JP2021090547A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To stabilize rotation of a reel.SOLUTION: A game machine includes: a plurality of reels where many kinds of symbols are arranged respectively; a motor for rotating the reels; winning combination lottery means of determining win/lose of a winning combination in accordance with operation of a start switch; and reel control means which starts rotating the plurality of reels as a prescribed stop switch is operated, excites a motor of a reel corresponding to the operated stop switch, stops the reel, and releases excitation after a prescribed time passes after excitation. The reel control means executes excitation release standby processing that waits for release of excitation of the motor until the reels start to rotate after the start switch is operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

In a slot machine as a game machine, a lottery of winning combinations is performed according to a bet of a medal (game medium) and an operation of a start switch by the player, and a plurality of reels on which various symbols are written are rotated. Then, the reels are sequentially stopped according to the lottery result and the operation of the stop switch by the player, and when the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination is displayed on the effective line on the line to be paid out, the predetermined number of reels is displayed. A game profit (hereinafter, simply referred to as a game profit) will be given to the player, such as the medals being paid out.

In such a slot machine, when the reel is stopped, the motor corresponding to the reel to be stopped is excited in all phases, and then the excitation is released after a predetermined time has elapsed. Then, when the medal is discharged from the medal payout device, the timing at which the motor is excited and the timing at which the medal payout device is operated are made different by waiting for the motor to release the excitation and then operating the medal payout device. It is designed to suppress the maximum power consumption (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-246694

By the way, in the slot machine, if the medal is not paid out in the previous game, the next game can be started immediately by betting the medal and operating the start switch. However, since the motor is excited to a specific exciting phase, such as when the reel is stopped in the previous game, the reel is excited in the next game before the motor is released. When the rotation of the reel is started, the operation of the reel may become unstable.

In view of such problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine capable of stabilizing the rotation of reels.

In order to solve the above problems, the gaming machine of the present invention has a plurality of reels in which a plurality of types of symbols are arranged, a motor for rotating the reels, and a winning combination according to the operation of a start switch. The winning combination lottery means for determining the result and the rotation of the plurality of reels are started, and the motor of the reel corresponding to the operated stop switch is excited in response to the operation of the predetermined stop switch to stop the reel. The reel control means includes a reel control means for releasing the excitation when a predetermined time elapses after being excited and excited, and the reel control means is from the operation of the start switch to the start of rotation of the reel. In the meantime, the excitation release waiting process that waits for the excitation release of the motor is executed.

The reel control means may execute the excitation release waiting process after the winning or losing of the winning combination is determined by the winning combination lottery means.

According to the present invention, it is possible to stabilize the rotation of the reel.

It is an external view for demonstrating the schematic mechanical structure of a slot machine. It is an external view in the state which the front door is opened for demonstrating the schematic mechanical structure of a slot machine. It is a figure explaining the symbol arrangement and effective line of a reel. It is a block diagram which showed the schematic electrical structure of a slot machine. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the winning combination. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating transition of a game state. It is a figure which shows the winning combination lottery table. It is a flowchart which showed the main processing of the main control board. It is a flowchart which showed the lottery process of a main control board. It is a flowchart which showed the payout process of a main control board. It is a flowchart which showed the medal payout device control process of a main control board. It is a flowchart which showed the excitation release waiting process of a main control board. It is explanatory drawing which shows the memory map of the main ROM and the main RAM. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the program and work area of the medal payout device control process. It is an external view for demonstrating the schematic mechanical structure of a slot machine. It is a figure explaining the flowchart which showed the excitation release waiting process when the number of reels is four, the program of the excitation release waiting process, and the work area.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, other specific numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiment are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to omit duplicate description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown. To do.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the embodiment of the present invention, first, the mechanical configuration and the electrical configuration of the slot machine (game machine) in which the player can play the game will be briefly described, and then the specifics in each substrate of the slot machine will be described. Processing (transition of winning combination and gaming state) and characteristic processing in the present embodiment will be described, and a flowchart for realizing these will be described in detail.

(Mechanical configuration of slot machine 100)
As shown in the external views of FIGS. 1 and 2, the slot machine 100 includes a housing 102 which is a substantially rectangular box body, and a front upper door which is openably and closably attached to a front opening of the housing 102. 104, located below the front upper door 104, and like the front upper door 104, located below the front lower door 106 and the front lower door 106 that are openable and closable with respect to the front opening of the housing 102. , A saucer portion 108 for storing medals paid out from the medal discharge port 108a is provided.

An operation unit installation table 122 is formed on the upper part of the front lower door 106, and a medal insertion unit 124, a bet switch 126, a start switch 128, a stop switch 130, and the like are arranged on the operation unit installation table 122.

The medal insertion unit 124 located on the right side of the operation unit installation table 122 accepts the insertion of medals as a game value through the medal insertion port (insertion port) 124a, and the medal selector (shown) provided on the back surface of the front lower door 106. Send a medal to the door. The medal selector includes a blocker (not shown) that guides medals inserted outside the insertion period or non-standard medals to the medal outlet 108a, and medals within the standard inserted during the insertion period. The inserted medal detection unit 124b for detecting the passage of the above is provided. Here, the medals guided to the medal discharge port 108a are discharged to the saucer portion 108. When a player inserts medals in excess of the maximum specified number (for example, 3) among a plurality of specified number of medals required to start one game, the maximum specified number is exceeded. The medals for the number of medals are electrically stored (hereinafter, simply referred to as credits) inside the slot machine 100 (main RAM 200c) up to a predetermined upper limit (upper limit amount, for example, 50). The number of credited medals is called the number of stored medals.

The bet switch 126 is a push-type button switch for betting the maximum specified number of medals among the credited medals. When the bet switch 126 is pressed while the maximum number of medals is credited, the maximum number of medals is bet and the number of stored medals is reduced by the maximum number of medals. If the bet switch 126 is pressed while medals less than the maximum specified number are credited, all the stored medals are bet and the stored number is reduced to 0.

The start switch 128 located on the left side of the operation unit installation table 122 is composed of a lever capable of detecting a tilting operation, and detects a start operation of one game by a player. Further, the start switch 128 can also be configured by a button switch capable of detecting a pressing operation.

A colorless and transparent design display window 136 made of a glass plate, a transparent resin plate, or the like is provided in the lower center of the front upper door 104, and a reel is provided at a position corresponding to the design display window 136 in the housing 102. A unit 134 is provided. In the reel unit 134, as shown in the reel symbol arrangement of FIG. 3A, three reels 134a, 134b, and 134c in which a plurality of types of symbols are arranged in each region divided into 20 equal parts are independent of each other. The reels 134a, 134b, and 134c can be visually recognized through the symbol display window 136. The reel unit 134 starts the rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c triggered by the operation of the start switch 128.

The stop switch 130 located at the center of the operation unit installation base 122 is a button switch provided corresponding to each of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c and capable of detecting the pressing operation of the player, and is a button switch capable of detecting the pressing operation of the player, and the reels 134a, 134b, 134c. The stop operation of the player who tries to stop each is detected. The three button switches related to the stop switch 130 are the stop switches 130a, 130b, and 130c in order from the left according to their positions.

