls (only for member cards)) is performed.

  In FIG. 27, the management computer 150 shows a case where the card insertion result OK (the number of possessed balls, the number of α storage balls (only in the case of a membership card)) is returned to the card unit 3 by St6. The number of possessed balls is data on the number of possessed balls of the member card or visitor card corresponding to the card ID transmitted from the card unit 3. The number of α stored balls is data obtained by multiplying the number of stored balls of the member card corresponding to the member card ID transmitted from the card unit 3 by a fee rate (for example, 0.63). In amusement halls, in general, there is no fee for replaying using the number of possessed balls (the number of possessed balls and the own counting ball) for today's player. A fee is often charged when replaying using the number of balls acquired (the number of stored balls). The count value multiplied by the number of stored balls in order to subtract the fee (for example, 0.37) for the acquired balls for the past is the fee rate α. Then, when the card insertion result OK is returned, the reply (number of possessed balls, α number of stored balls) is specifically returned separately so that the number of retained balls and the number of stored α balls can be distinguished from each other. It will be.

  On the other hand, when the system controller 100 receives the card insertion notification from the card unit 3 together with the card ID and the prepaid balance, the prepaid balance of the membership card or visitor card corresponding to the card ID is stored in the membership card table or the card according to St5. When searching from the visitor card table (see FIGS. 14A and 14B) and the searched prepaid balance is 0, a process of notifying the card unit 3 that the prepaid balance is 0 is performed at St7. It is. When the prepaid balance is not 0, the system controller 100 does not perform the notification process by St7.

  Next, in the card unit 3, the deposit process by St8, the lending process using the prepaid balance by St9, and the replay process by St10 (withdrawn in the priority order of the own unit counting balls, the number of possessions and the number of stored balls) Ball payout), counting processing by St11, and determination of whether or not there has been a return operation by St12 are performed, and the processing of St8 to St12 is repeatedly executed until there is a card return operation.

Here, the deposit processing is for the player to add and update the prepaid balance of the currently accepted membership card or visitor card by inserting a bill into the bill insertion slot 302 of the card unit 3 and performing a deposit operation. It is processing. The lending process using the prepaid balance is a ball lending process using the prepaid balance of the currently accepted membership card or visitor card (see FIG. 14A) according to the player's operation. Is to do. Specific control contents of this processing are S001 to S006 in FIG. The replay process is a self-counting ball of the prize balls taken in by the counting / fractional payout unit 240 according to the player's operation, the number of balls currently held in the membership card or visitor card, the number of balls stored (Only in the case of a membership card) It is a process for making it possible to play a game by paying out balls as game media in the priority order (see FIGS. 16A and 16B). The reason why priority is given to the withdrawal of the own counting balls over the number of balls is because the card unit 3 does not need to communicate with the management computer 150 to receive the number of balls, and the communication burden is reduced. In addition, the reason for prioritizing the withdrawal of the number of balls over the number of stored balls is because a fee is generally generated in replay using stored balls, so that the situation where the player bears the fee as much as possible is reduced. is there. The counting process is a process for allowing a player to obtain a prize ball, which is a game medium acquired as a result of the game, by the counting / fractional payout unit 340 and counting the prize. These processes are repeated until a card return operation is performed.

  At the stage where the card is returned, the card unit 3 transmits a card discharge notification together with the card ID and the number of balls counted by St11 to the management computer 150 at St13, and fluctuates depending on the card ID and St8 or St9. A card discharge notice is transmitted to the system controller 100 together with the amount after the prepaid balance is changed.

  When the management computer 150 receives the card discharge notification together with the card ID and the number of balls, the management computer 150 performs the process of updating the data in the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table in St14, and then outputs the card discharge result OK in St16. Reply to card unit 3.

  On the other hand, when the system controller 100 receives the card discharge notification together with the card ID and the prepaid balance, the data update processing of the member card table or the visitor card table is performed in St15, and the card discharge result OK is returned to the card unit 3 in St17. To do. The card unit 3 performs a process of returning the card at St18 on condition that the card discharge result OK is received.

  In the replay process at St10 in FIG. 27, first, the card unit 3 accepts a replay operation. Specifically, a replay operation detection signal is received by the replay switch 319a when the player operates the replay button 319 (see FIG. 5). Next, it is determined whether or not the number of holding balls is equal to or greater than the replay withdrawal number. Here, the replay withdrawal number is a predetermined number of balls to be withdrawn by one replay operation. For example, in this embodiment, the number is 125 balls. When it is determined that the number of possessed balls is equal to or greater than the replay withdrawal number, processing is performed to withdraw the ball after deducting from the number of possession balls, and processing to subtract and update the number of possessed balls by the replay withdrawal number Is done.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of possessed balls is not equal to or greater than the number of replay withdrawals, N = replay withdrawals minus the number of possessions is calculated, and a predetermined subtraction sequence for subtracting stored balls is followed. Communication takes place. Specifically, first, a storage ball subtraction start notification is transmitted from the card unit 3 to the management computer 150, and the management computer 150 that receives the notification sends back a storage ball subtraction start response to the card unit 3. Receiving this, the card unit 3 transmits a storage ball subtraction request to the management computer 150 together with the calculated value of N.

  In response to the request for subtraction of the stored ball, the management computer 150 deducts N from the number of stored balls (only in the case of a membership card) (the actual number of balls subtracted from the stored ball in order to pay out the number of N balls to the player is (N / α), the withdrawal process is performed, and the accumulated ball subtraction response is returned to the card unit 3. If the received N value is greater than the number of α stored balls of the corresponding member card (only for member cards), a notification that replay is not possible is returned. If the number of α stored balls is N or more, processing for returning the number of α stored balls after subtraction to the card unit 3 is performed. In the card unit 3, when the result notification from the management computer 150 is a non-replay notification, all the number of possessed balls is paid out to the player to be 0, and the replay impossible notification indicating that the number of accumulated balls cannot be used. To do. On the other hand, when the result notification is the number of balls (the number of α stored balls after subtraction), a process of paying out the replay withdrawal number of balls and updating the number of held balls to 0 is performed. In other words, all the balls corresponding to the number of possessed balls are paid out, and the insufficient number of balls that are not enough is searched for in the member saving management table (see FIG. 16A), and the corresponding number of stored balls (only for the membership card). It will be withdrawn from the company and paid out.

  In the withdrawal process in the replay process of St10 in FIG. 27, it is determined whether or not the number of α stored balls is N or more. The α storage ball number is obtained by searching the member storage management table for the α storage ball number corresponding to the card ID transmitted from the card unit 3 to the management computer 150 in St3 of FIG. When the number of α storage balls is N or more, a process of subtracting and updating the number of balls (N / α) from the number of storage balls and updating the number of holding balls to 0 is performed. To the card unit 3 is performed. By updating the number of stored balls by N / α subtraction, a value obtained by adding a fee to N is subtracted from the number of stored balls. On the other hand, when the α storage ball number is less than N, processing for notifying the card unit 3 that replay is impossible is performed.

  For example, when the number of balls is 100 and the replay operation is accepted when the number of balls is 100, N = 125−the number of balls = 25. At this time, since α storage number = 63, α storage number ≧ N is established. Therefore, N / α = 40 is subtracted from the number of stored balls, the number of stored balls becomes 60, and the number of all held balls is paid out to 0. As a result, 25 + 100 = 125 balls are paid out to the player. On the other hand, if the replay operation is accepted when the number of balls is 100 and the number of balls is 10, N = 125−the number of balls = 25. At this time, since the number of α storage balls = 6, the number of α storage balls <N, and the total number of possessed balls is paid to the player to be 0, so that the replay impossibility indicating that the number of stored balls cannot be used is performed.

  In the data update process shown at St14 in FIG. 27, data corresponding to the received card ID is searched from the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table, and the number of possessed balls of the searched card ID is received. Processing to update the number of balls is performed.

  In the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 described above, when the player operates the share button, the share operation information from the display control board 329 that detects the operation of the share button is input to the control unit 328. The control unit 328 determines in Sb11 that the share button is operated, and proceeds to Sb29 to execute the sharing process.

  FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing a flow of sharing processing executed by the card unit 3 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 28, in the sharing process, first, in step Ss2, CPU 328a of control unit 328 of card unit 3 causes display unit 312 to display the number of shared balls within the range of the number of balls. For example, if a player has 5432 balls, options of “1000 balls”, “2000 balls”, “3000 balls”, “4000 balls”, “5000 balls” are selected as options for the number of shared balls. Display.

  In step Ss3, the CPU 328a determines whether or not an option for the number of shared balls has been selected by operating the transparent touch panel 314 by the player. If it is determined that it has not been selected (NO in step Ss3), CPU 328a repeats the process in step Ss3.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the option for the number of shared balls has been selected (YES in step Ss3), the CPU 328a obtains a new value obtained by subtracting the selected number of shared balls from the number of held balls in step Ss4. In step Ss5, a card ejection notification including the card ID of the accepted card and the number of possessed balls stored in the card unit 3 is transmitted to the management computer 150 via the communication unit 334 and the HUB 7 in step Ss5. .

  FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing a flow of shared attendance exchange management processing executed by the management computer 150 in the present embodiment. The shared presence exchange management process is a process for managing the presence and storage of balls and managing the presence exchange with the goods of the wagon service in the card unit 3 in the management computer 150.

  FIG. 29A is a flowchart showing a flow of shared presence exchange processing. Referring to FIG. 29A, in the shared attendance exchange management process, first, in step Sc1, CPU 152 of management computer 150 receives a card discharge notification including a card ID and the number of balls from card unit 3. Determine whether or not. If it is determined that the data has been received (YES in step Sc1), in step Sc2, CPU 152 executes a data update process.

  FIG. 29B is a flowchart showing the flow of data update processing which is a subroutine of shared presence exchange processing. Referring to FIG. 29B, in the data update process, first, in step Sc21, the CPU 152 registers the card ID included in the received card discharge notification in the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table. It is judged whether it is done.

  If it is determined that the card ID is registered (YES in step Sc21), in step Sc22, the CPU 152 determines the card ID of the member saving management table or visitor saving management table in which the card ID is registered. Is updated to the number of balls included in the received card discharge notification. The number of balls after the update is a value (for example, 3000) obtained by subtracting the selected number of balls (for example, 2000) from the number of balls before the update (for example, 5000).

  FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating an example of updating the number of balls in the management computer 150 in the process for sharing in the present embodiment. If the membership card of the member with the card ID KC-00001 and the member ID K-00001 is 5000 balls stored in the member savings management table and the number of balls is 0 balls, 2,000 balls are shared In this case, the number of held balls included in the card discharge notification is 5000-2000 = 3000, and the number of held balls in the member saving management table is updated to 3000 balls.

