JP2020130575A - Game management system and game management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To accommodate to cashless settlement, while suppressing a burden of a game parlor.SOLUTION: A terminal device 110 of a game player generates information necessary for settlement as settlement data, encodes it into a two-dimensional code to display it (s1). An interspace card processing machine 10 acquires the settlement data from the two-dimensional code (s2), associates machine data for identifying the own device therewith (s3), and transmits the data to a card management device 40 (s4). The card management device 40 stores the received settlement data and the machine data (s5) and transmits the settlement data to a settlement device 100 to perform settlement processing (s6). The settlement device 100 performs the settlement based on the settlement data, and notifies of the settlement completion (s7). The card management device 40 receiving the notification performs deposit processing for the settlement amount of the interspace card processing machine 10 specified by the corresponding machine data, assigns a prepaid value (s8), and notifies to the interspace card processing machine 10 (s9). Alternatively, the card management device can also notify to the terminal device 110 (s10).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a game management system and a game management method, which are attached to a game machine that plays a game using a game medium and have each device that performs processing related to the game medium.

Conventionally, game stores have provided games with a game medium intervening. For example, in pachinko games, a game ball is used as a game medium, and the game ball is driven into the game board surface to play a game. A plurality of winning areas (winning openings) are provided on the surface of the game board, and a predetermined number of game balls are given as prize balls based on the passing of the game balls through the winning areas. In this way, the number of game media increases or decreases depending on the result of the game, and the player can exchange the acquired game media for prizes.

It is common for a game machine to be equipped with each device. Each device accepts payment and rents out game media. In addition, each device manages the number of game media acquired by the game as the number of game media, and performs a replay process of subtracting the number of possessed game media to pay out the game media (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .).

Further, when the player operates the return button provided on the game machine when the player finishes the game, each device discharges the card after associating the number of game media managed by the player with the card. By presenting this card at the prize counter, the player can exchange the card for a prize according to the number of associated game media. The card is also associated with valuable value that can be used to lend game media. The balance of valuable value remaining at the end of the game can be settled with a settlement machine.

JP 2011-131037

However, in the conventional technology, at the start of the first game after entering the store, it is necessary to deposit cash into each device and receive an added value that can be used for lending the game medium. While various cashless payments are becoming widely used, it is not convenient for users to be required to cash to start a game, so it is possible to start a game with cashless payment without using cash. It has been demanded.

On the other hand, a large number of devices are installed in the game store, and it is a heavy burden for the game store to configure all the devices to make cashless payments individually.

From these facts, it has been an important issue how to realize a game management system and a game management method capable of supporting cashless payment while suppressing the burden on the game store.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a game management system and a game management method capable of supporting cashless payment while suppressing the burden on the game store. And.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention is a game management system that is attached to a game machine that plays a game using a game medium and has each device that performs processing related to the game medium. , A payment information acquisition means for acquiring payment information indicating information related to payment from a terminal device carried by a player, a corresponding means for associating the machine identification information for identifying each device with the payment information, and the payment. It is provided with a payment processing means for executing payment processing based on information and a granting means for imparting value related to the game medium based on the corresponding device identification information when the payment processing is performed. It is a feature.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the payment information acquisition means acquires the payment information by optically reading and decoding the code displayed by the terminal device.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, each of the stand devices further includes a limiting means for limiting the operation of the player, and the limiting means releases the limitation on condition that the code is read. To do.

Further, in the present invention, in the above invention, the corresponding means is provided in each of the units, and the payment processing means is a management device that receives notification of the unit identification information and the payment information from each of the units. It is characterized in that it is provided.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the notification means for notifying the terminal device of the completion of the payment process is further provided.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the settlement information that has been settled is retained, and when the value is returned, the refund destination is specified based on the settlement information.

Further, in the present invention, the imparting means imparts value to a new storage medium when the upper limit of the value that can be associated with the storage medium in use is exceeded. It is a feature.

Further, in the present invention, when the giving means exceeds the upper limit of the value that can be associated with the storage medium in use by each of the units, the granting means is in a standby state for giving the value related to the payment processing. Then, when it becomes possible to add value to the storage medium in use within the upper limit, the value in the standby state is added.

Further, the present invention is a game management method in a game management system, which is attached to a game machine that plays a game using a game medium and has each device that performs processing related to the game medium, and is a terminal carried by a player. A payment information acquisition step for acquiring payment information indicating information related to payment from a device, a corresponding step for associating the device identification information for identifying each device with the payment information, and a payment process based on the payment information. It is characterized by including a payment processing step to be executed and a granting step of imparting value related to the game medium based on the corresponding device identification information when the payment processing is performed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to support cashless payment while suppressing the burden on the amusement store.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the concept of the game management system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a game store. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of the inter-unit card processing machine. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-unit card processing machine shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit of the inter-unit card processor. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the card management device shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit of the card management device. (Part 1) FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit of the card management device. (Part 2) FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure related to cashless payment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of refund processing by cashless payment. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example relating to the addition of prepaid value.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the game management system and the game management method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the present specification, the possession ball is data indicating the game medium acquired by the player in the game or the number of the game media, and may be re-used for the game only during the day (time before the store closes). Say what you can do. The stored balls are data indicating the game media acquired by the player in the game or the number of the game media, and can be used again for the game from the next day onward (time after the store is closed). The possession ball can be used by both general players and member players, and is used when the game machine used for the game is changed (so-called table movement). The ball storage is usually available only to member players, and is used when the acquired game medium is used for games on the next day or later. A predetermined fee may be charged for the use of the stored balls.

First, the concept of the game management system according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the concept of the game management system according to the present embodiment. A plurality of game machines 20 are installed in the game store, and each game machine 20 is provided with a machine-to-machine card processing machine 10 which is a device for each machine.

Based on the operation of the player, the inter-table card processing machine 10 performs a game ball lending process, a replay process of possessed balls and stored balls, a counting process of counting acquired game balls and adding them to the possessed balls, and the like. Perform various processes related to. Further, when the player operates the return button provided on the game machine when the player finishes the game, the machine-to-table card processor 10 discharges the card after associating the number of balls held by the player device with the card.

The card management device 40 can communicate with a plurality of inter-machine card processing machines 10 in the game store, and manages the cards by associating them with balls, prepaid values, and the like. The prepaid value is a valuable value that can be used for lending game balls, and is added by deposit and subtracted by ball lending.

Specifically, when the inter-unit card processing machine 10 accepts the insertion of banknotes, the payment notification data including the amount of the banknotes is transmitted to the card management device 40, and the amount is added to the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40. Add the numbers according to. Then, when the predetermined ball lending operation is performed, the ball lending request is transmitted to the card management device 40, the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40 is subtracted, and the number of games corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value is played. Performs ball payout processing.

Further, in the game management system shown in FIG. 1, prepaid value can be added by cashless payment. First, when the terminal device 110 carried by the player determines the payment amount based on the operation of the player, the terminal device 110 generates information necessary for payment such as the payment amount and the account used for payment as payment data, and generates two payment data. It is encoded and displayed in a dimension code (s1).

When the two-dimensional code displayed by the terminal device 110 is held over the camera of the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the inter-unit card processing machine 10 decodes the two-dimensional code and acquires payment data (s2). The inter-unit card processor 10 associates the acquired payment data with a device ID that identifies the own device as unit data (s3), and transmits the acquired payment data to the card management device 40 (s4).

The card management device 40 stores the payment data and the machine data received from the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10 (s5), and transmits the payment data to the payment device 100 provided outside the game store to perform the payment processing. (S6).