In this way, the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are stopped by the stop operation through the stop switches 130a, 130b, and 130c, respectively. Here, an effective line is provided as shown in FIG. 3B so that the player can grasp the stopping mode. There is only one effective line, and specifically, it corresponds to the symbol that stops at the middle of reels 134a, 134b, and 134c out of the nine symbols (3 reels x 3 stages of upper, middle, and lower) facing the symbol display window 136. The line connecting the winning positions is set as the effective line A for determining the winning combination.

A liquid crystal display unit (image display unit) 138 for displaying various images accompanying the effect is provided at substantially the center of the upper part of the front upper door 104. Further, on the upper portion and the left and right of the front upper door 104, for example, an effect lamp 142 composed of a high-luminance light emitting diode (LED) is provided.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, speakers that produce auditory effects such as sound effects and musical sounds at the left and right positions of the liquid crystal display unit 138 on the back surface of the front upper door 104 and the inner surface left and right positions on the back surface of the front lower door 106. 140 is provided. Further, below the reel unit 134 in the housing 102, a medal payout device (medal hopper) 264 for paying out medals from the medal discharge port 108a is provided. The medal payout device 264 includes a medal storage unit 264a for storing medals, a payout control unit 264b for discharging medals stored in the medal storage unit 264a from the medal discharge port 108a, and medals discharged from the medal discharge port 108a. It is provided with a payout medal detection unit 264c for detecting the above.

Further, although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, inside the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c, among the symbols applied to the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c, the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c corresponding to the symbol display window 136 are formed. A reel backlight 144 (see FIG. 4) is provided to illuminate the upper, middle, and lower symbols independently from the back surface. Further, a reel upper light 146 that directly illuminates the front surface of all the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c is also provided on the upper part of the back surface of the symbol display window 136.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the operation unit installation table 122, the main credit display unit 152 and the main payout display unit are on the substantially horizontal plane of the step portion 122a provided between the symbol display window 136 and the stop switch 130. 154 is provided. Further, a sub-credit display unit 156 and a sub-payout display unit 158 are provided between the symbol display window 136 and the operation unit installation table 122. The number of stored medals stored internally is displayed on the main credit display unit 152 and the sub credit display unit 156, and the number of medals paid out is displayed on the main payout display unit 154 and the sub payout display unit 158. The sub-credit display unit 156 and the sub-payment display unit 158 can also display various numerical values associated with the effect.

Further, a power switch 148 is provided at an arbitrary position in the housing 102. The power switch 148 is composed of a switch such as a rocker switch that can detect a pressing operation, and is operated by an administrator who manages the slot machine 100 to switch between two states, a power off state and a power on state. Used.

(Electrical configuration of slot machine 100)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic electrical configuration of the slot machine 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the slot machine 100 is mainly controlled by a control board. Here, as an example of the control board, the main control board 200 and the sub control board 202, which share the functions of the control board, will be described. For example, among the programs related to the progress of the game, the main control board 200 executes particularly important processing such as the lottery of the winning combination to be used for the game and its winning, and the sub control board 202 performs other processing related to the production, for example. Is running on. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the transmission of electrical signals between the main control board 200 and the sub control board 202 is one from the main control board 200 to the sub control board 202 from the viewpoint of fraud prevention and the like. Limited to direction only. However, without such restrictions, two-way communication is technically possible.

(Main control board 200)
The main control board 200 has various semiconductor integrated circuits including a main CPU 200a which is a central processing unit, a main ROM 200b in which programs and the like are stored, a main RAM (RWM) 200c which functions as a work area, and the like. Control in a centralized manner. However, a backup power supply (not shown) is connected to the main RAM 200c, and even if the power is turned off, the data will not be erased unless the settings are changed and the initialization process of the main RAM 200c is executed. Be retained.

Further, the main control board 200 functions by the main CPU 200a cooperating with the main RAM 200c based on the program stored in the main ROM 200b, the initialization means 300, the betting means 302, the winning combination lottery means 304, and the reel control means. It has functional units such as 306, determination means 308, payout control means (game value adding means) 310, state transition means 312, command determination means 314, and command transmission means 316.

The initialization means 300 executes the initialization process on the main control board 200. The betting means 302 bets medals for use in the game. Here, the bet is based on the case where the credited medal is inserted through the operation of the bet switch 126, the case where the medal is inserted through the medal insertion unit 124, and the case where the replay combination is displayed on the valid line A. This includes all cases where medals are automatically inserted. Based on the bet of the medal and the operation of the start switch 128, the winning combination lottery means 304 selects a plurality of types of winning combinations including a small winning combination, a replay winning combination, and a bonus winning combination, and one of the unwinning winning combination by lottery. decide.

The reel control means 306 controls the rotation of the plurality of reels 134a, 134b, 134c according to the operation of the start switch 128, and the plurality of stop switches 130a, 130b, corresponding to the rotating reels 134a, 134b, 134c, respectively. In response to the operation of 130c, the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c corresponding to the operated stop switches 130a, 130b, and 130c are stopped and controlled, respectively. Further, the reel control means 306 activates the operation of the stop switch 130 in the previous game in response to the operation of the start switch 128, and then displays the lottery result of the winning combination lottery of the stop switch 130 by the player. The time until the operation is enabled (disabled by the completion of the operation of the stop switch 130 in the previous game) is extended from the specified time (wait time, for example, 4.1 seconds), during which the reels 134a, A reel effect (freeze effect) may be performed in which the rotation of 134b and 134c is controlled in various modes. In the reel effect, an arbitrary switch that should be originally enabled is not enabled for a predetermined time, a process that should be originally executed is held for a predetermined time, or a signal of an arbitrary switch that should be originally transmitted / received is transmitted or received for a predetermined time. It can be realized by not having it.

The determination means 308 determines whether or not the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination determined in the winning combination lottery is displayed on the valid line A. Here, the display of the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination determined in the winning combination lottery on the valid line A may be simply referred to as winning. The payout control means 310 pays out the number of medals corresponding to the winning combination based on the fact that the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination determined in the winning combination lottery is displayed on the valid line A (winning). .. The state transition means 312 transitions the gaming state based on the winning or winning of the bonus combination.

The command determining means 314 sequentially determines commands related to the game associated with the operations of the betting means 302, the winning combination lottery means 304, the reel control means 306, the determination means 308, the payout control means 310, the state transition means 312, and the like. The command transmitting means 316 sequentially transmits the commands determined by the command determining means 314 to the sub-control board 202.

The main control board 200 receives various detection signals from the input medal detection unit 124b, the bet switch 126, the start switch 128, and the stop switch 130, and based on the received detection signals, the bet means 302 and the winning combination lottery means. The 304, the reel control means 306, and the determination means 308 perform the various processes described above. Further, the main credit display unit 152 and the main payout display unit 154 are connected to the main control board 200, and the payout control means 310 displays the number of stored medals and the number of payouts on both display units 152 and 154. Control.

Further, a reel drive control unit 258 is connected to the main control board 200. The reel drive control unit 258 drives the stepping motor 262 and stops switch based on the rotation start signals of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c transmitted from the reel control means 306 in response to the operation signal of the start switch 128. The drive of the stepping motor 262 is stopped based on the stop signals of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c and the detection signals of the rotation position detection circuit 260 transmitted from the reel control means 306 in response to the operation signal of the 130.