  Returning to FIG. 29B, in step Sc23, the CPU 152 transmits a card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged to the card unit 3 that has transmitted the card discharge notification. Thereafter, the process to be executed is returned to the shared presence exchange management process of the caller of this process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the card ID is not registered (NO in step Sc21), in step Sc24, the CPU 152 displays a card discharge result indicating that the card cannot be discharged, and a card discharge notification. It transmits to the card unit 3 which has transmitted. Thereafter, the process to be executed is returned to the shared presence exchange management process of the caller of this process.

Returning to FIG. 28, in step Ss6, in the card unit 3, the CPU 328a determines whether or not a card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received from the management computer 150. If it is determined that no data has been received (NO in step Ss6), CPU 328a repeats the process in step Ss6. When a card ejection result indicating that the card cannot be ejected is received, an error display may be displayed or an LED lamp may be lit or blinked to call a store clerk.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received (YES in step Ss6), in step Ss7, the CPU 328a determines whether the member card is being accepted. If it is determined that a membership card is not being accepted (NO in step Ss7), in step Ss7, the CPU 328a controls the card reader / writer 327 to write the number of possessions to the visitor card.

  Next, in step Ss9, the CPU 328a determines whether or not the number of balls is less than the upper limit of the fraction (the number of payout units (for example, 25 balls)). If it is determined that the number is less than the upper limit (YES in step Ss9), the CPU 328a controls the counting / fractional unit 340 so that the fraction is paid out in step Ss10. The card reader / writer 327 is controlled to collect the card. However, even if the visitor card is paid out and the number of possessed balls is 0, if the prepaid balance is not 0, the visitor card is ejected without being collected (Ss11 is not performed but the process proceeds to Ss13). Thereafter, the CPU 328a advances the process to be executed to step Ss14.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the membership card is being received (when YES is determined at step Ss7), and when it is determined that the number of possessed balls is not less than the upper limit of the fraction (when NO is determined at step Ss9), the CPU 328a In step Ss12, the display unit 312 is controlled to display that the player's membership card or visitor card is to be ejected. In step Ss13, the card reader / writer 327 is controlled to eject the membership card or visitor card. Thereafter, the CPU 328a advances the process to be executed to step Ss14.

  In step Ss14, the CPU 328a controls the card reader / writer 327 so as to take out the stocked visitor card to the card reading / writing position. In step Ss15, the CPU 328a transmits a card insertion notification including the card ID of the removed visitor card to the management computer 150.

  Proceeding to FIG. 29 (a), if the management computer 150 determines after the data update process of step Sc2 or if no card discharge notification has been received (if NO is determined in step Sc1), step Sc3 Thus, the CPU 152 determines whether or not a card insertion notification is received from the card unit 3. When it is determined that it has been received (when YES is determined in step Sc3), in step Sc4, the CPU 152 executes a usability determination process.

  FIG. 29C is a flowchart showing the flow of the availability determination process that is a subroutine of the shared presence exchange process. Referring to FIG. 29 (c), in the availability determination process, first, in step Sc31, CPU 152 registers the card ID included in the received card insertion notification in the member saving management table or visitor saving management table. Judge whether or not.

  If it is determined that the card ID is registered (YES in step Sc31), in step Sc32, the CPU 152 is stored in the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table corresponding to the card ID. The card insertion result including the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls (only for membership cards) is transmitted to the card unit 3 that has transmitted the card insertion notification. Thereafter, the process to be executed is returned to the shared presence exchange management process of the caller of this process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the card ID is not registered (NO in step Sc31), a card insertion notification indicating that the card cannot be used has been transmitted in step Sc33. Transmit to the card unit 3. Thereafter, the process to be executed is returned to the shared presence exchange management process of the caller of this process. Here, when the card ID included in the card insertion notification is registered and the card ID of the visitor card is registered in the usability determination process, the management computer 150 includes the number of balls included in the card insertion notification. , Check the number of balls managed in the visitor savings management table in association with the card ID, and send the card insertion result including the number of balls managed only when the number of balls in both matches If they do not match, a card insertion result indicating that the card cannot be used may be transmitted.

  Returning to FIG. 28, in the card unit 3, in step Ss16, the CPU 328a determines whether or not a card insertion result including the number of possessed balls and the number of accumulated balls (only in the case of a membership card) is received from the management computer 150. If it is determined that it has not been received (NO in step Ss16), CPU 328a repeats the process in step Ss16. When a card insertion result indicating that the card cannot be used is received, an error display may be displayed or an LED lamp may be lit or blinked to call a store clerk.

  When it is determined that the card insertion result including the number of balls and the number of balls is received (when YES is determined in step Ss16), in step Ss17, the CPU 328a determines the number of balls and the number of balls included in the received card insertion result. Is stored in the card table.

  Next, in step Ss18, the CPU 328a controls the card reader / writer 327 to write the number of shared balls of the option determined to have been selected in step Ss3 to the visitor card extracted in step Ss14.

  In step Ss19, the CPU 328a transmits a card discharge notification including the card ID of the visitor card and the number of shared balls to the management computer 150. Since the processing of the management computer 150 when receiving the card ejection notification has been described with reference to FIGS. 29 (a) and 29 (b), the repeated description will not be repeated.

  FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of addition updating of the number of balls in the visitor card for recording the number of shared balls in the management computer 150 in the processing for sharing in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 31, for a visitor card with a card ID of VC-12345, when the number of possessed balls stored in the visitor saving management table is 0, it is the number of shared balls included in the card discharge notification. If the number of balls is 2000, the number of balls in the visitor saving management table is updated to 2000 balls.

  In step Ss20, the CPU 328a determines whether or not a card ejection result indicating that the card can be ejected is received from the management computer 150. If it is determined that it has not been received (NO in step Ss20), CPU 328a repeats the process of step Ss20.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that a card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received (YES in step Ss20), in step Ss21, the CPU 328a displays that the visitor card on which the number of shared balls is recorded is discharged. In step Ss22, the card reader / writer 327 is controlled so as to eject the visitor card. Thereafter, the CPU 328a advances the process to be executed to step Ss23.

  In step Ss23, the CPU 328a transmits to the management computer 150 a shared information notification including the card ID of the visitor card in which the discharged number of shared balls is recorded and the number of shared balls.

Proceeding to FIG. 29 (a), the management computer 150 determines that the card insertion notification has not been received after the use determination process in step Sc4 (if NO is determined in step Sc3), step In Sc5, the CPU 152 determines whether or not a shared information notification is received from the card unit 3. If it is determined that it has been received (YES in step Sc5), in step Sc6, the CPU 152 determines the device ID of the card unit 3 that has transmitted the shared information notification, the card ID included in the shared information notification, Update the database of the shared information with the shared information including the date and time when the process for sharing is executed (in this embodiment, the date and time when the shared information notification is received) and the number of shared balls included in the shared information notification . Then, the CPU 152 transmits a shared information response indicating that the update of the shared information database is successful to the card unit 3 that has transmitted the shared information notification.

  FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a shared information database in the management computer 150 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 32, for example, at 12:34 on September 1 from card unit 3 of the device ID of CU-123, shared information including VC-23456 as the card ID and 6000 balls as the number of shared balls When the notification is received, the database includes the shared information of “CU-123” as the device ID, “VC-23456” as the reception card ID, “9/1 12:34” as the shared date and time, and “6000” as the number of shared balls. Are updated.

  Returning to FIG. 28, in step Ss24, in the card unit 3, the CPU 328a determines whether or not a shared information response indicating that the update of the shared information database has been successful has been received from the management computer 150. When determining that it has not been received (when determining NO in step Ss24), CPU 328a repeats the process of step Ss24.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that a shared information response has been received (YES in step Ss24), CPU 328a ends this sharing process and returns the process to be executed to the caller process.

  FIG. 33 is a diagram showing a flow of operation when sharing a possession ball when a membership card is being accepted in the present embodiment. This flow of operation shows the flow of operation performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processing of FIGS. 28 and 29.

  Referring to FIG. 33, when the membership card is being inserted into card reader / writer 327, in card unit 3, when the share button is pressed on transparent touch panel 314 (YES in step Ssm1), The options are displayed on the display unit 312 (step Ssm2).

  When one of the displayed choices is selected by being pressed by the user (YES in step Ssm3), a value obtained by subtracting the number of shared balls of the selected choice from the current number of possessed balls is a new possessed ball. (Step Ssm4). Then, a card discharge notification including the card ID of the member card being accepted and the new number of possessed balls is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Ssm5).

  In the management computer 150, the number of balls in the card ID included in the card discharge notification is updated by executing the data update process described with reference to FIG. 29B in response to the reception of the card discharge notification. (Step Ssm6). If the update is successful, a card discharge result indicating that discharge is possible is transmitted to the card unit 3 (step Ssm7).

  In the card unit 3, when the card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received, the processing from step Ss6 to step Ss13 of FIG. 28 described above is executed, and the membership card in which the card ID is recorded in advance is executed. It is discharged (step Ssm8).

Next, the stocked visitor card is taken out (step Ssm9), and a card insertion notification including the card ID of the visitor card is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Ssm10).

  In the management computer 150, in response to the reception of the card insertion notification, the usability determination process described above with reference to FIG. 29C is executed (step Ssm11), whereby the card ID included in the card insertion notification is received. The card insertion result including the number of possessed balls is transmitted to the card unit 3 (step Ssm12). Here, since it is a new visitor card, a card insertion result including 0 balls as the number of balls is transmitted.

  In the card unit 3, the number of shared balls of the option selected in step Ssm3 is written on the extracted visitor card (step Ssm13). Then, a card discharge notification including the card ID of the visitor card and the number of shared balls is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Ssm14).

  In the management computer 150, the number of balls with the card ID included in the card discharge notification is updated in response to the reception of the card discharge notification (step Ssm15), as in step Ssm6 described above. If the update is successful, a card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is transmitted to the card unit 3 (step Ssm16).

  In the card unit 3, when the card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received, the processing from step Ss20 to step Ss22 in FIG. 28 is executed, the card ID is recorded in advance, and the number of shared balls is newly recorded. The visitor card is discharged (step Ssm17). Next, a shared information notification including the card ID of the discharged visitor card and the number of shared balls is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Ssm18).

  In response to the reception of the shared information notification, the management computer 150 updates the shared information (step Ssm19) and transmits a shared information response to the card unit 3 as described with reference to FIG. Step Ssm20).

  FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a flow of operation when sharing a possession ball when a visitor card is being accepted in the present embodiment. Similar to FIG. 33, this flow of operations shows the flow of operations performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processing of FIGS. 28 and 29.

  Referring to FIG. 34, the flow of this operation is different from that in FIG. 33 in that the accepted card is a membership card in FIG. 33, but is a visitor card in FIG. . For this reason, after the step Ssv7, the number of possessed balls is written on the accepted visitor card (Ssv8a). The other points are the same as those in FIG. 33, and therefore, redundant description will not be repeated.

  When the player or the salesperson of the wagon service operates the wagon service button in the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 described above, the shared operation information from the display control board 329 that detects the operation of the wagon service button is controlled. As a result of the input to the unit 328, the control unit 328 determines that there is an operation of the wagon service button in Sb12, proceeds to Sb30, and performs the seat exchange process. When the wagon service button is operated, the card unit 3 shifts to the order mode, and the order mode is canceled when the seat exchange process is completed.