The payment device 100 executes payment by subtracting the payment amount from the account indicated in the received payment data, and transmits the payment completion to the card management device 40 (s7). Upon receiving the payment completion notification, the card management device 40 identifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 based on the unit data corresponding to the transmitted payment data, performs payment processing for the payment amount on the inter-unit card processing machine 10, and prepaid. The value is given (s8), and the completion of payment and the prepaid value addition are notified to the inter-unit card processing machine 10 (s9).

It is also possible to notify the terminal device 110 of the completion of payment (s10). For example, by including the address of the terminal device 110 in the payment data, it is possible to notify the terminal device 110 when the payment device 100 completes the payment. Similarly, it is also possible for the card management device 40 to read the address of the terminal device 110 included in the payment data and give a notification.

In this way, the inter-unit card processing machine 10, which is each unit device attached to the game machine 20, acquires payment data indicating information related to payment from the terminal device 110 carried by the player, and identifies each unit device. Associate the device data with the payment data. Then, the card management device 40 executes the payment process based on the payment data, and adds the prepaid value based on the corresponding unit data. With such a configuration, the card management device 40 integrates and manages the cashless payment and the provision of prepaid value in a large number of inter-unit card processing machines 10 instead of each of the inter-unit card processing machines 10 performing cashless payment. Can be done. Therefore, it is possible to support cashless payment while suppressing the burden on the amusement store.

Next, the system configuration of the game store will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a game store. As shown in FIG. 2, in the game store, a plurality of game machines 20 and a table-to-stand card processing machine 10 provided corresponding to each game machine 20 are installed. The inter-unit card processor 10 connects to a communication line, which is a network in the store, via an island controller 30. The island controller 30, the card management device 40, the member management device 50, the prize management device 60, and the payment machine 80 are connected to the communication line.

The game machine 20 is a device for driving a game ball into a game board surface to play a game. A plurality of prize areas (winning openings) are provided on the game board surface of the game machine 20, and a predetermined number of game balls are given as prize balls based on the fact that the game balls have passed through the prize areas. It has become. Further, a predetermined number of starting areas (starting ports) are provided on the game board surface, and a predetermined lottery is performed based on the passing of the game balls through the starting areas. If the lottery is a big hit, the operation of a predetermined movable member or the like will perform an operation that is advantageous in terms of the game, such as improving the probability of passing the game ball to the above-mentioned winning area or another starting area. The result of the lottery due to the passage of the ball to the starting port is displayed on the special symbol display device that displays the result of the lottery. The lottery result of this special symbol display device is displayed in a mode in which a final display is performed after a variable display for a predetermined time. Further, the game board surface is provided with a decorative symbol display device that variably displays decorative symbols such as predetermined numbers based on the result of the lottery, and when the result of the lottery is a big hit, for example (7, 7). , 7), etc. are displayed and notified. It is also possible to provide an area that serves as both a starting area and a winning area.

The winning area is provided with a winning sensor for detecting the passage of the game ball into the winning area, and the passing (winning) of the game ball driven into the winning area by this winning sensor is detected. It has become. Further, the control unit of the game machine 20 has a prize ball memory for storing the number of game balls to be given as prize balls for each prize area.

Therefore, when the winning sensor detects that the driven game ball has passed through the specific winning area, the game machine 20 should give the game ball based on the stored contents of the prize ball memory and the number of game balls that have passed through the winning area. The number of prize balls can be determined, and the determined number of prize balls can be paid out. In addition, the driven game ball is finally discharged from the back side of the game board to the outside of the game machine regardless of whether or not it has passed through the winning area. The game balls discharged to the outside of the game machine are detected by an out-ball detection device attached to each game machine.

The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts payments, lends game balls, and communicates with the card management device 40. When the inter-unit card processing machine 10 receives the bills inserted by the player, it transmits the payment notification data including the amount of the bills to the card management device 40, and the amount is set to the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40. Add the numbers according to. Then, when the predetermined ball lending operation is performed, the ball lending request is transmitted to the card management device 40, the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40 is subtracted, and the number of games corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value is played. Performs ball payout processing.

Further, when the inter-unit card processing machine 10 accepts the card insertion, it transmits the card insertion notification data to the card management device 40. Further, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives data including the prepaid value, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls from the card management device 40, the inter-unit card processing machine 10 stores the received prepaid value, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls. Then, when the number of balls held is stored, the inter-unit card processor 10 transmits the ball holding request data to the card management device 40 to reduce the number of balls held by the card management device 40 to zero. clear.

Further, when the inter-table card processing machine 10 accepts the ball holding replay operation, it subtracts a predetermined number from the number of balls stored in its own device, and pays out the number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted number of balls. Do. Further, when the inter-unit card processing machine 10 receives the ball storage replay operation, the table-to-table card processing machine 10 transmits the ball storage replay request data to the card management device 40 to subtract a predetermined number from the number of balls stored managed by the member management device 50. Then, the number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted number of stored balls is paid out.

Further, when the inter-table card processing machine 10 accepts the card return operation, it transmits the ball holding ball addition request data including the number of balls held by its own device to the card management device 40, and the card management device 40 holds balls. After adding the numbers, the card ejection notification data is transmitted to the card management device 40 to control the ejection of the cards.

The island controller 30 is a relay device that bundles a group of game machines 20 and a machine-to-machine card processing machine 10 provided on the game island.

The card management device 40 is a device that manages the prepaid value of the card, the number of balls held, and the like as card data. When the card management device 40 receives the card insertion notification data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management device 40 manages the card ID of the inserted card in association with the device ID of the inter-unit card processing machine 10, and manages the card ID. The prepaid value and the number of balls held in association with the above are transmitted to the inter-unit card processing machine 10. When the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data is the card ID of the membership card, the card management device 40 transmits the card insertion notification data to the member management device 50 and receives it from the member management device 50. The stored ball replay data is transmitted to the inter-unit card processor 10.

Further, when the card management device 40 receives the ball holding ball subtraction request data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management device 40 clears the number of balls held to zero. Further, when the card management device 40 receives the ball addition request data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management device 40 sets the number of balls included in the ball addition request data to the number of balls managed by the card management device 40. to add.

Further, when the card management device 40 receives the ball lending request data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management device 40 subtracts a predetermined value from the prepaid value associated with the card ID and converts the ball lending permission data into the inter-unit card processing machine 10. Send to. Then, when the ball storage replay request data is received, the ball storage replay request data is transmitted to the member management device 50, and when the member management device 50 outputs the ball storage replay data, the ball storage replay data is transferred to the machine. It is transmitted to the card processor 10.

Further, when the card management device 40 receives the card ID from the prize management device 60, the card management device 40 notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of balls held associated with the card ID. Further, when the card ID is received from the settlement machine 80, the prepaid value associated with the card ID is notified to the settlement machine 80.

The member management device 50 is a management device that manages member management data of members registered as members in a game store. Specifically, the number of stored balls, the number of points, the password, the name, etc. are managed in association with the membership card ID issued to the member.

When the member management device 50 receives the card insertion notification data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the member management device 50 uses the stored ball replay data including the number of stored balls and the password associated with the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data. It is transmitted to the inter-card processor 10. Further, when the member management device 50 receives the ball storage replay request data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the member management device 50 subtracts a predetermined number from the number of balls stored associated with the card ID shown in the ball storage replay request data. The stored ball replay data including the number of stored balls after the subtraction is transmitted to the inter-unit card processor 10. The communication between the inter-unit card processor 10 and the member management device 50 is performed via the card management device 40.

Further, when the member management device 50 receives an inquiry about the number of stored balls from the prize management device 60, the member management device 50 notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of stored balls corresponding to the designated card ID.