Further, a medal payout device 264 is connected to the main control board 200. The detection signal of the payout medal detection unit 264c is input to the main control board 200, and the payout control means 310 from the payout control unit 264b counts the number of medals to be paid out according to the detection signal. Control the ejection of medals.

Further, the main control board 200 is provided with a random number generator 200d. The random number generator 200d sequentially increments the count value, loops within a predetermined total number (for example, 65536) (0 to 65535), and generates (acquires) a random number by extracting the count value at a predetermined time point. The random numbers generated by the random number generator 200d of the main control board 200 (hereinafter referred to as the winning combination lottery random numbers) are used for the game profit given to the player, for example, the winning combination lottery means 304 for determining the winning combination. ..

(Sub-control board 202)
Further, the sub control board 202 has various semiconductor integrated circuits including a sub CPU 202a which is a central processing device, a sub ROM 202b in which programs and the like are stored, a sub RAM 202c which functions as a work area, and the like, similarly to the main control board 200. , In particular, the effect is controlled based on the command from the main control board 200. Further, like the main RAM 200c, a backup power supply (not shown) is connected to the sub RAM 202c, and even when the power supply is turned off, the data is retained without being erased. Similar to the main control board 200, the sub-control board 202 is also provided with a random number generator 202d, and the random numbers generated by the random number generator 202d (hereinafter referred to as effect lottery random numbers) mainly represent the mode of the effect. Used to determine.

Further, the sub control board 202 functions by the sub CPU 202a collaborating with the sub RAM 202c based on the program stored in the sub ROM 202b, such as the initialization determination means 330, the command receiving means 332, and the effect control means 334. It has a functional part.

The initialization determining means 330 executes the initialization process on the sub-control board 202. The command receiving means 332 receives a command from another control board such as the main control board 200, and processes the command. The effect control means 334 determines the effect of the game performed by each device of the liquid crystal display unit 138, the speaker 140, and the effect lamp 142 based on the winning combination command. Specifically, the effect control means 334 includes image data displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 138, an effect lamp 142, a reel backlight 144, a reel upper light 146, a sub credit display unit 156, a sub payout display unit 158, and the like. The lighting data for the production through the lighting device is determined, and the audio data constituting the sound to be output from the speaker 140 is determined. Then, the effect control means 334 executes the effect of the determined game.

The effect includes an effect executed by the main control board 200 such as the reel effect described above, and an effect executed by the sub control board 202. The effect executed by the sub control board 202 includes a liquid crystal display unit 138, a speaker 140, an effect lamp 142, a reel backlight 144, a reel upper light 146, a sub credit display unit 156, and a sub payout display unit as the game progresses. It is a visual and auditory means of expression provided through 158 and the like, and can give a story to the game and suggest the result of the winning combination lottery with a more dynamic image. In such an effect, for example, an effect suggesting winning of a bonus game can be performed over a plurality of games to raise the player's expectation. In addition, even if none of the winning roles have been won, it is possible to give the player a sense of expectation of a high payout through the production as if he had won, so that the player does not get bored. It will be possible. By interlocking the main control board 200 and the sub control board 202, various playability can be constructed. Hereinafter, the main game modes will be described in detail.

(Table used in the main control board 200)
In the slot machine 100, a plurality of gaming states are provided, and the gaming states change according to the progress of the game. Then, in the main control board 200, a plurality of winning combination lottery tables and the like corresponding to the gaming states managed by the state transition means 312 are stored in the main ROM 200b. The winning combination lottery means 304 extracts and extracts the corresponding winning combination lottery table from the main ROM 200b according to the current gaming state (game state based on the presence or absence of establishment of the bonus combination described later) stored in the main RAM 200c. Based on the winning combination lottery table and the current set value, it is determined which winning combination or non-winning combination in the winning combination lottery table is the winning combination lottery random number acquired in response to the operation signal of the start switch 128. Here, the set value indicates the ease of obtaining the game profit step by step, and the higher the numerical value of the set value, the easier it is to obtain the game profit. The set value is generally determined by the hall-side manager at least at the start of the game, and the player cannot acquire or change the set value during the game.

Here, the winning combination extracted in the winning combination lottery table includes a replay role, a small role, and a bonus role. The state in which the symbol combinations corresponding to such winning combinations are aligned on the effective line A is called display or winning, and the state from winning the winning combination to displaying the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination is internally. Win a prize. The replay role among the winning combinations is a role in which one game can be executed again without making a new bet of a medal by the player when the symbol combination corresponding to the replay combination is displayed on the valid line A. The small winning combination is a combination in which a predetermined number of medals can be paid out according to the symbol combination by displaying the symbol combination corresponding to the small winning combination on the effective line A. Further, the bonus combination is a winning combination that can shift the gaming state managed by the state transition means 312 to the bonus gaming state by displaying the symbol combination corresponding to the bonus combination on the effective line A. .. The game profits given to the winning combination and the player will be described below.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the winning combination, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the transition of the gaming state.

Further, in the present embodiment, as the winning combination, as shown in FIG. 5, the winning combination "replay", "bell", and "big bonus (hereinafter referred to as" BB ")" are provided. Of these, the winning combination "replay" corresponds to the replay combination, the winning combination "bell" corresponds to the small combination, and the winning combination "BB" corresponds to the bonus combination.

(Replay role)
As a result of the winning combination lottery, when the winning combination "replay" is won, the symbol "replay" written on each reel 134a, 134b, 134c, which is a combination of symbols corresponding to the winning combination "replay" shown in FIG. 5, is displayed. When it becomes possible to display on the effective line A and the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "replay" is displayed on the effective line A, as described above, one game (replay) is performed again without betting by the player. ) Can be executed.

Here, in the present embodiment, when the stop switch 130 is pressed by the player, if the symbols constituting the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination are on the effective line A, the reel control means 306 is used. , Stop control is performed so that the symbol stops on the effective line A. Further, when the stop switch 130 is pressed, the symbols constituting the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination are not on the effective line A, but in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c. When it exists within the range (pull-in range) corresponding to four symbols, the number of distant symbols becomes the number of sliding frames by the reel control means 306, and the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination is configured. Stop control is performed so that the symbol is pulled onto the effective line A and the rotation is maintained for the number of sliding frames and then stopped. In addition, when there are a plurality of symbols corresponding to the winning combination in each reel 134a, 134b, 134c and all of them are within the pull-in range of each reel 134a, 134b, 134c, according to a predetermined priority. It is determined which symbol is to be drawn onto the effective line A, and stop control is performed so as to keep the rotation for the number of sliding frames so that the prioritized symbol is drawn onto the effective line A and then stop. When the stop switch 130 is pressed, if there is a symbol on the effective line A that constitutes a symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination other than the winning combination, the reel control means 306 transfers the symbol. The so-called kicking process, which prevents the player from stopping on the effective line A, is also executed in parallel.