  FIG. 35 is a flowchart showing the flow of attendance exchange processing executed by the card unit 3 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 35, in the seat exchange process, first, in step Se2, CPU 328a of control unit 328 of card unit 3 selects the item of the wagon service selected by the user from the remote control possessed by the salesperson of the wagon service. It is determined whether or not information indicating the price of the product has been received. When determining that it has not been received (when determining NO in step Se2), the CPU 328a repeats the process of step Se2.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the information indicating the price of the article has been received (YES in step Se2), in step Se3a, the CPU 328a determines that the received price is too high as the price of the wagon service item. It is determined whether the price is higher than the consideration (for example, 1000 yen). When it is determined that it is high (when YES is determined in step Se3a), the CPU 328a ends the presence exchange process and returns the process to be executed to the caller process of this process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the received consideration is not higher than the predetermined upper limit (when NO is determined in step Se3a), in step Se3b, the CPU 328a determines the pachinko ball rate preset in the card unit 3, The number of exchanged balls corresponding to the received consideration is calculated. For example, when the price of an article is 280 yen, if the rate is 4 yen per ball, it is calculated as 280/4 = 70 balls. If the rate is 1 yen per ball, it is calculated as 280/1 = 280 balls.

  Next, as in step Ss4 and step Ss5 in FIG. 28, the CPU 328a sets the value obtained by subtracting the calculated number of exchanged balls from the number of possessed balls in step Se4, and accepts it in step Se5. A card discharge notification including the card ID of the card and the number of possessed balls stored in the card unit 3 is transmitted to the management computer 150.

  Since the processing from step Se6 to step Se17 is the same as the processing from step Ss6 to step Ss17 of FIG. 28, respectively, the overlapping description will not be repeated.

  FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating an example of updating the number of balls in the management computer 150 in the process for attendance replacement in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 36, for a member card of a member whose card ID is KC-00001 and member ID K-00001, the number of held balls stored in the member saving management table is 5000 balls, and the number of stored balls is 0 ball. In this case, if the remaining number of balls in which 70 balls are used in the seat exchange included in the card discharge notification is 4930 balls, the number of balls in the member saving management table is updated to 4930 balls.

  Returning to FIG. 35, in step Se18, the CPU 328a of the card unit 3 confirms that the number of exchanged balls calculated in step Se3b and the visitor card are cards used for recording the attendance exchange consideration. The card reader / writer 327 is controlled so as to write the exchange flag shown in the visitor card taken out in step Se14.

  In step Se <b> 19, the CPU 328 a transmits a card discharge notification including the card ID of the visitor card and the number of exchanged balls to the management computer 150. Since the processing of the management computer 150 when receiving the card ejection notification has been described with reference to FIGS. 29 (a) and 29 (b), the repeated description will not be repeated.

  FIG. 37 is a diagram showing an example of addition update of the number of balls in the visitor card for recording the number of exchanged balls used for the exchange of seats used in the management computer 150 in the processing for exchange of seats in the present embodiment. is there. Referring to FIG. 37, for a visitor card with a card ID of VC-12345, when the number of balls stored in the visitor saving management table is 0, it is used for attendance exchange included in the card discharge notification. If the number of balls that are exchanged balls is 70 balls, the number of balls in the visitor savings management table is updated to 70 balls.

In step Se <b> 20, the CPU 328 a determines whether a card ejection result indicating that the card can be ejected is received from the management computer 150. When determining that it has not been received (when determining NO in step Se20), the CPU 328a repeats the process of step Se20.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received (YES in step Se20), in step Se21, the CPU 328a displays that the visitor card in which the number of exchanged balls is recorded is discharged. The card reader / writer 327 is controlled to eject the visitor card in step Se22. Thereafter, the CPU 328a advances the process to be executed to Step Se23.

  In step Se <b> 23, the CPU 328 a transmits an exchange information notification including the card ID of the visitor card in which the number of exchanged balls is recorded and the number of exchanged balls to the management computer 150.

  Proceeding to FIG. 29 (a), if the management computer 150 determines that the shared information notification has not been received after step Sc6 (if NO is determined in step Sc5), in step Sc7, the CPU 152 Then, it is determined whether or not the exchange information notification is received from the card unit 3. If it is determined that it has been received (YES in step Sc7), in step Sc8, the CPU 152 determines the device ID of the card unit 3 that has transmitted the exchange information notification, the card ID included in the exchange information notification, The exchange information database includes the exchange date and time (in this embodiment, the date and time when the exchange information notification is received) and the exchange information including the number of exchange balls included in the exchange information notification. Update. Then, the CPU 152 transmits an exchange information response indicating that the exchange information database has been successfully updated to the card unit 3 that has transmitted the exchange information notification.

  FIG. 38A shows a database of exchange information in the management computer 150 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 38A, for example, at 12:34 on September 1 from the card unit 3 of the device ID of CU-123, VC-12345 as the card ID and 70 balls as the number of replacement balls. When the exchange information notification is received, the number of exchange balls is converted into exchange consideration using the pachinko ball rate of the card unit 3 stored in the management computer 150. Here, if the rate of the card unit is 4 yen per ball, the exchange price is calculated as 70 × 4 = 280 yen. And the database is added with exchange information of “CU-123” as the device ID, “VC-12345” as the reception card ID, “9/1 12:34” as the attendance exchange date and “280” yen as the exchange consideration Updated.

  Also, if the player cancels the item ordered using the wagon service, in the refund mode, the card unit 3 pays back the number of refund balls equivalent to the refund amount (70 balls in this example) to the player, The number of balls is included in the exchange information notification as a negative number of exchange balls and transmitted to the management computer 150. For example, when the exchange information notification including VC-12345 as the card ID and -70 balls as the number of exchange balls is received from the card unit 3 of the device ID of CU-123 at 12:35 on September 1, Using the pachinko ball rate of the card unit 3 stored in the management computer 150, the number of exchange balls is converted into exchange consideration. Here, when the rate of the card unit is 4 yen per ball, the exchange consideration is calculated as -70 × 4 = −280 yen. Then, the exchange information of “CU-123” as the device ID, “VC-12345” as the reception card ID, “9/1 12:35” as the attendance exchange date and “−280” yen as the exchange consideration, and the database Added and updated. In this way, not only the exchange consideration (plus value) used by the player in the wagon service, but also the exchange consideration when canceling this is managed as a negative value, as shown in FIG. The amount of cancellation can also be managed.

  FIG. 38B is a diagram showing a database of exchange information in the card unit 3 in the present embodiment. The card unit 3 updates the exchange information database shown in FIG. 38B when attendance exchange processing is performed in the card unit. For example, the card unit 3 of the device ID of CU-123 sends an exchange information notification including VC-12345 as the card ID and 70 balls as the number of exchange balls to the management computer 150 at 12:34 on September 1st. When the exchange information response is received from the management computer 150, the number of exchange balls is converted into exchange consideration using the stored pachinko ball rate of the card unit 3. Here, if the rate of the card unit is 4 yen per ball, the exchange price is calculated as 70 × 4 = 280 yen. Then, the database is additionally updated with exchange information of “VC-12345” as the reception card ID, “9/1 12:34” as the seating exchange date and “280” yen as the exchange consideration. By managing the sales amount in this way, when the card unit 3 receives the refund amount from the salesperson's remote control in the refund mode, whether or not the refund amount is within the range of the actual sales amount. It becomes possible to determine. It is also possible to determine whether the amount is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit (for example, 1000 yen).

  Also, if the player cancels the item ordered using the wagon service, in the refund mode, the card unit 3 pays back the number of refund balls equivalent to the refund amount (70 balls in this example) to the player, The number of balls is managed as a negative number of exchanged balls. For example, the card unit 3 of the device ID of CU-123 sends an exchange information notification including VC-12345 as the card ID and -70 balls to the management computer 150 at 12:35 on September 1st. When transmitted (or when the exchange information response is received from the management computer 150), the number of exchange balls is converted into exchange consideration using the stored pachinko ball rate of the card unit 3. Here, when the rate of the card unit is 4 yen per ball, the exchange consideration is calculated as -70 × 4 = −280 yen. Then, the database is additionally updated with exchange information of “VC-12345” as the reception card ID, “9/1 12:35” as the seating exchange date and “−280” yen as the exchange consideration. In this way, not only the exchange consideration (plus value) used by the player in the wagon service, but also the exchange consideration when canceling this is managed as a minus value, as shown in FIG. The amount of cancellation can also be managed.

  Returning to FIG. 35, in step Se <b> 24 in the card unit 3, the CPU 328 a determines whether or not an exchange information response indicating that the exchange information database has been successfully updated has been received from the management computer 150. When determining that it has not been received (when determining NO in step Se24), the CPU 328a repeats the process of step Se24.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that an exchange information response has been received (YES in step Se24), CPU 328a ends this presence exchange process and returns the process to be executed to the caller process.

  As described above, the sharing process constituted by the seat exchange process executed by the card unit 3 and a part of the shared presence exchange management process executed by the management computer 150 for the presence exchange process is as follows. 28, since there are many parts in common with the process for attendance exchange configured by the sharing process described in FIG. 28 and a part of the shared attendance exchange management process executed by the management computer for this sharing process. Therefore, it is possible to easily add a process for exchanging seats to a gaming system that includes a process for the above.

FIG. 39 is a diagram showing a flow of operations when exchanging a seat with an article of a wagon service when a membership card is being accepted in the present embodiment. This flow of operation shows the flow of operation performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processing of FIGS. 35 and 29.

  Referring to FIG. 39, when the membership card is being inserted into card reader / writer 327, in card unit 3, the wagon service button is pressed on transparent touch panel 314 (YES in step Sem1). Then, it is determined whether or not information indicating the price of the item of the wagon service selected by the user has been received from the remote control of the salesperson of the wagon service (step Sem2).

  When information indicating the price of the article is received (YES in step Sem2), the number of exchange balls corresponding to the received price is calculated according to the pachinko ball rate preset in the card unit 3 (Step Sem3). Then, the new number of balls is obtained by subtracting the calculated number of balls from the current number of balls (step Sem4).

  Since the flow of operation from step Sem5 to step Sem12 is the same as the flow of operation from Ssm5 to step Ssm12 in FIG. 33, overlapping description will not be repeated.

  In the card unit 3, the number of exchange balls calculated in step Sem3 is written on the visitor card taken out in step Se9 (step Sem13). Then, a card ejection notification including the card ID of the visitor card and the number of exchanged balls is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Ssm14).

  In the management computer 150, in the same manner as in Step Sem6 described above, the number of balls with the card ID included in the card discharge notification is updated in response to the reception of the card discharge notification (Step Sem15). If the update is successful, a card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is transmitted to the card unit 3 (step Sem16).