The prize management device 60 is a terminal device for exchanging prizes attached to a prize exchange counter in the game store, and performs a prize exchange process for exchanging acquired balls, the number of stored balls, and the number of balls held for prizes. The prize management device 60 is connected to a card reader that reads the card ID from the card and a prize payout device that pays out the prize. When the prize management device 60 reads the card ID from the general card or the membership card (or when the identification data corresponding to the card ID is read from the mobile terminal or the like), the prize management device 60 transmits the card ID to the card management device 40. The number of balls possessed by the card ID is requested. When exchanging prizes for the number of stored balls, the member management device 50 is requested to store the number of stored balls.

When the card with the prepaid value is inserted, the checkout machine 80 transmits the card ID of the card to the card management device 40 and receives the response data to acquire the prepaid value associated with the card. Then, the money is paid out according to the acquired prepaid value.

Next, the ball lending process of the game system shown in FIG. 2 will be described. When the player performs a ball lending operation on the platform card processor 10, the platform card processor 10 transmits ball lending request data to the card management device 40. The ball lending request data includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the address that identifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 that is the transmission source, or arbitrary identification data.

When the card management device 40 receives the ball lending request data, the card management device 40 subtracts a predetermined value from the prepaid value associated with the card ID of the ball lending request data. Then, the card management device 40 transmits the ball lending permission data to the inter-unit card processing machine 10 of the transmission source. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 that has received the ball lending permission data performs a payout process of the number of game balls corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value.

Next, the ball holding replay process when the holding ball is replayed by the game system shown in FIG. 2 will be described. When the inter-unit card processing machine 10 accepts the insertion of a general card or a membership card, it transmits the card insertion notification data to the card management device 40. The card insertion notification data includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-unit card processing machine 10, an address that identifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 as the sender, or arbitrary identification data, and the inter-unit card processing machine. Includes data for identifying rates of 10.

When the card management device 40 receives the card insertion notification data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management device 40 transfers the number of balls at each rate associated with the card ID in the card insertion notification data to the inter-unit card processing machine 10. Notice.

The inter-unit card processing machine 10 stores the number of balls held from the card management device 40. Then, the card ID, the data for specifying the rate, and the ball subtraction request data indicating that the number of balls held is cleared to zero are transmitted to the card management device 40. When the card management device 40 receives the ball subtraction request data, the card management device 40 clears the number of balls held at each rate specified by the card ID to zero. Further, when the inter-table card processing machine 10 accepts the ball holding replay operation and performs the holding ball replay, the platform card processing machine 10 subtracts a predetermined number from the stored number of holding balls and performs a payout process of the corresponding number of game balls. .. In the case of payout processing, for multiples of units that can be paid out by the game machine (for example, 25 balls), the payout process is performed by sending a payout instruction to the game machine, and the rest (for example, less than 25 balls) of the own machine. The payout process is performed by paying out from the nozzle unit 18a.

When the inter-unit card processing machine 10 accepts the card return operation, it transmits the possession ball addition request data to the card management device 40. The ball addition request data includes the card ID of the card to be returned, the address that identifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 that is the sender, or arbitrary identification data, and the number of balls held at each rate. ..

When the card management device 40 receives the ball addition request data, the card management device 40 adds the number of balls included in the ball addition request data to the number of balls held at each rate associated with the card ID. After that, the inter-unit card processor 10 transmits the card ejection notification data to the card management device 40 to control the ejection of the card.

Next, the ball storage replay process in the game system shown in FIG. 2 will be described. When the inter-unit card processing machine 10 reads the card ID from the membership card or a mobile terminal that can be used as the membership card, the card insertion notification data is transmitted to the card management device 40. The card insertion notification data includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-unit card processing machine 10, an address that identifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 as the sender, or arbitrary identification data, and the inter-unit card processing machine. Includes data for identifying rates of 10.

The card management device 40 transmits the card insertion notification data received from the inter-machine card processor 10 to the member management device 50. When the member management device 50 receives the card insertion notification data, the member management device 50 has a password associated with the card ID in the card insertion notification data and the number of stored balls at the rate specified by the card insertion notification data. Then, the ball storage replay data including the possible number of ball storage replays is transmitted to the inter-unit card processor 10. The number of balls that can be replayed indicates the number of balls that can be replayed. The number of possible ball storage replays is a multiple of the number of game ball payout units in the ball storage replay. If an upper limit is set for the ball storage replay, the maximum value within the range of the number of stored balls and the upper limit is the possible number of ball storage replays. In addition, instead of the possible number of ball storage replays, the number of times the ball storage replay is possible may be used as the ball storage replay frequency. The stored ball replay frequency corresponds to the quotient obtained by dividing the stored ball number by the number of game ball payout units in the stored ball replay. However, if an upper limit is set for the ball storage replay, the ball storage replay frequency is limited by this upper limit.

The inter-vehicle card processor 10 stores the received ball storage replay data, and can accept the ball storage replay operation when the number of possible ball storage replays shown in the ball storage replay data is 1 or more.

When the inter-vehicle card processor 10 first accepts the ball storage replay operation after storing the ball storage replay data, the player is requested to input a password, and the entered password is the ball storage replay data. It is determined whether or not it matches the password shown in.

When the passwords match, the inter-unit card processor 10 transmits the ball storage replay request data to the card management device 40. The ball storage replay request data includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the address that identifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 that is the source, or arbitrary identification data, and the inter-unit card processing. Includes data for identifying the rate of the machine 10.

The card management device 40 transmits the ball storage replay request data to the member management device 50. When the member management device 50 receives the ball storage replay request data, the member management device 50 subtracts a predetermined value from the balance of the stored balls at the rate specified by the telegram among the stored balls associated with the card ID in the ball storage replay request data. Then, recalculate the possible number of ball storage replays. Then, the stored ball replay data including the balance after subtraction and the possible number of stored ball replays is transmitted to the inter-unit card processor 10.

The inter-machine card processing machine 10 updates the number of stored balls to be stored, and performs a processing of paying out the number of game balls corresponding to the number of payout units of the stored ball replay. In addition, it is determined whether the number of possible replays of the stored balls after the update is 1 or more. If the number of possible ball storage replays is 0, the ball storage replay operation cannot be accepted. If the number of possible ball storage replays after the update is 1 or more, the ball storage replay operation can be accepted again. It is not necessary to confirm the PIN for the second and subsequent replays of the stored balls. The personal identification number may be confirmed every time. Further, although the case where the member management device 50 subtracts the balance of the stored balls and then the inter-unit card processing machine 10 performs the game ball payout process is illustrated here, the game ball payout process is performed based on the stored ball replay request. After that, the balance of the stored balls may be subtracted. This is because the number of possible ball storage replays is shown in the ball storage replay data before the ball storage replay request, and the balance shortage will not be found after the ball storage replay request is accepted.

Next, the transition from holding balls to storing balls in the closing process will be described. The card management device 40 confirms the number of balls held in the card management data at the time of closing the store, and if there is a record associated with the number of balls held greater than zero, the number of balls held in the record is combined with the card ID and rate. Notify the member management device 50. The member management device 50 adds the number of balls held from the card management device 40 to the number of stored balls specified by the card ID and the rate. After that, the card management device 40 clears the number of balls held to zero.

Next, the appearance of the inter-table card processing machine 10 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of the inter-table card processing machine 10. Note that FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the inter-table card processing machine 10 connected to the game machine 20 as the inter-table card processing machine 10. Further, the game machine 20 to be attached is shown by a broken line. Further, although FIG. 3 shows the inter-table card processing machine 10 that accepts only banknotes, a unit having a function of accepting electronic money and coins associated with a mobile terminal or a card can also be provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inter-table card processing machine 10 includes a status display unit 11, a bill insertion slot 12a, a display operation unit 13, a card insertion slot 14a, a holding portion 14b, a nozzle unit 18a, and a counting unit 18b.