Then, in each of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c, the symbols constituting the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "replay" are arranged so that they can always be displayed on the effective line A by the above stop control (the above-mentioned stop control). See FIGS. 3 and 5). Specifically, the symbols that make up the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "replay" are separated by only a maximum of 4 frames in each reel 134a, 134b, 134c, so they are always on the effective line A by stop control. Can be displayed on. In this way, when the winning combination "replay" is won, the symbol combinations corresponding to these winning combination "replays" are always displayed on the effective line A. In this way, when the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "replay" is displayed on the effective line A, it is possible to start the next one game without inserting a medal.

(Small role)
In addition, when the winning combination "Bell" is won as a result of the winning combination lottery, the symbol "Bell A" written on each reel 134a, 134b, 134c, which is a combination of symbols corresponding to the winning combination "Bell". Can be displayed on the valid line A, and when the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "bell" is displayed on the valid line A, the number of medals corresponding to the winning combination (9 in this case) is displayed by the player. Will be paid out to. Here, since the symbols "Bell A" constituting the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "Bell" are separated from each other by a maximum of four symbols in each reel 134a, 134b, 134c (FIGS. 3 and 5). (See), as with the winning combination "replay", it can always be displayed on the effective line A by the above stop control.

(Bonus role)
Further, as a result of the winning combination lottery, when the winning combination "BB" is won, the symbol "red" written on each reel 134a, 134b, 134c, which is a combination of symbols corresponding to the winning combination "BB" shown in FIG. 7 ”can be displayed on the valid line A, and when the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination“ BB ”is displayed on the valid line A, the game state is set to the bonus game state, and the next one game (hereinafter, hereafter, After that (simply referred to as the next game), the game can be executed in the bonus game state until a predetermined number (for example, 297) of medals are paid out. In each of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c, the symbol "red 7" is arranged so that it may not be displayed on the effective line A even by the above stop control (see FIGS. 3 and 5). ). Therefore, even if the winning combination "BB" is won, the player is not always able to display the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" on the effective line A.

When any of the above-mentioned winning combinations is won, the internal winning flag corresponding to each winning combination is established (ON), and the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are respectively established according to the establishment status of the internal winning combination. Stop control will be performed. At this time, if the small winning combination is won, but the symbol combination corresponding to the small winning combination cannot be displayed on the valid line A in the one game, the internal winning flag is set after the end of the one game. Is turned off. That is, the right to win a small role is limited to one game in which the small role is won, and the right cannot be carried over to the next game. In addition, when the internal winning flag corresponding to the winning combination "Replay", which is the replay combination, is established, the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "Replay" is always displayed on the valid line A, and the next one without requiring a medal. The internal winning flag is turned off after the processing required for playing the game is performed. On the other hand, when the winning combination "BB" is won, the BB internal winning flag is established (ON) and the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" is displayed on the valid line A until it is displayed. The BB internal winning flag is carried over across the game.

(Transition of game state)
Here, the BB internal winning flag will be specifically described together with the transition of the gaming state. When the BB internal winning flag is established, the gaming state managed by the main control board 200 is the winning combination, which is a bonus combination, as shown in FIG. 6 (1), depending on the establishment status of the BB internal winning flag. From the non-bonus-established gaming state that has not been won in "BB" to the bonus-established gaming state corresponding to the preparation state of the bonus gaming state, the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are stopped and controlled based on the bonus-established gaming state. At this time, if the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" cannot be displayed on the effective line A, the BB internal winning flag is carried over to the next game as it is (the bonus-established game state is maintained). In the next and subsequent games, the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" can be displayed on the effective line A. Then, when the player displays the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" on the effective line A, the game state shifts from the bonus established game state to the bonus game state as shown in (2) of FIG. To do. Further, in the bonus game state, when a predetermined number of medals (for example, 297 medals) are paid out, the game state shifts from the bonus game state to the bonus non-established game state as shown in (3) of FIG. .. However, as shown by the broken line arrow in (4) of FIG. 6, in the game in which the winning combination "BB" is established in the game state in which the bonus is not established, the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" is placed on the effective line A. When it is displayed, it directly shifts to the bonus game state without going through the bonus established game state.

(Winner lottery table)
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a winning combination lottery table used when determining a winning combination lottery random number. In the winning combination lottery table, a plurality of winning areas are divided, and the winning combination to be the target of the lottery may differ depending on each game state. In FIG. 7, the winning area (winning combination) assigned to each gaming state (bonus non-established gaming state, bonus established gaming state, bonus gaming state) is represented by “◯”. Therefore, the winning area not marked with "○" indicates that it is not assigned to the gaming state. Each of the partitioned winning areas is associated with a predetermined number (winning range value), which is a numerical value indicating the winning range, and a winning combination, and the number of all winning areas assigned for each gaming state. Is summed up to be the total number of winning combination lottery random numbers (65536). Therefore, the probability that each winning combination is determined is a value obtained by dividing the number of places associated with the winning area by the total number of winning combination lottery random numbers. The winning combination lottery means 304 sequentially acquires the number of the winning combination lottery means from the one with the highest number among the plurality of winning areas in the winning combination lottery table based on the game state at that time, and determines the number of the winning combination lottery random numbers. When the subtraction value is less than 0, the winning combination associated with the winning area at that time is used as the lottery result. The lottery procedure can be applied to other lottery.

In addition, the winning combination to be the target of the lottery differs depending on each game state. For example, in FIG. 7, when the bonus non-established gaming state and the bonus established gaming state are compared, the former draws the winning combination "BB", while the latter draws the winning combination "BB". Not. This is because in the latter case, since the winning combination "BB" has already been won, the winning combination "BB" cannot be won again. Further, in the latter, the winning probability of the winning combination "replay" is set higher than that in the former. Further, according to the bonus game state of FIG. 7, the winning combination "BB" is not drawn again, and the winning combination "replay" is not drawn. In addition, since the winning combination "Bell" is set to be won with a high probability, the expected number of cards to be obtained, which indicates the average value of the number of cards that can be obtained in one game, is higher than that of the game state in which the bonus is not established or the game state in which the bonus is established. It's getting higher. A "non-winning" is associated with the winning area 0 of the winning combination lottery table, and when the "unwinning" is determined by the winning combination lottery, the symbol combination corresponding to any of the winning combinations shown in FIG. Is not displayed on the valid line A, and medals are not paid out. However, if "unwinning" is determined by the winning combination lottery in the bonus-established game state (BB internal winning flag is ON), the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" can be displayed on the valid line A.

Hereinafter, specific processing on the main control board 200 will be described with reference to a flowchart.

(Main processing of main control board 200)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the main processing of the main control board 200. Here, first, the outline of one game after initialization will be described along with the main processing of the main control board 200. Further, although detailed description is omitted, when each process is executed, the switches (bet switch 126, start switch 128, stop switch 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d) used in each process are effective at the start of the process. And invalidated at the end of the process.

(Step S100)
When the power of the slot machine 100 is turned on via the power switch 148 and the power is turned on, the initialization means 300 executes the initialization process in preparation for the start of the game. The initialization means 300 generates backup data at any time while the power is turned on, and holds the backup data in the main RAM 200c. Therefore, even if an unexpected power failure occurs, it is possible to restore the state before the power failure by using the retained backup data in this initialization process. For example, even if an unexpected power failure occurs during the rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c, the reels 134a, 134b, 134c are started from the state of being rotated again after the return operation. Therefore, in the initialization process, the main RAM 200c is basically not initialized (RAM clear).