  In the card unit 3, when the card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received, the processing from Step Se20 to Step Se22 in FIG. 28 is executed, the card ID is recorded in advance, the number of exchange balls and the exchange flag are set. The newly recorded visitor card is discharged (step Sem17). That is, the visitor card in which the number of exchange balls corresponding to the sales amount and the exchange flag are recorded is discharged for each order, and the salesperson manages the visitor cards for the number of orders. Next, the exchange information notification including the card ID of the discharged visitor card and the number of exchange balls is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Sem18).

  In the management computer 150, in response to the reception of the exchange information notification, the exchange information is updated (step Sem19) and the exchange information response is transmitted to the card unit 3 as described with reference to FIG. Step Sem20).

  FIG. 40 is a diagram showing the flow of operations when exchanging seats with an article of a wagon service when a visitor card is being accepted in the present embodiment. Similar to FIG. 39, this flow of operations shows the flow of operations performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processes of FIGS.

  Referring to FIG. 40, the flow of this operation is different from that of FIG. 39 in that the accepted card is a membership card in FIG. 39, but is a visitor card in FIG. . For this reason, after the step Sev7, the number of possessed balls is written on the accepted visitor card (Sev8a). The other points are the same as those in FIG. 39, and therefore, repeated description will not be repeated.

[Refund mode]
In the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 shown in FIG. 20 described above, when a salesperson of a wagon service operates a “refund” button on a remote controller (not shown), an instruction to shift to a refund mode is externally transmitted as an infrared signal. The IR light receiving unit 315 of the card unit 3 that has received the infrared signal converts this into an electric signal and inputs it to the display control board 329, and the refund operation information from the display control board 329 is input to the control unit 328. The control unit 328 determines in Sb13 that there is a refund button operation, proceeds to Sb31, and performs a refund process. The card unit 3 that has received the infrared signal shifts to a refund mode, and when the refund process is completed, the refund mode is canceled. When the sales order is canceled by the wagon service, the salesperson operates the “refund” button on the remote control to shift the card unit 3 to the refund mode, and refunds the number of balls equivalent to the sales amount to the player. Perform a refund process.

  FIG. 41 is a flowchart showing the flow of a refund process executed by the card unit 3 in the present embodiment. The card unit 3 that has shifted to the payout mode transmits a card discharge notification including the card ID of the accepted card and the number of held balls to the management computer 150 in S501, and waits for reception of the card discharge result in S502. When the card ejection result indicating that the card can be ejected is received from the management computer 150 (YES in S502), the process of returning the accepted card is performed in S503. That is, the membership card is discharged, and the visitor card is discharged except when the prepaid balance and the number of balls are both zero (taken when the prepaid balance and the number of balls are both zero). Next, after a payout start notification indicating the transition to the payout mode is transmitted to the management computer 150 in S504, card insertion is awaited in S505. If the card discharge result is not received for a predetermined time or longer in S502, an error notification is performed.

  If it is determined in S505 that a card is inserted (YES), it is determined whether an exchange flag is recorded on the card inserted in S506. If it is determined in S506 that the replacement flag is not recorded (NO), the card inserted in S507 is ejected, and the card insertion is again waited in S505. On the other hand, when it is determined in S506 that an exchange flag is recorded (YES), a card insertion notification including the card ID and the number of balls recorded in the visitor card is transmitted to the management computer 150 in S508, and S509 is performed. Wait for the card insertion result to be received. When the card insertion result including the number of possessed balls is received in S509 (YES), the number of possessed balls included in the card insertion result received in S510 is stored, and the receipt of the refund amount is awaited in S511. In S509, when a card insertion result is not received for a certain time or when a card insertion result indicating that the card cannot be used is received, an error notification is performed.

  When the store clerk inputs a predetermined refund amount by operating the remote controller, the remote controller transmits the input amount as an infrared signal to the outside. The IR light receiving unit 315 of the card unit 3 that has received the infrared signal converts this into an electric signal and inputs it to the display control board 329, and input amount information from the display control board 329 is input to the control unit 328. The control unit 328 determines that a refund amount has been received (YES) in S511. Note that if there is no receipt of a refund amount for a certain time in S511, an error notification is performed. In S512, it is determined whether or not the received refund amount is 1000 yen or less set as the upper limit. If it is determined that the received refund amount is not 1000 yen or less (NO), the display unit 312 displays “the refund amount exceeds the upper limit. “Over” is displayed, and no refund is made, and the receipt of the refund amount from the remote control is again waited (S511). In this way, it is possible to prevent paying out the number of balls exceeding the upper limit (1000 yen in this example) of products provided in the wagon service, thereby preventing fraud.

  When it is determined in S512 that the received refund amount is equal to or less than the upper limit amount (1000 yen) (YES), the refund amount is equal to or less than the immediately preceding exchange consideration stored in the card unit 3 in S513. It is determined whether or not. In the determination of S513, the card unit 3 refers to the exchange information database shown in FIG. 38B, and the received refund amount is equal to or less than the “exchange consideration” amount with the latest (latest) seated exchange date and time. It is determined whether or not. If it is determined in S514 that the refund amount is not less than or equal to the immediately preceding exchange consideration (NO), “Refund amount is too large” is displayed on the display unit 312 and the refund amount from the remote control is again not performed. Waiting for reception (S511). In this way, it is possible to prevent payout of the number of balls exceeding the sales amount immediately before in the card unit 3 and to prevent fraud.

  If it is determined that the payout amount received in S514 is equal to or less than the previous exchange consideration (YES), the number of payout balls corresponding to the payout amount is calculated according to the ball rate in S520. For example, if the payout amount is 280 yen and the ball rate is 4 yen per ball, the number of payout balls is (280/4) = 70. Next, in step S521, a payout process for payout balls is performed. In this example, 70 balls are paid out. Since the payout unit is 25 balls, 50 balls (25 × 2) are paid out to the gaming machine, and 20 balls, which is a fraction, are paid out to the return storage unit 342. become. Next, in S522, the number of payout balls is subtracted from the number of possessed balls, and the number of possessed balls is updated. In the present embodiment, since the number of balls equivalent to the sales amount is normally returned as it is, the number of balls held = the number of balls paid out, and the number of balls after the update is normally zero. Next, in S523, a refund completion notification indicating that the refund has been completed is transmitted to the management computer 150, and in S524, a card ejection result including the updated number of balls (usually 0) is transmitted to the management computer 150, and in S525. Wait for receipt of card ejection result.

  When the card discharge result is received in S525 (YES), the number of held balls (usually 0) is recorded in the visitor card in S526, the visitor card exchange flag is erased in S527, and the visitor card is taken in in S528. . If the updated number of balls is not 0, the exchange flag is not erased and the visitor card is returned. Next, in S529, the exchange information notification including the card ID of the visitor card in which the updated number of balls is recorded and the -refundable number (negative exchange number) is sent to the management computer 150, and the exchange information response is sent in S530. Wait for receipt of. When the exchange information response is received in S530, the refund process is ended, the refund mode is canceled, and the standby state of Sb2 to Sb13 is returned in FIG. If no exchange information response is received for a certain time in S530 (NO), error notification is performed.

  FIG. 42 is a diagram showing an operation flow when the card unit 3 shifts to the refund mode when the member card or the visitor card is being accepted in the present embodiment. This flow of operation shows the flow of operation performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processing of FIG. In this example, after the player uses the 280 yen (70 balls) wagon service, the salesperson is told to cancel the product, and the salesperson operates the remote control to use the wagon service. An example in which the card unit 3 is shifted to the payout mode and the number of balls corresponding to the sales amount is returned to the player will be described.

  When the card unit 3 receives a signal indicating that the card unit 3 is to enter the payout mode from the remote controller (YES in S550), a card discharge notification including the card ID being accepted and the number of held balls is transmitted to the management computer 150 in S551. . Upon receiving this, the management computer 150, in the data update process of S552, manages the number of balls that are managed in association with the card ID included in the received card discharge notification (the number of held balls included in the card discharge notification ( In this example, it is updated to 4930), and the card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is returned to the card unit 3 in S553. Upon receiving this, the card unit 3 ejects the accepted card (member card or visitor card) in S554, and includes a refund start notification (in this example, the card ID of the ejected card) indicating that the refund is started in S555. ) To the management computer 150 and waits for card insertion. Next, when a visitor's visitor card (the number of possessed balls corresponding to the sales amount (70) and the exchange flag is recorded) is inserted in S556, the card ID of the visitor card and the number of retained balls recorded are included in S557. A card insertion notification is transmitted to the management computer 150.

  The management computer 150 that has received this performs use permission determination processing in S558. That is, it is determined whether the card with the card ID included in the received card insertion notification is usable or unusable, and the number of possessed balls included in the card insertion notification and the card ID can be used. On the condition that the number of possessed balls managed in association with each other matches, the use is indicated in S559, and the card insertion result including the managed number of retained balls is returned to the card unit 3. Receiving this, the card unit 3 stores the number of possessed balls (70 in this example) included in the card insertion result in S560, and waits for receipt of a refund amount from the remote control in S561.

  When the card unit 3 receives a refund amount from the remote control (YES in S561), the refund amount (280 yen in this example) is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit (1000 yen in this example), and On the condition that the exchange consideration is 280 yen or less in this example, the number of payout balls corresponding to the payout amount (70 balls in this example) is calculated in S562 according to the ball rate (4 yen in this example). Next, payout processing for the number of payout balls is performed in S563, and in S564, the number of payout balls (70 in this example) is subtracted from the number of held balls (70 in this example) to update the number of held balls (0 in this example). And). In this example, 70 balls are paid out, but since the payout unit is 25 balls, 50 balls (25 × 2) are paid out to the gaming machine, and 20 balls, which is a fraction, are paid out to the return storage unit 342. Thus, the number of holding balls will be zero.

  Next, the card unit 3 sends a refund completion notification including the card ID of the visitor card being accepted at S565 and the number of payout balls to the management computer 150, and further at S566, the card ID and the updated number of balls (in this example) 0) is sent to the management computer 150. Upon receiving this, the management computer 150, in the data update process of S567, manages the number of balls that are managed in association with the card ID included in the card discharge notification (the present example) In step S568, the card discharge result indicating discharge is returned to the card unit 3. Receiving this, the card unit 3 records the updated number of balls (0 in this example) in the number of balls of the visitor card being accepted in S569. In this example, since the number of possessed balls is 0, the exchange flag is deleted in S570, and the visitor card is taken in in S571.

  Further, the card unit 3 transmits to the management computer 150 an exchange information notification including the card ID of the visitor card taken in S572 and -the number of payout balls (-70 in this example). Upon receiving this information, the management computer 150 updates the database shown in FIG. 38A in the exchange information update in S573, and uses the device ID of the card unit 3 on which the refund process has been performed and the salesperson use it for refund. The card ID of the visitor card, the time when the refund process was performed, and the number of balls that were refunded (-70 balls) are stored. Next, the management computer 150 transmits an exchange information response to the card unit 3 in S574. Upon receiving this (or when the exchange information notification is transmitted in S572), the card unit 3 updates the database of FIG. 38 (b) as described above, the card ID of the visitor card used by the salesperson for the refund, and the refund The processing time and the number of balls repaid (-70 balls) are stored. When these processes are completed, the refund mode is canceled.