The status display unit 11 is composed of, for example, a multicolor LED, and displays the status of the device of the inter-unit card processor 10 by lighting or blinking a predetermined color. The bill insertion slot 12a is an insertion slot for various bills required for lending game balls. The display operation unit 13 is a device composed of, for example, a full-color touch panel type liquid crystal display or the like, and accepts display of operation buttons and input operations by the operation buttons. Although detailed illustration is omitted in FIG. 3, the display operation unit 13 has a flat plate shape in which the long side of the corresponding game machine 20 side is pivotally supported by the inter-tablet card processing machine 10. The angle formed by the front panel of the tablet processing machine 10 and the display surface of the display operation unit 13 can be changed.

The card insertion slot 14a is a card insertion slot owned by the player. The holding unit 14b is a portion for holding the mobile terminal used for membership registration, and when the mobile terminal is held over the holding unit 14b, data such as a unique ID (for example, IDm) of the mobile terminal is read from the mobile terminal. The nozzle unit 18a is a mechanism for ejecting a game ball to the game machine 20. The nozzle unit 18a is composed of a tubular nozzle provided on the front surface of the inter-table card processing machine 10 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction, and the tip of the nozzle can be located in the storage portion of the game machine. There is. The nozzle is supplied with the game medium from the ball supply device in the table-to-table card processor, which has received the game medium from the supply mechanism on the island where the table-to-table card processor 10 is installed. The counting unit 18b is a mechanism for counting game balls dropped from the lower plate of the game machine 20. The counting unit 18b includes a saucer for receiving game balls, a counting unit provided at the lower part of the inter-table card processing machine 10 for counting game balls with a counting sensor, and a counting unit for passing the game medium from the tray to the counting unit. It consists of a passage part. The saucer portion and the counting passage portion can be integrally removed from the inter-table card processing machine 10 based on a predetermined operation (for example, an employee's remote control operation). Further, the counting unit has a unit structure, and by removing the counting unit, the saucer unit, and the counting passage unit, the inter-table card processing machine 10 can be operated without a counting function.

Further, the inter-table card processing machine 10 has a camera 13a as a configuration characteristic of this embodiment. In FIG. 3, the camera 13a is arranged below the holding portion 14b. The camera 13a is used when capturing the two-dimensional code displayed by the terminal device 110.

Next, the configuration of the inter-table card processing machine 10 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the inter-table card processing machine 10 includes a bill carrier unit 12, a display operation unit 13, a camera 13a, a reader / writer 14, a holding unit 14b, a communication unit 15, and a storage unit 16. , A control unit 17, a nozzle unit 18a, and a counting unit 18b.

The bill transport unit 12 is a transport unit that transports the bills inserted from the bill insertion slot 12a to a bill storage unit (not shown) while discriminating the denomination and authenticity of the bills. The display operation unit 13 has a function of identifying and displaying various information such as the prepaid value, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls that can be used for ball lending from the card or the like that has received it, and displays information not related to other cards or the like. It is an input / output device such as a touch panel type liquid crystal display having a function and a function of accepting various operations such as ball lending operation. In addition to the above-mentioned display, the display operation unit 13 also has a function of displaying excess or deficiency regarding the number of cards that can be stored and displaying the communication status (online / offline, etc.) with the host device.

The reader / writer 14 is a device that reads a card ID from a card inserted into the card insertion slot 14a. The card inserted into the card insertion slot 14a is stored in a card storage unit (not shown) via the reader / writer 14. The holding unit 14b is an interface unit that reads various information such as a unique ID (for example, IDm) of the mobile terminal by short-range wireless communication when the mobile terminal or the like is held over. In addition, the reader / writer 14 has a function of associating the card stored in the card storage unit with value data such as a possession ball and a prepaid value shown in the card data 16b and issuing the card as a new card according to the return operation of the player. Also has. However, if the prepaid value shown in the card data 16b is 0 and the number of balls held is less than a certain number (minimum number of cards held), control is performed so that the card is not returned even if there is a return operation. This is a control to prevent a loss in the game store due to the destruction of a card associated with a small amount of balls, and it is accepted not only from the cards stored in advance but also from the outside. The same applies to other cards (excluding membership cards). As a fixed number, for example, the value obtained by multiplying the number of balls held by the lending unit price per ball can be set to be the card price or the lowest price prize in the game store, but the game is not limited to this. It can be set freely according to the store policy. In addition, if it is controlled not to return the card even if there is a return operation, the stored ball can be paid out, but a display indicating that the card cannot be returned and / or a replay of the card is displayed. A prompting display may be made.

The communication unit 15 is an interface unit for performing data communication between the game machine 20 and the island controller 30. The nozzle unit 18a is used for paying out a part or all of the game balls when paying out the game balls by lending or replaying. The counting unit 18b is a unit that counts game balls.

The storage unit 16 is a storage device including a hard disk device, a non-volatile memory, and the like. The storage unit 16 stores the own device state data 16a, the card data 16b, and the settlement data 16c.

The own device state data 16a is data indicating the state of the inter-unit card processing machine 10. The own device state data 16a includes the device ID of the inter-unit card processor and the game type setting. The device ID of the inter-table card processing machine is identification data for uniquely identifying the inter-unit card processing machine 10 in the game store. The game type setting is data indicating a game type or the like set in the inter-table card processing machine 10. When handling multiple rate game balls in a game store, "ball 1" for a 4-yen rate game ball, "ball 2" for a 2-yen rate game ball, and "ball 3" for a 1-yen rate game ball. In this way, the game type name is set and managed for each rate. The inter-machine card processor 10 selects a rate to be used for the game from these game types and stores it as a game type setting.

The card data 16b is data related to the card being used by the player. The card data 16b includes a card ID, a prepaid value, a possession ball, a stored ball, a possible number of stored ball replays, and the like. There is data for each type of game (rate) for possessed balls and stored balls. The card ID is a card ID read by the reader / writer 14. When a card is conveyed from a card storage unit (not shown) to the card insertion slot 14a and the card is ejected, the card data 16b is updated by the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during the transfer. Further, even when a card is conveyed from the card insertion slot 14a to a card storage unit (not shown), the card data 16b is updated by the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during the transfer.

The payment data 16c is data acquired from the terminal device 110 and stored. Specifically, it shows various information (information necessary for payment such as payment ID, payment amount, account used for payment, etc.) obtained by decoding the two-dimensional code captured by the camera 13a.

The control unit 17 is a control unit that controls the entire inter-unit card processing machine 10, and includes a data management unit 17a, a counting processing unit 17b, a settlement data acquisition unit 17c, a corresponding processing unit 17d, a restriction processing unit 17e, and a refund process. It has a portion 17f.

When the card is inserted, the data management unit 17a transmits the card insertion notification data including the device ID of the own device status data 16a and the card ID of the card data 16b to the card management device 40. Further, when the data management unit 17a receives data including value data (at least one of the prepaid value, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls) from the card management device 40, the data management unit 17a updates the card data 16b with the received value data. .. The data management unit 17a appropriately displays and controls the prepaid value, the number of balls held, and the number of stored balls shown in the card data 16b on the display operation unit 13.

Further, when the bill is inserted into the bill insertion slot 12a, the data management unit 17a transmits the payment notification data including the amount of the inserted bill, the card ID, and the inter-unit card processing machine ID to the card management device 40.

Further, the data management unit 17a transmits the ball lending request data including the card ID and the device ID to the card management device 40 when the ball lending operation is performed by the player. When the ball lending permission data is received as a response to the ball lending request data, the data management unit 17a performs a predetermined number of game ball payout processing.