(Step S200)
Further, the command determining means 314 generates an input command indicating the changed number of bets and the number of stored sheets when the number of bets is changed, and the command transmitting means 316 transmits the generated input command to the sub-control board 202. Send to.

(Step S300)
Next, the winning combination lottery means 304 activates the game start operation for the start switch 128, and shifts to the operation waiting state of the start switch 128. Here, the winning combination lottery means 304 is at the time when the start switch 128 is operated from the winning combination lottery random numbers updated by the random number generator 200d of the main control board 200 in response to the operation of the start switch 128 by the player. Acquire the winning combination lottery random number of 1. Then, the winning combination lottery means 304 determines which winning area the acquired winning combination lottery random number corresponds to based on the winning combination lottery table shown in FIG. 7 and the currently set gaming state. , The winning combination or the unwinning of the determined winning area is determined as the lottery result. Further, after the lottery result is determined according to the operation of the start switch 128, the command determination means 314 generates a winning combination command including information on the lottery result (winning combination or unwinning combination) of the winning combination lottery, the game state, and the like. Then, the command transmitting means 316 transmits the generated winning combination command to the sub-control board 202. In addition, the state transition means 312 shifts the gaming state from the bonus non-established gaming state to the bonus established gaming state based on winning the winning combination "BB" in the bonus non-established gaming state. The lottery process S300 will be described in detail later.

(Step S400)
When the start switch 128 is operated, the reel control means 306 drives the stepping motor 262 to rotate the reels 134a, 134b, 134c. In this reel rotation process, when a predetermined time (for example, 4.1 seconds) has elapsed from the start of rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c in the previous game (wait), the reels 134a, 134b, 134c in the game When the rotation is started and all of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are rotated at a constant speed, the process is transferred to step S500. In addition, the reel control means 306 may execute a reel effect.

(Step S500)
Subsequently, the reel control means 306 activates the stop switches 130a, 130b, 130c, and when the player receives an operation of the stop switches 130a, 130b, 130c, any one of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c corresponding to the operation is received. Stop control. Further, when any one of the stop switches 130a, 130b, and 130c is operated, the command determining means 314 is a stop command (first stop command, second stop command, second) indicating information on the stopped switches 130a, 130b, 130c that have been operated. The stop command and the third stop command) are generated each time the operation is performed, and the command transmission means 316 sequentially transmits the generated stop commands to the sub-control board 202.

(Step S600)
Next, the determination means 308 determines which predetermined combination the symbol combination displayed on the effective line A shown in FIG. 3B corresponds to, and the game state is determined according to the symbol combination. Performs various processes required for changes and replays. Further, the command determining means 314 generates a winning command including the number of medals to be paid out when the symbol combination displayed on the effective line A and the symbol combination corresponding to the small winning combination is displayed on the effective line A. , The command transmitting means 316 transmits the generated winning command to the sub-control board 202. Further, the state transition means 312 shifts the gaming state from the bonus-established gaming state to the bonus gaming state based on the fact that the symbol combination corresponding to the winning combination "BB" is displayed on the valid line A in the bonus-established gaming state. ..

(Step S700)
Subsequently, the payout control means 310 executes a medal payout process corresponding to the small winning combination when, for example, a symbol combination corresponding to the small winning combination is displayed on the effective line A based on the determination result in step S600. , When the symbol combination corresponding to the replay combination is displayed on the effective line A, the process for betting the next game is automatically executed. Further, the state transition means 312 shifts the gaming state from the bonus gaming state to the bonus non-established gaming state when a predetermined number of medals are paid out in the bonus gaming state. In this way, the payout control means 310 executes various processes corresponding to the symbol combinations displayed on the effective line A, and ends the one game. Further, when the medal payout process is performed, the command determination means 314 generates a payout command indicating that the payout process has been performed, and the command transmission means 316 transmits the generated payout command to the sub-control board 202. .. The payout process S700 will be described in detail later.

One game is executed through a series of processes from step S200 to step S700. After that, the main loop from step S200 to step S700 will be repeated.

(Lottery process S300)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the lottery process in step S300. Here, the processing related to the features of the present embodiment will be described in detail, and the description of the configuration unrelated to the features of the present embodiment will be omitted.

(Step S301)
The winning combination lottery means 304 acquires the winning combination lottery random numbers, and the winning combination lottery random numbers acquired based on the winning combination lottery table shown in FIG. 7 and the currently set gaming state are the winning areas. Is determined, and the winning combination lottery process for determining the winning combination or the unwinning combination in the determined winning area as the lottery result is executed.

(Step S302)
The winning combination lottery means 304 determines a symbol code setting process that determines a symbol that can be displayed on the effective line A among the symbols arranged on the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c, based on the lottery result determined in step S301. To execute.

(Step S800)
The reel control means 306 executes an excitation release waiting process that waits until all-phase excitation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c is released. The excitation release waiting process S800 will be described in detail later.

(Step S303)
The reel control means 306 determines whether or not the inter-game timer for timing the wait time between one game is zero. As a result, if the one-game timer is 0, the process is transferred to step S304, and if the one-game timer is not 0, the process of step S303 is repeated. The inter-game timer is set in step S304 below, and is operated in parallel every time in the interrupt process (every 5.96 msec) executed once every four interrupts every 1.49 msec. It is subtracted by 1.

(Step S304)
The reel control means 306 sets a value corresponding to the wait time in the one-game timer, and ends the lottery process S300.

In this way, in the lottery process S300, all-phase excitation of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c is released, and when the wait time between one game elapses, the lottery process S300 ends and shifts to the reel rotation process S400, and the reel 134a , 134b, 134c will start rotating.

(Payout processing S700)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the payout process in step S700. Here, the processing related to the features of the present embodiment will be described in detail, and the description of the configuration unrelated to the features of the present embodiment will be omitted.

(Step S701)
The payout control means 310 determines whether or not there is a medal payout based on the determination result (winning combination) in step S600. As a result, if there is a medal payout, the process moves to step S702, and if there is no medal payout, the payout process S700 ends.

(Step S702)
The payout control means 310 determines whether or not the number of stored medals (credited medals) is 50 (upper limit). As a result, if the number of stored sheets is 50, the process is transferred to step S703, and if the number of stored sheets is not 50, that is, if the number of stored sheets is 49 or less, the process is transferred to step S704.

(Step S703)
The payout control means 310 executes a medal payout device control process that controls the medal payout device 264 in order to pay out one medal from the medal discharge port 108a. The medal payout device control process S703 will be described in detail later.

(Step S704)
The payout control means 310 adds 1 to the number of stored sheets.

(Step S705)
The payout control means 310 adds 1 to the numerical value displayed on the main payout display unit 154.

(Step S706)
The payout control means 310 determines whether or not all the medals have been paid out. As a result, if the payout of all medals is completed, the process is transferred to step S707, and if the payout of all medals is not completed, the process is returned to step S702.

(Step S707)
The payout control means 310 stops the operation of the medal payout device 264 and ends the payout process S700. If the medal payout device 264 is not operating, the process of step S707 is omitted.