  Thus, in this embodiment, in the wagon service, a visitor card (managed by the management computer 150) in which a coin equivalent to the sales amount is recorded is issued each time an order is placed. When the product is canceled, the visitor card is inserted into the card unit 3 provided for the wagon service, so that the number of balls corresponding to the sales amount can be reliably paid back. Furthermore, since the number of balls of the visitor card is normally 0 and is taken into the card unit 3 by the payout, the visitor card that is no longer needed is not left at the store clerk.

FIG. 43 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the gift exchange POS terminal 170 in the present embodiment. The POS terminal 170 is provided with a microcomputer 177. The microcomputer 177 includes a CPU 172 as a control center, a ROM 175 storing a control operation program for the CPU 172, a RAM 174 as a CPU work area, an input / output interface 171 for inputting / outputting signals to / from an external device, A VDP 173 dedicated to image control, a character ROM 178, and a VRAM 176 are provided.

  Further, the POS terminal 170 is provided with a card reader / writer 181, an LCD 180, a touch panel 179, and a reset button 182. The card reader / writer 181 has a function of reading data recorded on the card and inputting it to the CPU 172 when a member card or a visitor card is inserted. The touch panel 179 is used for inputting a predetermined operation signal to the VDP 173 when the operator performs a touch operation. The LCD 180 is for displaying an image in accordance with a control signal from the VDP 173. The reset button 182 is provided at a location that can not be operated by the player and that can be operated by the store clerk of the game hall (for example, a location that can be unlocked and opened by a key held by the store clerk). Is operated to input a reset signal to the input / output interface 171. The input / output interface 171 is connected to each computer 150, 140, 100.

  FIG. 44 is a flowchart showing the flow of POS processing executed by the gift exchange POS 170 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 44, in the POS process, first, in step Sp1, CPU 172 of gift exchange POS 170 determines whether or not a card is inserted into card reader / writer 181. If it is determined that it has not been inserted (NO in step Sp1), CPU 172 repeats the process in step Sp1.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that a card has been inserted (YES in step Sp1), in step Sp2, CPU 172 determines whether or not an exchange flag is recorded on the card received by card reader / writer 181. .

  If it is determined that the exchange flag is not recorded (NO in step Sp2), in step Sp3, the CPU 172 includes a gift exchange question including information indicating that the card ID of the card and the exchange flag are not recorded. Is transmitted to the management computer 150.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that an exchange flag is recorded (YES in step Sp2), in step Sp4, the CPU 172 determines the card ID of the card, the number of balls recorded on the card, and the exchange flag. Is sent to the management computer 150.

  Returning to FIG. 29 (a), if the management computer 150 determines that the exchange information notification has not been received after step Sc8 (if NO is determined in step Sc7), in step Sc9, the CPU 152 Then, it is determined whether or not a free gift exchange inquiry has been received from the free gift exchange POS 170.

  If it is determined that a prize exchange inquiry has been received (YES in step Sc9), in step Sc10, the CPU 152 executes an exchange possibility determination process.

  FIG. 45 is a flowchart showing a flow of a shared attendance exchange management process subroutine executed by the management computer 150 in the present embodiment. FIG. 45A is a flowchart showing the flow of the exchange possibility determination process in the shared attendance exchange management process subroutine.

  Referring to FIG. 45A, in the exchange possibility determination process, first, in step Sc51, the CPU 152 registers the card ID included in the received prize exchange inquiry in the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table. Judge whether or not.

  If it is determined that the card ID is registered (YES in step Sc51), in step Sc52, the CPU 152 includes information indicating that the exchange flag is recorded in the received gift exchange inquiry. Thus, it is determined whether or not an exchange flag is recorded on the card received by the gift exchange POS 170.

  If it is determined that the exchange flag is recorded (YES in step Sc52), the card is a card in which the number of exchanged balls for consideration for attendance exchange is recorded. Therefore, the CPU 152 proceeds to step Sc53. 38, it is checked whether or not exchange information including the card ID and the number of balls included in the received free gift exchange inquiry is stored in the exchange information database described in FIG. 38. In step Sc54, the matching exchange information Judge whether there is.

  When it is determined that there is matching exchange information (when YES is determined at step Sc54), and when it is determined that no replacement flag is recorded (when NO is determined at step Sc52), the CPU 152 at step Sc55. Is a prize exchange result including the number of coins stored in the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table corresponding to the card ID included in the received prize exchange inquiry and the number of accumulated balls (only in the case of a membership card). Is sent to the gift exchange POS 170.

  If it is determined that there is no matching exchange information (if NO is determined in Step Sc54), there is a possibility that the card has an illegal exchange consideration recorded. Therefore, in Step Sc56, the CPU 152 does not match the exchange information. Inform the effect.

  When it is determined that the card ID is not registered (when NO is determined at step Sc51), and after step Sc56, at step Sc57, the CPU 152 provides information indicating that the card with the card ID cannot be used. The prize exchange result including the result is transmitted to the prize exchange POS 170.

  After step Sc55 and step Sc57, CPU 152 returns the process to be executed to the caller process of this process.

  Returning to FIG. 44, after step Sp3 and step Sc4, in step Sp5, the CPU 172 indicates whether or not a prize can be exchanged including a prize exchangeable result indicating that the prize can be exchanged, that is, the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls (only for member cards) It is determined whether or not a result has been received.

  When it is determined that a prize exchange result including the number of possessions etc. has been received (when YES is determined in step Sp5), in step Sp6, the CPU 172 displays a prize exchange screen for receiving a prize that the player wants to exchange. To display. The prize exchange screen includes the current number of possessed balls, the number of accumulated balls, and the number of exchanged balls for each prize.

  In step Sp7, the CPU 172 determines whether or not a prize exchange operation for inputting a prize to be exchanged by operating the touch panel 179 by the player has been accepted.

If it is determined that a prize exchange operation has been accepted (YES in step Sp7), in step Sp8, the CPU 172 determines the number of exchange balls corresponding to the card ID of the accepted card and the prize selected in the prize exchange operation. A prize exchange notification including the above is transmitted to the management computer 150.

  Returning to FIG. 29 (a), if it is determined at step Sc11 that the management computer 150 has not received a gift exchange inquiry after step Sc10 (NO at step Sc9), the CPU 152 Determines whether or not a prize exchange notification has been received from the prize exchange POS 170.

  If it is determined that a gift exchange notification has been received (YES in step Sc11), in step Sc12, the CPU 152 executes a data subtraction process. On the other hand, if it is determined that a prize exchange notification has not been received (NO in step Sc11), and after step Sc11, CPU 152 ends this process and calls the process to be executed. Return to the original process.

  FIG. 45B is a flowchart showing the flow of the data subtraction process in the shared attendance exchange management process subroutine. Referring to FIG. 45B, first, in step Sc61, CPU 152 determines whether or not the card ID included in the received prize exchange notification is registered in the member saving management table or the visitor saving management table. .

  If it is determined that the card ID is registered (YES in step Sc61), in step Sc62, the CPU 152 corresponds to the card ID included in the received gift exchange notification or the member saving management table or visitor savings. The received number of exchanged balls is subtracted and updated from the number of stored or held balls stored in the management table. In step Sc63, the CPU 152 transmits a subtraction result including information indicating that the subtraction was successful to the gift exchange POS 170.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the card ID is not registered (NO in step Sc61), in step Sc64, the CPU 152 transmits a subtraction result including information indicating that the subtraction has failed to the gift exchange POS 170. . After step Sc63 and step Sc64, CPU 152 ends this process, and returns the process to be executed to the caller process of this process.

  Returning to FIG. 44, in step Sp <b> 9, the CPU 172 determines whether or not a subtraction result including information indicating that the subtraction was successful is received from the management computer 150. If it is determined that no data has been received (NO in step Sp9), CPU 172 repeats the process in step Sp9.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that a subtraction result including information indicating that the subtraction has been successful has been received (when YES is determined in step Sp9), in Sp10, the CPU 172 exchanges a prize including the number of stored balls and the number of possessed balls after the subtraction. A screen is displayed on the LCD 180.

  If it is determined that the gift exchange operation has not been accepted (NO in step Sp7), and after step Sp10, in step Sp11, CPU 172 determines whether or not the card ejection operation has been accepted. If it is determined that it has not been accepted (NO in step Sp11), CPU 172 returns the process to be executed to the process in step Sp7.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the card ejection operation is accepted (YES in step Sp11), in step Sp12, the CPU 172 controls the card reader / writer 181 to eject the accepted card. Thereafter, the CPU 172 returns the process to be executed to the process of step Sp1.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the number of exchanged balls is written in the visitor card as a price for the goods of the wagon service, and the visitor card is handed over to the salesperson of the wagon service, so that the attendance of the goods of the wagon service is present. I was able to exchange. However, in the first embodiment, since a visitor card in which the number of balls corresponding to the sales amount is recorded is issued from the card unit 3 for each order, the salesperson must manage the visitor card for the number of orders. There is a problem that it is complicated.

  In the second embodiment, a salesperson of a wagon service uses an order card to receive the number of exchanged balls as a consideration. The order card is a visitor card whose card ID is registered in the order card saving management table of the management computer 150 shown in FIG. Unlike the first embodiment, this order card is not issued from the card unit 3 for each order. For each order, the number of balls corresponding to the sales amount is associated with the card ID of the order card. Cumulative addition to the number of balls. Therefore, the salesperson can manage the sales amount by owning one order card. In other words, the number of exchange balls is written on the order card, but the card management is easy because the number of exchange balls is cumulatively added for each order.

  Further, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 46, the handling of card data in the order mode and the refund mode is different from that in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, no replacement flag is recorded on the order card. Further, only those whose card IDs are registered in the order card saving management table of the management computer 150 shown in FIG. 47 can be accepted in the payout mode. In the order card saving management table, as shown in FIG. 47, the card ID (visitor card ID) of the order card, its issue date and time, and the number of possessed balls are stored. If the card ID included in the card insertion notification received from the card unit 3 is registered in the order card saving management table, the management computer 150 recognizes the card as a salesperson card. That is, in the first embodiment, the card unit 3 determines whether or not the card is a salesperson card, but in the second embodiment, the management computer 150 is notified. Judgment based on the registration information.

  FIG. 48 is a flowchart showing the flow of attendance exchange processing executed by the card unit 3 in the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 48, the processing from step Se1 to step Se13 is the same as the processing from step Se1 to Se13 of the seat exchange processing in the first embodiment described in FIG. The explanation will not be repeated.

  In Se14a, the CPU 328a controls the display unit 312 to display a message to prompt the salesperson to insert the order card. In step Se14b, the CPU 328a determines whether or not the salesperson's order card is received by the card reader / writer 327 within a predetermined time (for example, within one minute).