Further, when the player performs the ball holding replay operation, the data management unit 17a subtracts a predetermined number from the number of balls held in the card data 16b and performs a payout process of the corresponding number of game balls. Do.

Further, when the number of possible ball storage replays shown in the card data 16b is 1 or more, the data management unit 17a can display the ball storage replay button on the display operation unit 13 and accept the ball storage replay operation. And. When the ball storage replay operation is performed by the player, the data management unit 17a transmits the ball storage replay request data including the card ID and the inter-unit card processing machine ID to the member management device 50. When the stored ball replay data is received as a response to the stored ball replay request data, the number of stored balls in the card data 16b is updated, and the game balls of the number of payout units of the stored ball replay are paid out. At the time of the first ball storage replay operation, the input of the password is requested, and the ball storage replay request data is transmitted on condition that it matches the password shown in the card data 16b.

Further, when the card return operation is performed by the player, the data management unit 17a transmits the card data addition request data including the card ID, the device ID, and the number of balls held to the card management device 40, and the card data 16b. After clearing the number of balls held to zero, the card ejection notification data is transmitted to the card management device 40, and the card is ejected.

Further, if the player performs the ball storage transfer operation with the membership card inserted, the data management unit 17a subtracts the number of balls held in the card data 16b and the member via the card management device 40. By transmitting the ball storage addition request data to the management device 50, the possessed balls are transferred to the ball storage. It is also possible to transfer balls using a mobile terminal instead of a membership card. Specifically, if the number of balls held is equal to or greater than a predetermined number and the mobile terminal is held over the holding unit 14b after the predetermined operation is performed, the data management unit 17a holds the balls shown in the card data 16b. By subtracting the number and transmitting the ball storage addition request data including the IDm read by the holding unit 14b, the possessed ball is transferred to the ball storage.

In addition, the data management unit 17a can perform processing related to the wagon service. The wagon service is a service in which a game clerk puts products such as drinks and cigarettes in a wagon, patrols the inside of the game store, and sells them to the players who are playing the game. In such a wagon service, in addition to payment by cash, payment by holding balls or storing balls is possible. When paying for the wagon service with a ball or a stored ball, the game clerk gives an instruction to the machine-to-machine card processor 10 through a clerk terminal (for example, a remote control terminal), and the machine-to-machine card processor 10 can settle the wagon service. Put it in a state. Then, information that can specify the number of balls to be subtracted or stored as consideration is input to the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10. This input process is performed by inputting a numerical value in the display operation unit 13 of the inter-unit card processor or the operation unit of the clerk terminal. When the inter-unit card processing machine 10 receives the input, it waits for the reception of the employee recording medium (for example, the wagon card) used for the wagon service. Then, when the wagon card is received, the data management unit 17a subtracts the input number of balls and stored balls from the number indicated by the card data 16b, and discharges the wagon card in association with the employee recording medium. In addition, the wagon service payment is made when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts the employee recording medium without accepting the input of information that can specify the number of balls to be deducted or stored as consideration. The process of returning the employee recording medium is performed without doing so. In addition, during the payment of the wagon service, when the input of information that can specify the number of balls and stored balls to be deducted as consideration is accepted, the replay operation of the balls and stored balls and the return operation of the recording medium are accepted. In that case, the conflict between the two processes is suppressed by limiting the replay operation / return operation by rejecting it or canceling the payment of the wagon service.

When a game ball is thrown into the counting unit 18b, the counting processing unit 17b causes the counting unit 18b to count the game balls, and adds the counting result to the number of balls held in the card data 16b.

The payment data acquisition unit 17c is a processing unit that decodes the two-dimensional code and acquires the payment data when the camera 13a captures the two-dimensional code. The settlement data is data showing various information related to settlement such as a settlement ID, a settlement amount, and an account used for settlement. The settlement data acquisition unit 17c stores various information acquired by decoding and the settlement data 16c in the storage unit 16.

The corresponding processing unit 17d associates the stand identification information for identifying the own device with the settlement data,
The process of transmitting to the card management device 40 is performed. As the device identification information, the device ID of the own device state data 16a may be used.

The restriction processing unit 17e performs a process of restricting the operation of the player. Specifically, it is possible to request a PIN or the like for a specific operation such as returning the card, and return the card on condition that the correct PIN is accepted. It is also possible to temporarily shift to a break mode in which all operations are temporarily prohibited when the player leaves the seat, and to cancel the break mode on condition that the correct PIN is accepted.

Here, the restriction processing unit 17e can also release the restriction by using the settlement data as a substitute for the personal identification number. The payment data acquired by the payment data acquisition unit 17c is transmitted to the card management device 40 together with the unit data, and is used for payment by cashless payment. The payment data 16c used in this way cannot be used for payment again, but by leaving the used payment data 16c in the storage unit 16, the payment ID can be used as a substitute for the password. Can be used as.

That is, a player who displays a two-dimensional code on the terminal device 110 and holds it on the inter-machine card processing machine 10 to make a cashless payment can return the card or cancel the break mode by holding the same two-dimensional code. Will be done.

The refund processing unit 17f is a processing unit that refunds the prepaid value by cashless payment. If the refund processing unit 17f accepts a refund operation requesting a refund by cashless payment while the payment data 16c is stored in the storage unit 16, the refund processing unit 17f setstle the amount corresponding to the prepaid value shown in the card data 16b. The refund data is generated using the account shown in the payment data 16c as the amount of money as the remittance destination account.

The refund processing unit 17f transmits the generated refund data to the card management device 40. The card management device 40 executes a payment process based on the received refund data, clears the prepaid value of the card used by the sender's inter-machine card processor 10 to zero, and completes the refund.

Next, an example of the data stored in the storage unit 16 of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit 16 of the inter-unit card processing machine 10.

The own device state data 16a shown in FIG. 5A shows a state in which the ID of the inter-table card processing machine 10 is "3001" and "ball 1" is set as the game type of the inter-unit card processing machine 10. ing.

The card data 16b shown in FIG. 5B shows a state in which the ID of the card inserted in the inter-unit card processing machine 10 is "1001". Here, the first digit of the card ID indicates the type of card, the card with the first digit "1" is a general card, and the card with the first digit "2" is a membership card. Further, the card data 16b indicates a state in which the prepaid value is "2000 degrees". Here, the frequency of the prepaid value is equivalent to 1 yen per frequency. Further, the card data 16b shows a state in which the number of coins held by ball 1 is "375 coins", the number of coins held by ball 2 is "500 coins", and the number of coins held by ball 3 is "2000 coins". Shown.

Further, the card data 16b can store a password, the number of balls that can be replayed, and the number of balls stored for each game type as data related to the stored balls, but FIG. 5 (b) shows the state in which a general card is accepted. Therefore, these data are "-" indicating not applicable. Although the configuration in which the number of replayable balls is stored as the replayable number is shown here, the replayable number of times may be stored as the replay frequency. Further, although not shown, the card management device 40 stores ON / OFF of the "lock" flag indicating the validity / invalidity of the card in addition to the possessed ball, the stored ball, and the prepaid value in association with the card ID. , When the theft of the card is discovered, it is turned on by the employee operation. These data are also included in the card data 16b and stored. Furthermore, this "lock" flag can be set for each function ("use of stored balls", "entry", etc.). For example, only the "entry" function is subject to "lock" at the request of the player. It can also be used to prevent erroneous operation. In addition, in this specification, "entry" means that the number of game media of a certain rate is converted into the number of game media of another rate based on the ratio of the unit price of the game media and used. In a specific example, in the inter-unit card processing machine 10 associated with the 4-yen rate, the number of balls X at the 1-yen rate is used, and X × (1 yen / 4 yen) = X / 4 balls. Can be exemplified by the payout process. This "entry" function can be enabled / disabled by the member management device 50 according to the store management policy.