As described above, in the payout process S700, when the medals are paid out, the processes from step S702 to step S706 are repeated in order to pay out the medals one by one. Therefore, for example, when 15 sheets are paid out, the processes from step S702 to step S706 are performed 15 times.

(Medal payout device control process S703)
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the medal payout device control process in step S703. Here, the processing related to the features of the present embodiment will be described in detail, and the description of the configuration unrelated to the features of the present embodiment will be omitted.

(Step S800)
When the medal payout device control process S703 is started, the payout control means 310 executes an excitation release waiting process that waits until all phase excitation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c is released. The excitation release waiting process S800 will be described in detail later.

(Step S703-1)
The payout control means 310 operates the medal payout device 264 to pay out (send) one medal from the medal payout device 264.

(Step S703-2)
The payout control means 310 sets a predetermined value corresponding to the time determined to be empty in the empty timer for detecting that the medals stored in the medal storage unit 264a are empty. The empty timer is deducted by 1 each time in the interrupt process (every 5.96 msec) which is executed in parallel and is executed once every four interrupts every 1.49 msec.

(Step S703-3)
The payout control means 310 determines whether the empty timer is 0, that is, whether an empty error has occurred. As a result, if an empty error has occurred, the process is transferred to step S703-7, and if no empty error has occurred, the process is transferred to step S703-4.

(Step S703-4)
The payout control means 310 determines whether the payout medal detection unit 264c is off, that is, whether or not the medal payout device 264 has started paying out medals. As a result, if the payout medal detection unit 264c is off, the process is returned to step S703-3, and if the payout medal detection unit 264c is not off, that is, if the medal payout device 264 has started paying out medals. , Step S703-5.

(Step S703-5)
The payout control means 310 determines whether or not a medal jam error has occurred. The medal jam error is detected when the payout medal detection unit 264c is on for a specified time or longer, which is regarded as a medal jam error. As a result, if a medal jam error has occurred, the process is moved to step S703-7, and if a medal jam error has not occurred, the process is moved to step S703-6.

(Step S703-6)
The payout control means 310 determines whether the payout medal detection unit 264c is on, that is, whether or not the medal payout device 264 has finished paying out the medals. As a result, if the payout medal detection unit 264c is on, the process is returned to step S703-5, and if the payout medal detection unit 264c is not on, that is, if the medal payout device 264 has completed the payout of medals. , The medal payout device control process S703 is terminated.

(Step S703-7)
The payout control means 310 stops the operation of the medal payout device 264.

(Step S703-8)
The payout control means 310 displays an error code corresponding to the medal clogging error on the main credit display unit 152, and executes an error waiting process for notifying the sub control board 202 of the medal jamming error. Further, the payout control means 310 waits (stands by) until the cause of the error is removed and the error canceling operation is performed. When the cause of the error is removed and the error canceling operation is performed, the process in step S703-1 is performed. To move.

As described above, in the medal payout device control process S703, while the processes from step S702 to step S706 are looping in the payout process S700, the medal payout device 264 is powered when the process of step S703-1 is executed for the first time. Is supplied and the medal payout device 264 is activated, then one medal is paid out from the medal payout device 264, but if no error occurs, the medal payout device 264 is stopped (power supply is stopped). There is no such thing. After that, when the process of step S703-1 is executed from the second time onward, since power is supplied to the medal payout device 264, one medal is paid out from the medal payout device 264 as it is. Then, when all the processes from step S702 to step S706 are completed in the payout process S700, the medal payout device 264 is stopped (power supply is stopped) in step S707.

(Excitation release waiting process S800)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the excitation release waiting process in step S800. Here, the processing related to the features of the present embodiment will be described in detail, and the description of the configuration unrelated to the features of the present embodiment will be omitted. In the lottery process S300 described above, the reel control means 306 executes the excitation release wait process S800, and in the medal payout device control process S703, the payout control means 310 executes the excitation release wait process S800. , The excitation release waiting process S800 executed by the reel control means 306 and the payout control means 310 is executed by the same subroutine (program).

(Step S801)
The reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 acquires the motor phase of the reel 134a (shown as the left reel in the figure). Here, the motor phase is set as the state of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c. The motor phase indicates the operating state of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c, that is, during acceleration, steady rotation, stop, and standby, as will be described in detail later. Specifically, the 1-byte (storage unit) variable assigned to the motor phase is accelerating = 3, steady rotation = 2, stopped = 1, waiting =, depending on the operating state of the stepping motor 262. It changes to a value such as 0. Here, an example in which the storage unit is 1 byte is given, but for example, 2 bytes may be used. Further, the excitation release waiting process S800 is a determination process of waiting for the motor phases of all the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c to become 0.

(Step S802)
The reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 determines whether the motor phase of the reel 134a acquired in step S801 is 0, that is, whether the reel 134a is on standby. As a result, if the motor phase of the reel 134a is 0, the process is transferred to step S803, and if the motor phase of the reel 134a is not 0, the process is returned to step S801. Therefore, the reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 repeats the determination process of determining whether the motor phase is 0 if the motor phase is not 0.

(Step S803)
The reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 acquires the motor phases of the reel 134b (shown as the middle reel in the figure) and the reel 134c (shown as the right reel in the figure).

(Step S804)
The reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 determines whether or not the motor phase of the reels 134b and 134c acquired in step S803 is 0. As a result, if the motor phase of the reels 134b and 134c is 0, the excitation release waiting process S800 is terminated, and if the motor phase of the reels 134b and 134c is not 0, the process is returned to step S801. Therefore, the reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 repeats the determination process of determining whether the motor phase is 0 if the motor phase is not 0.

As described above, in the excitation release waiting process S800, first, it is determined whether or not the motor phase of the reel 134a is 0, and if the motor phase of the reel 134a is 0, then the motors of the reels 134b and 134c are subsequently determined. Determine if the phase is 0. If the motor phase of the reels 134b and 134c is 0, all the reels 134a, 134b and 134c are on standby, and all-phase excitation of the stepping motors 262 corresponding to the reels 134a, 134b and 134c is completed. It is determined that there is, and the excitation release waiting process S800 is terminated.

(State of reels 134a, 134b, 134c)
In this embodiment, a stepping motor 262 having a total number of steps of 252 is used to rotate the three reels 134a, 134b, and 134c. This is because if the number of symbols is 21, 252 is a multiple of 21, so the number of steps for each symbol can be handled evenly. In this embodiment, since the stepping motor 262 is operated by 1-2 phase excitation, the resolution can be increased and the number of steps can be counted at 504, which is twice that of 252. Therefore, in the following example, the total number of steps is treated as 504.

The states of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are represented by the motor phase (parameter). The motor phase indicates the operating state of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c, that is, during acceleration, steady rotation, stop, and standby. Specifically, the 1-byte variable assigned to the motor phase changes to values such as acceleration = 3, steady rotation = 2, stopped = 1, and standby = 0, depending on the operating state of the motor. .. Although the operations such as acceleration, steady rotation, stop, and standby are mentioned here, deceleration may be included as the operation.