  When it is determined that it has not been received within the predetermined time or that the salesperson's order card has not been received (NO in Step Se14b), in Step Se30, the CPU 328a executes processing for abnormal reception.

  FIG. 49 is a flowchart showing a flow of a reception abnormality process that is a sub-routine of attendance exchange processing executed by the card unit 3 in the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 49, in the processing at the time of reception abnormality, first, in step Se31, CPU 328a determines that the card is in card reader / writer 327, for example, when a card other than the salesperson's order card is received. The card reader / writer 327 is controlled so as to be discharged.

  Next, in step Se32, the display unit 312 is controlled to display a message prompting the user to insert the card ejected immediately before. In step Se33, the CPU 328a determines whether or not the card is received by the card reader / writer 327 within a predetermined time (for example, within one minute).

  When it is determined that the card has been received within the predetermined time (when it is determined YES at step Se33), at step Se34, the CPU 328a determines whether or not the inserted card is a card that has been discharged immediately before. If it is determined that the card has been ejected immediately before (YES in step Se34), in step Se35, the CPU 328a executes processing for returning the number of exchanged balls to the inserted card.

  Specifically, in the case of a member card, the number of exchanged balls is added to the number of possessed balls corresponding to the card ID recorded on the member card in the member saving management table of the management computer 150 and updated. In the case of a visitor card, the number of exchanged balls is added to the number of possessions corresponding to the card ID recorded on the visitor card in the visitor saving management table of the management computer 150, and the possession balls recorded on the visitor card are updated. The number of exchange balls is added to the number and updated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the inserted card is not the card that was just ejected (NO in step Se34), in step Se36, the CPU 328a controls the card reader / writer 327 to eject the inserted card. To do.

  When it is determined that the card has not been received within the predetermined time (when NO is determined at step Se33), and after step Se36, at step Se37, the CPU 328a controls the card reader / writer 37 to perform stocking. The visitor card is taken out and processing for recording the number of exchanged balls is executed.

  After Step Se35 and Step Se37, the CPU 328a returns the process to be executed to the process that called the process.

  Returning to FIG. 48, after the process at the time of reception abnormality in step Se30, the CPU 328a returns the process to be executed to the process of the caller of this process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the salesperson's order card has been received within the predetermined time (when YES is determined in step Se14b), the processing after step Se15 is executed. The processing from step Se15 to step Se24 is the same as the processing from step Se15 to step Se24 in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 35 except for the processing of step Se18. Does not repeat. However, in the second embodiment, the number of possessed balls of the inserted order card is not necessarily 0 (there may already be the number of retained balls corresponding to the sales amount), so the retained balls stored in Se17. The number of exchanged balls is added to the number for updating, and in Se19, a card discharge notification including the number of holding balls after the addition update is transmitted. The same may be applied to Se17 and Se19 in the first embodiment (because the number of held balls = 0, the number of held balls after updating = the number of exchanged balls).

  FIG. 50 shows the addition update of the number of balls in the salesperson's order card that records the number of exchanged balls used for the exchange of seats in the management computer 150 in the processing for exchange of seats in the second embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example. With reference to FIG. 50, a description will be given of the renewal of the order card of the salesperson whose card ID is VC-12345. When the number of balls held in the order card savings management table is 75 balls (a 300-yen product was sold when the previous wagon service was used, and 75 balls equivalent to the sales amount are already managed as the number of balls ), When a product of 280 yen (equivalent to 70 balls) is sold at the next wagon service use, the number of exchanged balls of 70 balls used for exchange of seats is added to 75 balls and the order card is updated. The number of balls in the savings management table is updated to 145 balls by adding 70 balls to 75 balls.

  FIG. 51 is a diagram illustrating a database of exchange information in the management computer 150 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, in addition to the exchange information database of the first embodiment, the number of orders received by the salesperson and the total amount are included as storage items.

  The update of the exchange information database will be described with reference to FIG. When the exchange information notification including VC-12345 as the card ID of the order card and 75 balls as the number of exchange balls is received from the card unit 3 of the device ID of the CU-123 at 11:11 on September 1. Using the pachinko ball rate of the card unit 3 stored in the management computer 150, the number of exchange balls is converted into exchange consideration. Here, assuming that the rate of the card unit is 4 yen per ball, the exchange consideration is calculated as 75 × 4 = 300 yen. Then, the device ID is “CU-123”, the reception card ID is “VC-12345”, the number of receptions that is the number of seat exchanges with the order card is “1”, and the presence replacement date is “9” / 11: 11 ”,“ ¥ 300 ”as the exchange consideration, and“ ¥ 300 ”as the total amount are stored. Since it is the history of performing the first attendance exchange using the VC-12345 order card on the day, first, the number of times of acceptance is 1, exchange consideration = total amount.

  Next, it is assumed that a second attendance change is performed using the order card. For example, when an exchange information notification containing VC-12345 as the card ID and 70 balls as the number of exchange balls is received from the card unit 3 of the device ID of CU-123 at 12:34 on September 1, 70 Exchange consideration is calculated as x4 = 280 yen. Then, “CU-123” as the device ID, “VC-12345” as the reception card ID, and the number of times of reception, which is the number of times the presence exchange has been performed with the card, is incremented by “2” times, As “9/1 12:34”, as exchange consideration “¥ 280”, as the total amount “¥ 580” obtained by adding the current exchange consideration (¥ 280) to the initial total amount (¥ 300), and the database Added and updated.

  Next, it is assumed that the merchandise related to the second seat exchange is canceled and a refund process is performed. For example, at 12:35 on September 1 from the card unit 3 of the device ID of CU-123, VC-12345 as the card ID and -70 balls as the number of exchanged balls (the number of payout balls is a negative value) Is received as an exchange information notification, the exchange consideration is calculated as −70 × 4 = −280 yen. Then, the device ID is “CU-123”, the reception card ID is “VC-12345”, and the number of receptions that is the number of times the presence exchange is performed with the card is incremented by “3” times. As “9/1 12:35”, as exchange consideration “− ¥ 280”, and as a total amount “¥ 300” obtained by adding the present exchange consideration (− ¥ 280) to the current total amount (¥ 580). The database is updated. In this way, even when the product is canceled, the refund amount and the net sales amount (total amount) obtained by subtracting the refund amount are managed.

  In the second embodiment, the replacement flag is not recorded on the salesperson's order card. However, the replacement flag is recorded on the salesperson's order card, and the card unit 3 is in the order mode or the refund mode. Only at certain times may a visitor card (that is, an order card) with an exchange flag recorded be accepted. That is, it may be determined by the exchange flag that the card is a salesperson's card.

  Further, in the second embodiment, the salesperson's order card not only cannot use the number of balls specified from the card in the game, but also prohibits prepaid deposit and ball lending using prepaid.

  FIG. 52 is a diagram showing an operation flow when exchanging seats with an article of a wagon service when a membership card is being accepted in the second embodiment. This flow of operation shows the flow of operation performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processing of FIGS. 48 and 29.

  Referring to FIG. 52, the difference in the flow of this operation from that of FIG. 39 in the first embodiment is that the visitor card in the first embodiment is associated with the consideration for attendance exchange. On the other hand, the second embodiment is an order card. For this reason, the processing from step Sem1 to step Sem8 is the same as in FIG.

  In the card unit 3, the processing of Step Se 14 a, Step Se 14 b and Step Se 15 of FIG. 48 described above is executed, and the salesperson's order card is accepted (Step Sem 9 ′), and the card ID of the order card and the recorded possession are recorded. A card insertion notification including the number of balls (not necessarily 0) is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Sem10).

  In the management computer 150, in response to the reception of the card insertion notification, the use determination process described with reference to FIG. 29C is executed (step Sem11), whereby the card ID included in the card insertion notification is executed. The card insertion result including the number of possessed balls is transmitted to the card unit 3 (step Sem12). Receiving this, the card unit 3 adds and updates the number of balls to be included in the card insertion result.

  In the card unit 3, a card discharge notification including the card ID of the order card of the salesperson and the number of possessed balls after the addition update is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Sem14).

  In the management computer 150, in the same manner as in Step Sem6 described above, the number of balls with the card ID included in the card discharge notification is updated in response to the reception of the card discharge notification (Step Sem15). If the update is successful, a card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is transmitted to the card unit 3 (step Sem16).

  In the card unit 3, when the card discharge result indicating that the card can be discharged is received, the processing from step Se20 to step Se22 in FIG. 48 is executed, and the salesperson's order card in which the card ID is recorded in advance is It is discharged (Step Sem17 ′). Next, a replacement information notification including the card ID of the discharged salesperson's order card and the number of replacement balls is transmitted to the management computer 150 (step Sem18).

  In the management computer 150, in response to the reception of the exchange information notification, the exchange information is updated (step Sem19) and the exchange information response is transmitted to the card unit 3 as described with reference to FIG. Step Sem20).

  FIG. 53 is a diagram showing a flow of operations when exchanging a seat with an article of a wagon service when a visitor card is being accepted in the second embodiment. This flow of operation shows the flow of operation performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processing of FIGS. 48 and 29.

  Referring to FIG. 53, the flow of this operation is different from that in FIG. 52 in that the accepted card is a membership card in FIG. 52, but is a visitor card in FIG. . For this reason, after the step Sev7, the number of possessed balls is written on the accepted visitor card (Sev8a). The other points are the same as those in FIG. 52, and thus the overlapping description will not be repeated.

  FIG. 54 is a flowchart showing the flow of a refund process executed by the card unit 3 in the second embodiment. The processing of S501 to S504 is the same as the processing of FIG. When card insertion is detected in S505 (YES), the card ID and the number of balls recorded on the card are transmitted to the management computer 150 in S508, and reception of the card insertion result is waited in S509. If the inserted card is a membership card, it is ejected. When the card insertion result including the number of possessed balls is received in S509 (YES), the number of possessed balls included in the card insertion result received in S510 is stored, and the process proceeds to S511. Here, in order for the card unit 3 to receive the card insertion result including the number of balls, the card ID included in the card insertion notification is registered in the order card saving management table. In other words, a refund cannot be made unless an order card is used.

  The processing of S511 to S526 is the same as the processing of FIG. However, in this embodiment, in S522, it is not always 0 when the number of payout balls is subtracted from the number of held balls. After recording the number of possessed balls on the order card in S526, the order card is discharged in S528a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the order card is discharged even when the number of holding balls becomes zero. The processes in S529 and S530 are the same as those in FIG. As described above, in the present embodiment, the number of payable balls is subtracted from the number of possessed balls managed in association with the card ID of the order card, and is paid out to the player. I am trying to return it.