In the settlement data 16c shown in FIG. 5C, the settlement ID which is the identification information uniquely identifying the settlement is "A001", the account used for the settlement is "Bank B C branch ordinary 123456", and the amount is It shows the state of "10000".

Next, the configuration of the terminal device 110 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 110 shown in FIG. The terminal device 110 is, for example, a smartphone or the like, and includes a display operation unit 111, a speaker 112, a camera 113, a communication unit 114, a storage unit 115, a control unit 116, and the like.

The display operation unit 111 is an input / output interface for performing display output and operation input, such as a touch panel display. The speaker 112 is an output interface that outputs audio. The camera 113 is an imaging device used for capturing still images and moving images. The communication unit 114 is a communication interface for data communication with the card management device 40, the payment device 100, and the like via a predetermined network such as the Internet.

The storage unit 115 is a storage device such as a non-volatile memory, and stores user data 115a, payment data 115b, and the like in addition to various programs. The user data 115a is various data related to the user of the terminal device 110, and may include a name, an address, an e-mail address, an account of a financial institution, and the like. The settlement data 115b indicates information necessary for settlement such as the settlement amount and the account used for settlement.

The control unit 116 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and realizes functions such as a payment data generation unit 116a and a coding processing unit 116b by reading a predetermined program from the storage unit 115 and executing the program.

The settlement data generation unit 116a is a processing unit that generates information necessary for settlement as settlement data 115b. The payment data 115b includes a payment ID that uniquely identifies the payment, a payment amount, an account used for the payment, and the like. The payment ID is determined by the payment data generation unit 116a. The settlement amount is determined by the operation of the player who is the operator. The account used for settlement is determined by accepting selection from, for example, the account stored in the user data 115a. The settlement data generation unit 116a stores the generated settlement data 115b in the storage unit 115.

The coding processing unit 116b encodes the settlement data 115b into a two-dimensional code and performs a process of displaying and controlling the display operation unit 111. The coding and display of the two-dimensional code can be performed when the payment data generation unit 116a generates the payment data 115b, or can be performed at an arbitrary timing based on the operation of the player. It is also possible to store the two-dimensional code in association with the payment data 115b and appropriately read and display it.

Next, the configuration of the card management device 40 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the card management device 40 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the card management device 40 includes a display unit 41, an input unit 42, an external network communication unit 43, a store network communication unit 44, a storage unit 45, and a control unit 46.

The display unit 41 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. The input unit 42 is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. The external network communication unit 43 is an interface unit for data communication via a network outside the game store. The store network communication unit 44 is an interface unit for data communication with the island controller 30, the member management device 50, the prize management device 60, and the payment machine 80 in the game store via a communication line.

The storage unit 45 is a storage device such as a hard disk device or a non-volatile memory, and stores game type setting data 45a, card management data 45b, device management data 45c, and payment management data 45d.

The game type setting data 45a is data in which the lending rate and the display name are associated with the game type. The card management data 45b is data in which the prepaid value, the number of balls held in each game type, and the user device ID indicating the device ID of the inter-table card processing machine 10 into which the card is inserted are associated with the card ID. is there. The device management data 45c is data related to the device placed in the game store. The device management data 45c includes the device ID of the inter-unit card processor, the address of the inter-unit card processor 10, the installation location, the game machine ID of the attached game machine, and model data.

The payment management data 45d is data for managing cashless payment at a game store. Specifically, the settlement management data 45d is data in which the settlement data is associated with the stand data and the processing data. The processing data indicates the processing status of the payment data according to the reception date and time when the payment data was received, the payment date and time when the payment processing was performed, the grant date and time when the prepaid value was added, and the like.

The control unit 46 is a control unit that controls the entire card management device 40, and is a game type setting management unit 46a, a card management unit 46b, a device management unit 46c, a payment processing unit 46d, a value adding unit 46e, and a completion notification unit 46f. Has. Actually, the programs corresponding to these functional units are stored in a ROM or non-volatile memory (not shown), and these programs are loaded into the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executed to execute the game type setting management unit. The corresponding processes are executed by the 46a, the card management unit 46b, the device management unit 46c, the payment processing unit 46d, the value adding unit 46e, and the completion notification unit 46f, respectively.

The game type setting management unit 46a is a processing unit that manages the game type used in the game store, the rate, and the display name as the game type setting data 45a in association with each other.

The card management unit 46b is a processing unit that manages the card management data 45b. Specifically, when the card management unit 46b receives the card insertion notification data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management unit 46b also notifies the card insertion notification of the destination device ID of the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data. The device ID shown in the data. In addition, the prepaid value associated with the card ID shown in the card insertion notification data and the number of balls held at each rate are notified to the inter-unit card processing machine 10 as value data. If the inserted card is a membership card, the card insertion notification data is transmitted to the member management device. When the card management unit 46b receives the ball subtraction request data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the card management unit 46b clears the number of balls held at the rate indicated in the ball subtraction request data to zero.

Further, when the card management unit 46b receives the ball lending request data including the card ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it determines whether or not the prepaid value associated with the card ID is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. .. When the prepaid value is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the card management unit 46b subtracts the predetermined value from the prepaid value stored in the card management data 45b, and includes the prepaid value after the update in the inter-unit card processor 10. Send the ball lending permission data. On the other hand, when the prepaid value is less than a predetermined value, the card management unit 46b notifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 of the ball lending non-profit data.

Further, when the card management unit 46b receives the payment notification data including the amount of money, the card ID and the device ID inserted from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management unit 46b notifies the prepaid value associated with the card ID of the payment. Add the prepaid value for the amount shown in.

Further, when the card management unit 46b receives the ball storage replay request data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the card management unit 46b transfers the ball storage replay request data to the member management device 50. Further, the response data from the member management device 50 to the ball storage replay request data is also transferred to the inter-unit card processor 10.

Further, when the card management unit 46b receives the ball addition request data, the card management unit 46b adds the number of balls included in the ball addition request data to the number of balls held at the corresponding rate. Further, when the card management unit 46b receives the card ejection notification data, the card management unit 46b erases the user device ID of the card ID.

Further, when the card management unit 46b receives the card ID from the prize management device 60, the card management unit 46b notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of balls held at each rate associated with the card ID. Further, when the card management unit 46b receives the card ID from the payment machine 80, the card management unit 46b notifies the payment machine 80 of the prepaid value associated with the card ID.

The device management unit 46c is a processing unit that manages the device management data 45c. The device management unit 46c generates and updates the device management data 45c based on the device ID acquired from the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10, the address of the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10, the installation location, and the game machine ID.

The payment processing unit 46d is a processing unit that executes payment processing based on the payment data received from the inter-machine card processing machine 10. When the payment processing unit 46d receives the payment data and the unit data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the payment processing unit 46d associates the payment data with the unit data and stores the new processing data in the storage unit 45 as the payment management data 45d. To do. In the new processing data, the reception date and time is the reception date and time of the settlement data and the unit data, and the other dates and times are blank.

Further, the payment processing unit 46d performs payment processing by transmitting the payment data to the payment device 100 provided outside the game store. After that, when the payment completion notification is received from the payment device 100, the payment processing unit 46d updates the payment date and time of the payment management data 45d with the reception date and time of the payment completion notification.