When the start switch 128 is operated, the reel control means 306 excites the stepping motors 262 corresponding to the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c in 1-2 phases to start rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c, respectively. At this time, the reel control means 306 shifts the motor phase to 3. Then, when the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c reach a predetermined speed (less than 80 rpm / min) after, for example, 167 msec, the reel control means 306 continues 1-2 phase excitation to achieve a constant speed. Move to the state. At this time, the reel control means 306 shifts the motor phase to 2.

After that, for example, when the stop switch 130a is operated, the reel control means 306 determines a symbol existing in the pull-in range at the time of operation as a stop symbol (determines the number of sliding frames), and the stop symbol is effective. The rotation is maintained for the number of sliding frames so as to be pulled onto the line A. Subsequently, when the reel 134a reaches the stop position where the determined stop symbol can be stopped on the effective line A, the reel control means 306 excites the stepping motor 262 corresponding to the reel 134a in all phases, and the exciting phase is changed. The stop processing of the reel 134a is started so as not to switch. At this time, the reel control means 306 shifts the motor phase to 1. In this way, the rotation speed of the reel 134a is reduced, the reel 134a is stopped about 13 msec after the start of the stop processing, and the stopped state is maintained. Such full-phase excitation is released after being continued for a predetermined time (eg, 200 msec), and the reel control means 306 shifts the motor phase to zero.

(Excitation release waiting process S800 in lottery process S300)
Here, while the stepping motor 262 corresponding to any of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c to be stopped last among the reels 134a, 134b, 134c is excited in all phases (without paying out medals). It is assumed that the next game is started and the rotations of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are started. In that case, the operation of any of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c corresponding to the stepping motor 262 that is excited in all phases may become unstable. Specifically, any of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c corresponding to the stepping motor 262 that is all-phase excited may vibrate while being all-phase excited. In this way, if any one of the vibrating reels 134a, 134b, and 134c is started to rotate, the initial operation of the reels will be affected.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described above, in the lottery process S300, after the winning combination lottery process S301 and the symbol code setting process S302 are executed, and before the reel rotation process S400 is executed, the excitation release waits. Process S800 is executed. That is, before the rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c starts, it waits for all-phase excitation of the stepping motor 262 corresponding to all the reels 134a, 134b, 134c to be released.

As a result, for example, in the previous game, even if the result is a loss in which the symbol combinations corresponding to the winning combinations are not aligned on the effective line A, the number of cards required to start the game is equal to or greater than the specified number. If the start switch 128 in the next game can be operated while the full-phase excitation of the stepping motor 262 performed in the previous game continues, as in the case of the storage in the credit, the next It is possible to prevent the rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c from starting in the game, and it is possible to stabilize the rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c. This is a predetermined time between the time when the stop operation is performed on any one of the reels 134a, 134b and 134c and the time when the stop operation on any one of the next reels 134a, 134b and 134c becomes possible. (For example, 200 ms) or the time until the reels 134a, 134b, 134c that have been stopped are stopped may also occur, but more notably, the specifications that do not wait for these times, that is, one reel This is a case where the specifications allow the immediate stop operation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c after the stop operation is performed on the 134a, 134b, 134c.

Further, the excitation release waiting process S800 is executed after the winning combination lottery process S301 and the symbol code setting process S302 are executed. As a result, the time required for all-phase excitation of the stepping motor 262 to continue can be elapsed by the time during which the winning combination lottery process S301 and the symbol code setting process S302 are executed, and the time required for the excitation release waiting process S800 can be reduced. Can be reduced.

(Excitation release waiting process S800 in payout process S700)
Further, in the payout process S700, when the medal is paid out from the medal payout device 264, the excitation release wait process S800 is executed in the medal payout device control process S703. Therefore, when the medals can be electrically stored inside the slot machine 100 (main RAM 200c), the excitation release waiting process S800 is not executed. As a result, when the medals are electrically stored inside the slot machine 100 (main RAM 200c), the medals are immediately stored, so that the game progresses quickly and the stress of the player is reduced. be able to.

On the other hand, when the medals cannot be electrically stored inside the slot machine 100 (main RAM 200c), that is, when the number of stored medals is 50, the payout control means 310 executes the medal payout device control process S703.

Here, it is necessary to supply a large current in order to drive the medal payout device 264. When the excitation (all-phase excitation) timing of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c and the timing of driving (starting) the medal payout device 264 overlap, the amount of current allowed for the entire device managed by the main control board 200 is increased. May be exceeded.

Therefore, when the medal is paid out from the medal payout device 264, the payout control means 310 executes the excitation release waiting process S800 before supplying electric power to the medal payout device 264 to operate the medal payout device 264 (step S703-1).

As a result, the excitation (all-phase excitation) timing of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c can be made different from the timing at which the medal payout device 264 is driven, so that the amount of current allowed for the entire device managed by the main control board 200 can be different. Will not be exceeded. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a power supply having a large current capacity for driving the medal payout device 264 during the excitation of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, the medal payout device control process S703 is executed every time one medal is paid out. Therefore, the excitation release waiting process S800 is also executed every time one medal is paid out. It seems that it is not necessary to execute the excitation release waiting process S800 a plurality of times because the excitation of the stepping motor 262 is released once the excitation release waiting process S800 is executed. However, if it is determined whether or not the excitation release waiting process S800 is executed each time one medal is paid out, the program capacity (memory capacity) is increased by that amount. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the program capacity is reduced by executing the excitation release waiting process S800 each time one medal is paid out without determining whether or not the excitation release waiting process S800 is executed. Can be done.

Further, in the lottery process S300 and the payout process S700, the excitation release wait process S800 is executed by the same subroutine (program), so that it is not necessary to provide another subroutine (program) in each process. The capacity can be reduced.

(Memory management by main CPU 200a)
By the way, as described above, in the main control board 200, the main CPU 200a cooperates with the main RAM 200c based on the program stored in the main ROM 200b, so that the initialization means 300, the betting means 302, and the winning combination lottery means 304 , Reel control means 306, determination means 308, payout control means 310, state transition means 312, command determination means 314, command transmission means 316, etc., and controls the progress of the game. The program for executing these functional units is arranged in a predetermined area (used area) of the main ROM 200b and the main RAM 200c.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a memory map of the main ROM 200b and the main RAM 200c. Here, the main ROM 200b is allocated a memory space of 0000h to 2FFFh (12kbyte), and the main RAM 200c is allocated a memory space of F000h to F1FFh (512byte) and F200h to F3FFh (512byte). Further, the used area is defined in both the main ROM 200b and the main RAM 200c.

A used area is allocated to the memory space of the main ROM 200b from 0000h to 1DF3h. Specifically, in the memory space (control area) limited to 0000h to 11FFh (4.5kbyte), the initialization means 300, the betting means 302, the winning combination lottery means 304, the reel control means 306, the determination means 308, and the payout control. The instruction code of the program for executing the main process for controlling the progress of the game by operating the means 310, the state transition means 312, the command determination means 314, and the command transmission means 316 is stored, and 1200h to 1DF3h (3.0 kbytes). Data used in the game control processing program is stored in the memory space (data area) limited to. A comment area is allocated to the memory space of 1E00h to 1EFFh, and a program management area is allocated to the memory space of 2FC0h to 2FFFh. The instruction code of the program is written in assembler language. Here, the program is composed of an instruction code, is read by a computer, and can realize a predetermined process in cooperation with data and a work area.