  FIG. 55 is a diagram showing an operation flow when the card unit 3 shifts to the refund mode when the member card or the visitor card is being accepted in the present embodiment. This flow of operation shows the flow of operation performed in the management computer 150 and the card unit 3 by executing the processing of FIG. In this example, after the player uses the 280 yen (70 balls) wagon service, the salesperson is told to cancel the product, and the salesperson operates the remote control to use the wagon service. An example in which the card unit 3 is shifted to the payout mode and the number of balls corresponding to the sales amount is returned to the player will be described.

  The processing in S550 to S555 is the same as that in FIG. After S555, when a salesperson's order card (the number of balls (145) corresponding to the total sales amount on that day has been recorded) is inserted in S556a, the card ID of the order card and the number of balls recorded are recorded in S557. Is sent to the management computer 150.

  The management computer 150 that has received this performs use permission determination processing in S558. In the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the card with the card ID included in the received card insertion notification is recorded in the order card saving management table, and the number of balls included in the card insertion notification and the card ID On the condition that the number of possessed balls managed in association with each other matches, the use is indicated in S559, and the card insertion result including the managed number of retained balls is returned to the card unit 3. Receiving this, the card unit 3 stores the number of balls (145 in this example) included in the card insertion result in S560, and waits for receipt of a refund amount from the remote control in S561. The management computer 150 recognizes that the sending card unit 3 has shifted to the refund mode by receiving the refund start notification in S555. Therefore, the card insertion notice transmitted in S557 thereafter recognizes that the card ID of the order card should be included, and searches the order card saving management table to confirm the presence or absence of registration.

  When the card unit 3 receives a refund amount from the remote control (YES in S561), the refund amount (280 yen in this example) is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit (1000 yen in this example), and On the condition that the exchange consideration is 280 yen or less in this example, the number of payout balls corresponding to the payout amount (70 balls in this example) is calculated in S562 according to the ball rate (4 yen in this example). Next, payout processing of the number of payout balls is performed in S563, and in S564, the number of payout balls (70 in this example) is subtracted from the number of held balls (145 in this example) to update the number of held balls (75 in this example). And).

  Next, the card unit 3 transmits a refund completion notification including the card ID of the order card being accepted at S565 and the number of refunded balls to the management computer 150, and further at S566, the card ID and the updated number of balls (in this example) 75) is sent to the management computer 150. Upon receiving this, the management computer 150, in the data update process of S567, manages the number of balls that are managed in association with the card ID included in the card discharge notification (the present example) In step S568, the card discharge result indicating discharge is returned to the card unit 3. Receiving this, the card unit 3 records the updated number of balls (75 in this example) in the number of balls of the order card being accepted in S569. Next, the order card is discharged in S571a.

  Further, the card unit 3 transmits to the management computer 150 an exchange information notification including the card ID of the visitor card taken in S572 and -the number of payout balls (-70 in this example). Receiving this, the management computer 150 updates the database in FIG. 51 as described above in the exchange information update in S573, and transmits an exchange information response to the card unit 3 in S574. Upon receiving this (or when the exchange information notification is transmitted in S572), the card unit 3 updates the database in FIG. 38 (b) in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the visitor card used by the salesperson for the refund. Card ID, the time when the refund process was performed, and the number of balls that were paid back (-70 balls). When these processes are completed, the refund mode is canceled.

  Thus, in this embodiment, in the wagon service, a new visitor card is not issued every time an order is placed, and the salesperson only has to manage one order card. And the refund operation at the time of cancellation is simplified. In addition, the sales amount is managed in the database as exchange information, so that the number of balls equivalent to the sales amount can be reliably paid back.

Next, main effects obtained by the first embodiment will be described.
(1-1) The card unit 3 is arranged corresponding to the pachinko machine 2 or the slot machine, and accepts a member card or a visitor card that can specify the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls owned by the player. Use processing is performed to allow the game to use the number of balls and the number of balls specified from the membership card or visitor card. As described in step Se2 of FIG. 35, when an article having a desired predetermined value is exchanged by using the number of possessed balls or the number of stored balls, information including at least the predetermined price is received from a remote control owned by a salesperson of the wagon service.

  As described in Step Se3b to Step Se8 in FIG. 35, it corresponds to the predetermined price based on the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls, provided that information including the predetermined price is received from the remote controller while accepting the membership card or the visitor card. A first specifying process is executed to make it possible to specify the remaining number of held balls and the number of stored balls from which the number of exchanged balls is subtracted from the member card or visitor card being received. As described in Step Se11 and Step Se13 in FIG. 35, the member card or the visitor card being accepted is discharged on condition that the first specifying process is executed.

  Further, as described in Step Se14 to Step Se20 in FIG. 35, the second number for enabling the number of exchanged balls to be specified from the new visitor card in response to the receipt of the member card or visitor card being accepted. Execute specific processing. As described in step Se22 of FIG. 35, the new visitor card is discharged on condition that the second specifying process has been executed. The discharged card is given to the salesperson of the wagon service.

  Thus, the article can be exchanged for the number of held balls or the number of stored balls without newly providing a configuration for printing a receipt. In addition, the number of exchangeable balls to be exchanged for goods can be specified from the visitor card delivered to the salesperson. As a result, it is possible to easily manage the number of exchanged balls delivered for exchange with an article without greatly modifying the system.

  (1-2) If YES in step Se3a in FIG. 35, the information from the remote control possessed by the salesperson of the wagon service is received by preventing the processing after step S3b from being performed. The information from the remote controller is invalidated on the condition that the predetermined consideration of the article specified in (1) exceeds a predetermined upper limit.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent the player from being disadvantaged by using a number of balls that is not normally possible due to a defect in receiving information from the remote control of the salesperson of the wagon service for use in exchange for goods. .

  (1-3) As described in step Se18 in FIG. 35, the new visitor card is a visitor card for specifying the number of exchange balls used for exchange with a desired article. It can be specified from the card. In the case of YES in step St2a in FIG. 27, the processing after step St3 is not performed, so that the visitor card for specifying the number of exchange balls used for exchange with a desired article is accepted. If the visitor card is specified, the use of the exchanged number of balls for the game is prohibited.

  Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an injustice that the number of exchange balls exchanged for the article by the salesperson of the wagon service handling the exchange with the article is used in the game.

  (1-4) When a member card or a visitor card that can specify the number of held balls and the number of stored balls is discharged at step Se13 in FIG. 35, the number of exchanged balls can be specified at step Se22. Different notifications are made in step Se12 and step Se21 depending on when the visitor card is discharged.

  Thereby, it can be made difficult to make a mistake as to which of the cards that can specify the number of balls and the number of stored balls of the player and the card that can specify the number of replacement balls has been issued.

  (1-5) A visitor card different from the card whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified is collected in step Se11 if YES in step Se9 in FIG. 35, that is, if the number of holding balls is less than the predetermined upper limit. On the other hand, the card whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified is ejected in step Se22 regardless of the specified number of exchangeable balls. As a result, if the number of balls specified from the card is less than the predetermined upper limit, it is prohibited to eject visitor cards that are different from the number of cards that can be specified, and the number of replacement balls can be specified. Visitor card is permitted to be discharged.

  Thus, as usual, the visitor card whose specified number of balls is less than the predetermined upper limit can be prevented from being discharged, and the specified exchange number is less than the predetermined upper limit. Also, the card whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified can be discharged. As a result, it is possible to smoothly operate the exchange of goods for the wagon service using the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls.

  (1-6) The gaming system includes a card unit 3 and a management computer 150 that manages the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls of the player. The card unit 3 can be configured as described in (1-1) to (1-5) above. As described in Sc22 of FIG. 29B, the management computer 150 performs the first specifying process and the second specifying process on condition that the first specifying process and the second specifying process are executed in the card unit 3, respectively. The number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls that can be identified from the membership card or visitor card in the identification process are stored.

  (1-7) As described in step Se2 of FIG. 35, the card unit 3 receives information indicating the value of the article from the salesperson's remote control. As described in step Se3b in FIG. 35, the number of exchange balls corresponding to the price of the article is specified according to the rate of pachinko balls handled by the own machine.

  Thereby, even if a plurality of rates (one-yen corner, four-yen corner) are mixed in the game hall, confusion and mistakes can be prevented.

  (1-8) As described in step Se23 in FIG. 35, the card unit 3 notifies the management computer 150 that the visitor card whose exchange price can be specified has been discharged. As described in Step Sc8 of FIG. 29 and FIG. 38, the management computer 150 manages the number of issued visitor cards for which the number of exchangeable balls can be specified and the number of exchangeable balls specified by each visitor card. .

  As a result, it is possible to prevent fraud such as forging a visitor card whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified. In addition, it is possible to facilitate the management of a visitor card whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified.

  (1-9) As described in step Sc53 and step Sc56 in FIG. 45 (a), when the number of exchanged balls is settled, the number of issued visitor cards and the number of exchanged balls specified by each visitor card Are matched, and if they do not match, the fact is notified, so that it is possible to facilitate the management of a visitor card whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified.

Next, main effects obtained by the second embodiment will be described.
(2-1) The card unit 3 is arranged corresponding to the pachinko machine 2 or the slot machine, and accepts the member card or visitor card that can specify the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls owned by the player. Use processing is performed to allow the game to use the number of balls and the number of balls specified from the membership card or visitor card. As described in step Se2 in FIG. 48, when an article having a desired predetermined price is exchanged using the number of possessed balls or the number of stored balls, information including at least the predetermined price is received from a remote controller owned by a salesperson of the wagon service.

  As described in step Se3b to step Se8 in FIG. 48, it corresponds to the predetermined price based on the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls, provided that information including the predetermined price is received from the remote controller during reception of the membership card or the visitor card. A first specifying process is executed to make it possible to specify the remaining number of held balls and the number of stored balls from which the number of exchanged balls is subtracted from the member card or visitor card being received. As described in Step Se11 and Step Se13 in FIG. 48, the member card or the visitor card being accepted is discharged on condition that the first specifying process is executed.

  As described in step Se14b in FIG. 48, the order card of the salesperson of the wagon service is accepted in response to the membership card or the visitor card being accepted being discharged. As described in Step Se15 to Step Se20 in FIG. 48, on the condition that the salesperson's order card is received, the number of exchangeable balls corresponding to the predetermined consideration can be specified from the received salesperson's order card. The 2nd specific process for adding to the number of holding balls is performed. As described in step Se22 of FIG. 48, the received order card of the salesperson is discharged on condition that the second specifying process is executed.

  Thus, the article can be exchanged for the number of held balls or the number of stored balls without newly providing a configuration for printing a receipt. In addition, the number of exchangeable balls to be exchanged for an article can be specified from the salesperson's order card. As a result, it is possible to easily manage the number of exchanged balls delivered for exchange with an article without greatly modifying the system.

  (2-2) Similar to the above (1-2), in the case of YES in step Se3a in FIG. 48, the wagon service salesperson possesses by preventing the processing after step S3b from being performed. When the information from the remote controller is received, the information from the remote controller is invalidated on the condition that the predetermined consideration of the article specified by the information exceeds a predetermined upper limit.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent the player from being disadvantaged by using a number of balls that is not normally possible due to a defect in receiving information from the remote control of the salesperson of the wagon service for use in exchange for goods. .