The value-adding unit 46e is a processing unit that adds a prepaid value when the payment processing unit 46d receives the payment completion notification and the payment processing is completed. Specifically, when the settlement process is completed, the value-imparting unit 46e identifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 based on the corresponding unit data. If the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is specified, the card ID in use is specified by the card management data 45b. Therefore, it is assumed that the payment processing for the payment amount has occurred for the specified inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the prepaid value is added by adding the prepaid value for the payment amount to the prepaid value for the specified card ID. When the prepaid value is added, the value-adding unit 46e updates the date and time of adding the settlement management data 45d at that date and time.

Although detailed description is omitted here, when the history of deposits in the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10 is accumulated and managed, the history of deposits by cashless payment is the same as the history of deposits by inserting money. to manage.

The completion notification unit 46f is a processing unit that notifies the completion of payment processing and the addition of prepaid value. When the settlement process is completed and the payment is made, the completion notification unit 46f notifies the corresponding inter-machine card processing machine 10 of the completion of the payment. In addition, when the addition of the prepaid value is completed, the corresponding inter-unit card processing machine 10 is notified of the completion of payment. If the addition of the prepaid value is completed within a predetermined time from the completion of the payment, the completion of the payment and the completion of the addition of the prepaid value may be notified at once. Further, if the payment data includes the address of the terminal device 110, the completion notification unit 46f can also notify the terminal device 110 of the completion of the payment.

Next, an example of the data stored in the storage unit 45 of the card management device 40 shown in FIG. 7 will be described. 8 to 9 are explanatory views for explaining an example of data stored in the storage unit 45 of the card management device 40.

The game type setting data 45a shown in FIG. 8A associates the game type name “ball 1” with the rate “4 yen” and the display name “4 pachinko”. Further, the game type setting data 45a associates the game type name "ball 2" with the rate "2 yen" and the display name "2 pachinko". Further, the game type setting data 45a associates the game type name "ball 3" with the rate "1 yen" and the display name "1 pachinko".

In the card management data 45b shown in FIG. 8B, the card ID "1001" has a prepaid value "2500", the number of balls 1 has "1500", the number of balls 2 has "2300", and the ball 3 Is associated with the number of balls "0". That is, the card with the card ID "1001" is not inserted into the inter-table card processing machine 10, and the holding balls are managed by the card management device 40.

Further, in the card management data 45b shown in FIG. 8B, the prepaid value "500", the number of balls held at each rate "0", and the destination device ID "3004" are associated with the card ID "1002". That is, the card with the card ID "1002" is inserted into the inter-unit card processing machine 10 with the device ID "3004", and the number of balls held is managed by the inter-unit card processing machine 10. Therefore, the number of balls held at each rate is zero.

Further, in the card management data 45b shown in FIG. 8B, the prepaid value "2000", the number of balls held at each rate "0", and the destination device ID "3001" are associated with the card ID "2002". That is, the card with the card ID "2002" is inserted into the inter-unit card processing machine 10 with the device ID "3001", and the management of the balls is transferred to the inter-unit card processing machine 10. Therefore, the number of balls held at each rate is zero.

In the device management data 45c shown in FIG. 8C, the address on the network of the inter-unit card processor 10 with the ID "3001" is "AB.CD.EF.GH", and the installation location is "Island 1-1". , The ID of the connected game machine 20 is "P001", the game type is "ball 3", and the model of the connected game machine 20 is "EV01". It also shows that the gaming machine 20 is in use.

The payment management data 45d shown in FIG. 9D is associated with payment data, unit data, and processing data. In addition, the payment data includes a payment ID, an account, an amount of money, and the like. The processing data includes the reception date and time, the settlement date and time, and the grant date and time.

FIG. 9D shows a state in which the settlement ID of the settlement data is "A001", the account is "Bank B, C branch, ordinary 123456", and the amount is "10000". Further, the unit data is "device ID: 3001", the reception date and time of the processing data is "2019/01/10 13:31", and the settlement date and time of the processing data is "2019/01/10 13:32". Yes, it indicates a state in which the date and time of granting the processing data is "2019/01/10 13:33".

Next, the processing procedure related to cashless payment will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure related to cashless payment. First, the payment data generation unit 116a of the terminal device 110 generates payment data indicating information necessary for payment (step S101), and the coding processing unit 116b encodes the payment data into a two-dimensional code (step S102) and displays it. Display control is performed on the operation unit 111 (step S103).

When the camera 13a of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 images the two-dimensional code displayed on the display operation unit 111 of the terminal device 110, the payment data acquisition unit 17c of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 reads the two-dimensional code (step). S201), the read two-dimensional code is decoded (step S202), and payment data is acquired (step S203).

The corresponding processing unit 17d of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 uses the device ID of its own device as the unit data, associates it with the acquired payment data (step S204), and transmits it to the card management device 40 (step S205).

When the payment processing unit 46d of the card management device 40 receives the payment data and the unit data from the inter-unit card processing machine 10, the payment processing unit 46d associates the new processing data and stores the payment management data 45d in the storage unit 45 (step S301). .. Further, the payment processing unit 46d performs payment processing by transmitting the payment data to the payment device 100 provided outside the game store (step S302).

After that, when the payment completion notification is received from the payment device 100 (step S303), the value-imparting unit 46e of the card management device 40 identifies the machine-to-machine card processor 10 based on the corresponding machine data (step S304). Then, it is assumed that the payment processing for the payment amount has occurred for the specified inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the prepaid value for the payment amount is given (step S305).

The completion notification unit 46f of the card management device 40 notifies the inter-unit card processing machine 10 of the completion of payment and the completion of adding the prepaid value (step S306). If the payment data includes the address of the terminal device 110, the completion notification unit 46f notifies the terminal device 110 of the completion of the payment (step S307), and ends the process.

Next, refund processing by cashless payment will be described. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of refund processing by cashless payment. If the refund processing unit 17f of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 accepts a refund operation requesting a refund by cashless payment while the payment data 16c is stored in the storage unit 16 (s21), it is shown in the card data 16b. The amount corresponding to the prepaid value is set as the settlement amount, and the account shown in the past settlement data 16c is used as the remittance destination account to generate refund data (s22).

The refund processing unit 17f transmits the generated refund data to the card management device 40 (s23). The card management device 40 performs payment processing by transmitting the received refund data to the payment device 100 (s24).

The payment device 100 executes refund payment by adding the payment amount to the account indicated in the received refund data, and transmits the payment completion to the card management device 40 (s25). Upon receiving the payment completion notification, the card management device 40 clears the prepaid value of the card used in the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that is the source of the refund data to zero (s26), and the refund completion and the prepaid value are cleared. Is notified to the inter-unit card processing machine 10 (s27).

It is also possible to notify the terminal device 110 of the completion of the refund (s28). For example, by including the address of the terminal device 110 in the refund data, it is possible to notify the terminal device 110 when the payment device 100 completes the payment. Similarly, the card management device 40 can read the address of the terminal device 110 included in the refund data and give a notification.

Next, a modified example relating to the addition of prepaid value will be described. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example relating to the addition of prepaid value. If the prepaid value that can be associated with one card has an upper limit and the prepaid value for the payment amount of the deposit is added, the upper limit of the prepaid value may be exceeded.

In such a case, the value-imparting unit 46e of the card management device 40 controls based on the balance of the prepaid value of the card ID in use or the presence or absence of the prepaid value of the card ID in use.

FIG. 12A shows control based on the balance of prepaid value. In this control, if the total of the prepaid value balance and the value corresponding to the deposit amount is less than or equal to the upper limit (for example, 11000 yen), the deposit amount is added to the prepaid value balance of the card currently in use. On the other hand, if the total of the balance of the prepaid value and the value corresponding to the deposit amount exceeds the upper limit (for example, 11000 yen), the current use is discharged and the deposit amount is added to the balance of the prepaid value of the next card. .. Alternatively, the card management device 40 may manage the deposit amount and wait for the balance of the prepaid value of the card currently in use to decrease and to be able to be added within the upper limit.