  (2-3) Even if the replacement flag is written in advance on the salesperson's order card, it is confirmed that the number of replacement balls specified from the salesperson's order card is used for replacement with a desired article. It can be specified from the salesperson's order card. In the case of YES in step St2a in FIG. 27, the processing after step St3 is not performed, thereby prohibiting the use of the number of exchange balls specified from the salesperson's order card for the game.

  Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an injustice that the number of exchange balls exchanged for the article by the salesperson of the wagon service handling the exchange with the article is used in the game.

  (2-4) As described in Step Se14b, Step Se30 in FIG. 48, Step Se31 to Step Se37 in FIG. 49, when a salesperson's order card is received, a card different from the salesperson's order card is received. Or on the condition that the card has not been received within a predetermined time, an abnormal process is executed to deal with the fact that the order card of the salesperson has not been received normally.

  As a result, even if the salesperson's order card is not properly received and the goods cannot be exchanged for the number of balls and the number of balls, the process at the time of abnormality is executed and the salesperson's order card is Corresponding to not being accepted. As a result, a player's disadvantage can be prevented.

  (2-5) In the above-described embodiment, a visitor card other than the visitor card that can specify the number of exchange balls used for exchanging with an article in step Se18 to step Se20 in FIG. 35 of the first embodiment. Even if the visitor card is returned in response to the return operation as described in steps S231 to S243 in FIG. 23, as described in steps Se7 to Se11 in FIGS. Even if you return a card that allows you to specify the remaining number of balls used for exchanging the goods before discharging the card delivered to the salesperson at the time of attendance exchange with If the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls specified from the card are less than the upper limit of the fraction, they are collected.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the visitor card that is returned in response to the return operation, which is different from the visitor card in which the number of remaining balls can be specified in step Se5 to step Se8 in FIGS. 35 and 48, When the number of held balls and the number of stored balls specified from the visitor card are less than the upper limit of the fraction, discharging is prohibited, and when returning at the time of seated exchange with the article, Step Se5 in FIG. 35 and FIG. From step Se8, the visitor card whose number of remaining balls can be specified may be discharged regardless of the number of remaining balls.

  As a result, when it is different from seat exchange with goods (for example, during a return operation), if the number of held balls and the number of stored balls specified from the card to be discharged are less than the upper limit, the discharge is prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a visitor card with a fractional upper limit from being overburdened, and in particular in step Se14b in FIG. 48, it has been determined that the order card of the salesperson of the wagon service is not accepted at a predetermined time. In this case, since the original visitor card is discharged even if the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls specified from the player's original visitor card are less than the upper limit, the process is executed in step Se30 in FIG. 49, the process for returning the number of exchanged balls to the original visitor card is executed in the reception abnormality process shown in FIG. It is possible to return the exchange ball number.

  For this reason, the processing to make it possible to specify the number of replacement balls from the order card of the salesperson of the wagon service cannot be executed, and when returning the number of replacement balls to the player, the number of replacement balls to be returned to the player is specified. By issuing a new visitor card for enabling the player, it is possible to prevent the player's visitor card from being divided into two pieces and impairing the player's convenience. As a result, it is possible to smoothly operate the exchange of goods for the wagon service using the number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls.

  (2-6) Similar to the above (1-5), the gaming system includes the card unit 3 and the management computer 150 that manages the number of possessed balls and the number of accumulated balls of the player. The card unit 3 can be configured as described in (2-1) to (2-5) above. As described in Sc22 of FIG. 29B, the management computer 150 performs the first specifying process and the second specifying process on condition that the first specifying process and the second specifying process are executed in the card unit 3, respectively. The number of possessed balls and the number of stored balls that can be identified from the membership card or visitor card in the identification process are stored.

(2-7) As described in (1-7) above, as described in step Se2 in FIG.
The card unit 3 receives information indicating the price of the article from the salesperson's remote control. As described in step Se3b in FIG. 48, the number of exchange balls corresponding to the price of the article is specified according to the rate of pachinko balls handled by the own machine.

  Thereby, even if a plurality of rates (one-yen corner, four-yen corner) are mixed in the game hall, confusion and mistakes can be prevented.

  (2-8) As described in step Se23 of FIG. 48, the card unit 3 notifies the management computer 150 that the salesperson's order card that can specify the exchange price has been discharged. As described in Step Sc8 of FIG. 29 and FIG. 51, the management computer 150 specifies the number of times the salesperson's order card whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified is received or the order card of each salesperson. Manage the cumulative number of exchanged balls.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent fraud such as forgery of the order card of the salesperson whose number of exchangeable balls can be specified. Further, it is possible to easily manage the order card of the salesperson who can specify the number of exchanged balls.

Next, a modification of the above-described embodiment will be described.
(1) In the visitor card or the second embodiment described above, the number of balls exchanged with the goods of the wagon service is counted by a jet counter or the like, and the number of exchanged balls in the first embodiment described above can be specified. The number of balls counted may be added to the salesperson's order card.

  (2) In the above-described embodiment, the card unit 3 is arranged to correspond to the pachinko machine 2, but is not limited to this, and corresponds to other types of gaming machines such as slot machines. It may be arranged.

  (3) In the above-described embodiment, when the specific processing for enabling the possession value of the holder of the member card or visitor card to be specified from the card is a member card, the card unit 3 has the remaining number of balls The card ID is transmitted to the management computer 150, and the management computer 150 updates the number of balls corresponding to the card ID. In addition, in the case of a visitor card, the specific process is a process of writing the number of balls in the card in addition to the process in the case of a membership card.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the specifying process may be another process as long as it is a process for specifying the possession value of the card holder from the card. For example, it is possible to perform only the process of writing the number of balls on the card without performing the process in the case of the above-described member card. Moreover, even if it is a visitor card, you may make it perform the specific process similar to a membership card, and you may make it perform the specific process similar to a visitor card even if it is a membership card.

  (4) “Accepting” a membership card or a visitor card means that the ownership value specified from the membership card or the visitor card can be specified. Specifically, the membership card or the visitor card is set to a card reader / writer 327. The communication head 390 is held at a position where data communication is possible.

  (5) In the above-described embodiment, when an article having a desired predetermined price is exchanged using the number of possessed balls or the number of stored balls, information including at least the predetermined price is received from a remote control owned by a salesperson of the wagon service. I made it.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and if an exchange instruction that can specify at least the predetermined value is accepted when an item having a predetermined value is exchanged using the player's possession value specified from the game recording medium, You may make it accept by another method.

  For example, a replacement instruction that can specify a predetermined value of an article may be directly input to the card unit 3. In addition, the card unit 3 is provided with an input means that a replacement instruction capable of specifying the possession value of the article is transmitted from the remote controller owned by the salesperson, and only when the input to that effect is accepted. An exchange instruction may be received from By doing so, it is possible to prevent the replacement instruction from the remote controller from being erroneously received by the card unit adjacent to the target card unit 3.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the number of exchanged balls and the number of payout balls are input by operating the remote controller and an infrared signal indicating an input value is transmitted from the remote controller to the card unit 3 has been described. 3 may be displayed on the display unit 312 and the number of exchanged balls and the number of payout balls may be directly input using the number keys. Further, when performing the refund process, a predetermined password may be requested, and the refund process may be enabled only when the passwords match. Alternatively, the card unit 3 may be provided with an IC reader, and an IC tag for instructing a shift to a predetermined mode may be brought close to the IC tag to shift to a mode such as a payout mode.

  In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the refund amount is instructed to the card unit 3 (sent by the remote controller) after the salesperson's card is received. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the refund amount is instructed to the card unit 3. Only in such a case, the salesperson's card may be accepted. For example, a salesperson's card (a visitor card in which an exchange flag is recorded or an order card registered in the management computer 150) may be accepted only after the refund amount is transmitted from the remote controller to the card unit 3.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which the accepted card is automatically ejected when the card unit 3 shifts to the refund mode has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The player may be instructed to eject the accepting card (member card or visitor card), and the card unit 3 may be shifted to the payout mode by remote control operation after ejection. In other words, the transition to the payout mode may be made on condition that the membership card is not inserted and the prepaid balance and the holding ball of the visitor card are zero.

  In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 38 (b), the exchange information is managed in the card unit 3, and the refund amount input from the salesperson's remote control is the wagon in the card unit 3 immediately before that. Although the example in which the card unit 3 determines whether or not the sales amount is less than or equal to the sales amount has been described, the management computer 150 may perform this determination without managing the exchange information by the card unit 3. . That is, the refund amount input from the card unit 3 is transmitted to the management computer 150, and the management computer 150 searches the exchange information database of FIG. The seat exchange date and time may be specified, it may be determined whether or not the same amount as the refund amount is recorded in the database as the exchange consideration, and the determination result may be returned to the card unit 3.

  In the second embodiment, the management computer 50 determines whether or not the received card ID is the salesperson's card ID (whether or not the card ID is registered in the order card saving management table). However, the present invention is not limited to this, the card unit 3 stores the card ID list of the salesperson's card, and the card unit 3 determines whether or not the card ID of the inserted card is included in the list. It may be determined.

  (6) The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

2 Pachinko machine, 3 card unit, 100 system controller, 102 CPU, 105 storage device, 106 input device, 107 display device, 109 communication unit, 140
Hall computer, 150 management computer, 152 CPU, 155 storage device, 156 input device, 157 display device, 170 free gift exchange POS terminal, 309 card insertion slot, 312 display unit, 314 transparent touch panel, 315 IR light receiving unit, 321 bill recognition unit 327 Card reader / writer, 328 control unit, 334 communication unit, 335 return passage, 337 discharge channel, 338 storage unit, 340 counting / fraction dispensing unit, 341 control board, 344 connecting rod, 345 input unit, 347 counting channel , 350 control unit, 353 dispensing motor, 355 counting operation unit, 356 counting sensor, 370 card storage unit.

Claims (1)

Use processing for receiving a game recording medium arranged corresponding to the gaming machine and capable of specifying the possession value owned by the player, and causing the game to use the possession value specified from the received game recording medium. A gaming device to perform,
An instruction receiving means for receiving instruction information capable of specifying at least the predetermined value when exchanging an article of a predetermined predetermined value using the possession value;
When the instruction information is received during reception of the game recording medium, a first specification for enabling the remaining possession value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the possession value to be specified from the game recording medium being received First processing means for executing processing;
First discharge control means for discharging the accepted game recording medium when the first specific process is executed;
A second specifying process for enabling the predetermined value to be specified from a new game recording medium in response to the reception of the game recording medium being accepted by the first discharge control means is executed. Processing means;
Second discharge control means for discharging the game recording medium when the second specifying process is executed;
A storage unit for storing the new game recording medium;
A gaming device comprising: an informing means for informing when the number of game recording media stored in the storage section is less than a predetermined number.

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