FIG. 12B shows control based on the presence or absence of prepaid value. In this control, when the balance of the prepaid value is "none", that is, the balance of the prepaid value is zero, the prepaid value of the card currently in use is valued by the deposit amount. On the other hand, if the prepaid value is "yes", that is, if the balance of the prepaid value is not zero, the current use is discharged and the next card is valued for the deposit amount to the prepaid value. Alternatively, the card management device 40 may manage the deposit amount and wait for the balance of the prepaid value of the card currently in use to become "none".

As described above, in the present embodiment, the inter-unit card processing machine 10, which is each unit device attached to the game machine 20, acquires payment data indicating information related to payment from the terminal device 110 carried by the player. Then, the device data that identifies each device is associated with the payment data. Then, the card management device 40 executes the payment process based on the payment data, and adds the prepaid value based on the corresponding unit data. With such a configuration, the card management device 40 integrates and manages the cashless payment and the provision of prepaid value in a large number of inter-unit card processing machines 10 instead of each of the inter-unit card processing machines 10 performing cashless payment. Can be done. Therefore, it is possible to support cashless payment while suppressing the burden on the amusement store.

Further, the inter-unit card processing machine 10 can acquire payment data by optically reading and decoding the code displayed by the terminal device.

Further, the inter-table card processing machine 10 can restrict the operation of the player, and can release the restriction on condition that the code is read.

Further, the card management device 40 and the payment device 100 can notify the terminal device 110 of the completion of the payment process.

It is also possible for the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10 to hold the payment data for which payment processing has been performed, and to specify the refund destination based on the payment data when returning the prepaid value.

Further, when the inter-unit card processing machine 10 exceeds the upper limit of the value that can be associated with the storage medium in use, it is possible to add value to the new storage medium.

If the inter-unit card processing machine 10 exceeds the upper limit of the value that can be associated with the storage medium in use, the value added to the payment processing is put on standby, and the storage medium in use is within the upper limit. It is also possible to add value in the standby state when it becomes possible to add value in.

In this embodiment, the configuration in which the inter-unit card processing machine 10 associates the payment data with the unit data has been described as an example, but other devices such as the card management device 40 have the payment data and the unit data. May be configured to associate the above.

Further, in the present embodiment, the card management device 40 performs the payment processing, but another device may perform the payment processing, such as providing a device dedicated to the payment.

Further, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the terminal device 110 generates payment data and encodes it into a two-dimensional code is illustrated, but the terminal device 110 requests other devices such as the payment device 100 to perform these processes. It may be configured.

Further, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the device ID of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 is used as the unit data is illustrated, but if the inter-unit card processing machine 10 can be specified, the unit data in any format can be used. it can. Further, the player may input the information for identifying the store and the game machine into the terminal device 110 and use it as the stand data.

Further, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the account of the past payment data is used as the refund destination account is illustrated, but the configuration in which the refund destination account is acquired again from the terminal device 110 or the configuration specified by the player is also possible. Good.

Further, in this embodiment, a configuration in which the prepaid value is refunded by cashless payment is illustrated, but if the refund cannot be made by cashless payment for some reason such as a communication abnormality, the card associated with the prepaid value is returned. , It is also possible to configure the payment with the payment machine 80.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the cashless payment is used for the purchase of the prepaid value in the machine-to-machine card processing machine 10 has been described, but other devices may be configured to perform the cashless payment. For example, a ticket vending machine that sells a card to which a prepaid value is given by money or debit payment may be configured to support cashless payment. Further, the prize management device 60 may be configured to support cashless payment.

Further, a minimum amount may be set for the use of cashless payment, and the use of cashless payment may be restricted if the amount is less than the minimum amount.

Further, in this embodiment, the configuration in which information related to cashless payment is exchanged using a two-dimensional code has been described as an example, but information related to cashless payment is exchanged using short-range wireless communication or the like. It may be configured to perform.

In the above-described embodiment, detailed description of the form of the card, which is a medium for associating the number of game media, has been omitted, but such a card includes a magnetic card, an IC card, and the like. Further, although the "card" has been described as an example for convenience of explanation here, the present invention can be applied when a chip, a stick, a mobile terminal or the like is used in addition to the card.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the game ball is used as the game medium has been described as an example, but it can also be applied to the case where a medal for a slot machine is used.

Further, each of the illustrated configurations is a schematic function, and does not necessarily have to be physically illustrated. That is, the form of distribution / integration of each device is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and all or part of the device is functionally or physically distributed / integrated in an arbitrary unit according to various loads and usage conditions. Can be configured.

As described above, the game management system and the game management method according to the present invention are suitable for supporting cashless payment while suppressing the burden on the game store.

10 Card processing machine 11 Status display unit 12 Bill carrier 12a Bill insertion slot 13, 111 Display operation unit 13a, 113 Camera 14 Reader / writer 14a Card insertion slot 14b Holding section 15, 114 Communication section 16, 45, 115 Storage section 16a Own device status data 16b Card data 16c, 115b Settlement data 17, 46, 116 Control unit 17a Data management unit 17b Counting processing unit 17c Payment data acquisition unit 17d Corresponding processing unit 17e Restriction processing unit 17f Refund processing unit 18a Nozzle unit 18b Counting unit 20, game machine 30 island controller 40 card management device 41 display unit 42 input unit 43 external network communication unit 44 store network communication unit 45a game type setting data 45b card management data 45c device management data 45d payment management data 46a game type setting Management unit 46b Card management unit 46c Device management unit 46d Payment processing unit 46e Value-adding unit 46f Completion notification unit 50 Member management device 60 Prize management device 80 Payment machine 100 Payment device 110 Terminal device 112 Speaker 115a User data 115b Payment data 116a Payment data Generation unit 116b Coding processing unit

Claims (9)

It is a game management system that is attached to a game machine that plays a game using a game medium and has each device that performs processing related to the game medium.
A payment information acquisition means for acquiring payment information indicating payment information from a terminal device carried by a player, and
Corresponding means for associating the device identification information for identifying each device with the payment information,
A payment processing means that executes payment processing based on the payment information,
A game management system including a means for adding value to the game medium based on the corresponding machine identification information when the payment process is performed. The game management system according to claim 1, wherein the payment information acquisition means acquires the payment information by optically reading and decoding the code displayed by the terminal device. Each of the above-mentioned device is further provided with limiting means for limiting the operation of the player.
The game management system according to claim 2, wherein the limiting means releases the restriction on condition that the code is read. The corresponding means is provided in each of the stand devices and is provided.
The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the payment processing means is provided in a management device that receives notification of the device identification information and the payment information from each device. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a notification means for notifying the terminal device of the completion of the payment process. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the payment information that has been settled is retained and the refund destination is specified based on the payment information when the value is returned. Any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the imparting means imparts value to a new storage medium when the upper limit of the value that can be associated with the storage medium in use is exceeded. The game management system described in one. When each of the devices exceeds the upper limit of the value that can be associated with the storage medium in use, the granting means puts the value addition related to the payment process in a standby state and puts the upper limit on the storage medium in use. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the value can be added within the range, the value in the standby state is added. It is a game management method in a game management system that is attached to a game machine that plays a game using a game medium and has each device that performs processing related to the game medium.
A payment information acquisition step for acquiring payment information indicating payment information from a terminal device carried by a player, and
Corresponding step of associating the stand identification information for identifying each stand device with the payment information,
A payment processing step that executes payment processing based on the payment information,
A game management method including a granting step of adding value to the game medium based on the corresponding machine identification information when the payment process is performed.

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