Further, a used area is allocated to the memory spaces of F000h to F1FFh of the main RAM 200c. Specifically, the work area for the main processing is allocated to the memory spaces of F000h to F13Fh, and is used for managing variables such as timers, counters, and flags. The stack area for the main processing is allocated to the memory spaces of F1C0h to F1FFh. Further, the main CPU 200a is provided with an internal register. As the internal register, for example, 8-bit general-purpose registers A register to H register are provided, and each constitutes a 16-bit pair register AF, BC, DE, and HL.

Under such an environment, the main CPU 200a initially follows the instruction code of the program in the used area, refers to the program data in the used area, and uses each internal register, the work area in the used area, and the stack area. The main process for making the conversion means 300, the betting means 302, the winning combination lottery means 304, the reel control means 306, the determination means 308, the payout control means 310, the state transition means 312, the command determination means 314, and the command transmission means 316 function is executed. ..

Here, as an instruction code, a command prepared for LEM50A-P (product name) sold by LETech is used. The LEM50A-P is a microprocessor equipped with a Z80 CPU called NC80EX, which is widely used in the gaming machine industry (has a high market share).

As described above, in the main CPU 200a, the storage capacity of the used area is predetermined. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the control area is limited to 4.5 kbytes and the data area is limited to 3.0 kbytes. There is. Therefore, when the main CPU 200a manages the AT effect state and the so-called reel effect of rotating the reel unit 134 in various modes, the storage capacity of the game control process may be further limited in the control area. Here, by devising an array of variables, the capacity of the control area for performing the game control process is secured.

In the following description, a device that is a part of the slot machine 100 and can be physically recognized independently, such as reel 134a, reel 134b, and reel 134c, may be referred to as a device, and is referred to as a motor phase. As described above, the value for controlling the device is sometimes referred to as a parameter.

Here, for each of the three reels 134a, 134b, 134c (plurality of devices), variables corresponding to parameters such as the motor phase are arranged in the work area.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a program and a work area of the excitation release waiting process S800. In the work area, the motor phases of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are arranged in sequence in order. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14B, the motor phase (_SMC_PHS + 0) of the reel 134a is assigned to F010H in the work area, the motor phase (_SMC_PHS + 1) of the reel 134b is assigned to F011H, and the motor phase (_SMC_PHS + 1) of the reel 134b is assigned to F012H. The motor phase (_SMC_PHS + 2) is assigned. Further, in the motor phase (_SMC_PHS + 0) to the motor phase (_SMC_PHS + 2), as shown in FIG. 14C, any one of 0 to 3 is stored as a variable as the motor phase of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c. ..

The flowchart of the excitation release waiting process S800 is realized by, for example, the program of FIG. 14A. “EXCFREE” on the first line of FIG. 14A indicates the start address of the subroutine. The second line "JTQ NZ, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 0), EXCFREE" is a command used uniquely to NC80EX with "Q", and is 0 (zero) from the value of the motor phase address (_SMC_PHS + 0) of the reel 134a. ) Is not 0, and if the first zero flag (zero flag set to 1 when all bits are 0) is not 0, it indicates that the game moves to EXCFREE. The command on the second line corresponds to step S801 and step S802 of FIG. The third line "LDQ HL, (LOW_SMC_PHS + 1)" indicates that the contents of the motor phase address (_SMC_PHS + 1) of the reel 134b and the motor phase address (_SMC_PHS + 2) of the reel 134c are set in the HL register. Even when a value is simply called to a register, if the called value is 0, the second zero flag (a specific bit flag of the extended specifications for gaming machines that is set to 1 when all bits are 0). Is 0. The command on the third line corresponds to step S803 in FIG. "JR NTZ, EXCFREE" on the 4th line indicates that if the second zero flag is not 0, it moves to EXCFREE. The command on the fourth line corresponds to step S804 in FIG. Then, the "RET" on the fifth line returns to the main routine.

In the example of FIG. 14A, the command length when the command is in machine language is 4 bytes for "JTQ NZ, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 0), EXCFREE" and 2 bytes for "LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 1)". "JR NTZ, EXCFREE" is 2 bytes, and "RET" is 1 byte. Therefore, the total command length of the program shown in FIG. 14A is 9 bytes. The total command length of the program of FIG. 14A is when determining whether the motor phase of each reel 134a, 134b, 134c is 0, that is, a JTQ command is issued for each reel 134a, 134b, 134c. It is shortened by 4 bytes from the case where the RET command is executed 3 times and the RET command is executed once (4 bytes x 3 + 1 = 13 bytes).

This is because, in the case of FIG. 14A, the reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 has one command command (“LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 1)”) or a plurality of consecutive command commands (“JTQ NZ,” This is because the variables of a plurality of different devices (reel 134a, 134b, 134c) corresponding to the same parameter (_SMC_PHS) are accessed by "LOW _SMC_PHS + 0), EXCFREE" and "LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 1)"). As a result, the number of command commands can be reduced and the command length can be shortened. More specifically, by reading the motor phase values of the two reels 134b and 134c with one instruction by the command command (“LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 1)”), the reels 134b and 134c are read and determined, respectively. This is because the total number of bytes is smaller when the LDQ instruction and the JR instruction, which total 4 bytes, are executed once than when the 4-byte JTQ instruction is executed twice. In this way, it is possible to secure the capacity (program capacity) of the control area for performing the main processing.

Further, as can be understood by referring to FIG. 14B, when the variable of the parameter such as the motor phase is continuously arranged in the storage unit, the variable is referred to the motor phase or the value thereof is confirmed. It is easy to understand, and problems such as forgetting to rewrite some variables can be avoided.

Here, the case where the number of reels is three is taken up, and an example in which the total command length is shortened by 2 bytes by arranging variables has been described. However, when the number of reels is increased to 4 or more, the command length is shortened. The total will increase further.

FIG. 15 is an external view for explaining a schematic mechanical configuration of the slot machine 100. Here, in the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, the number of reels and the number of stop switches are increased by one as compared with the slot machine 100 shown in FIG. Therefore, in the slot machine 100 of FIG. 15, the reel 134d is added and the stop switch 130d is added as compared with the slot machine 100 of FIG.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a excitation release waiting process S1800 when the number of reels is four (reels 134a, 134b, 134c, 134d), and a diagram illustrating a program and a work area of the excitation release waiting process S1800.

(Step S1801)
As shown in FIG. 16A, when the excitation release waiting process S1800 is started, the reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 of the reels 134a and 134b (shown as the first and second reels in the figure). Get the motor phase.

(Step S1802)
The reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 determines whether or not the motor phase of the reels 134a and 134b acquired in step S1801 is 0. As a result, if the motor phase of the reels 134a and 134b is 0, the process is transferred to step S1803, and if the motor phase of the reels 134a and 134b is not 0, the process is returned to step S1801. Therefore, the reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 repeats the determination process of determining whether the motor phase is 0 if the motor phase is not 0.

(Step S1803)
The reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 acquires the motor phases of the reels 134c and 134d (shown as the third and fourth reels in the figure).

(Step S1804)
The reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 determines whether or not the motor phase of the reels 134c and 134d acquired in step S1803 is 0. As a result, if the motor phase of the reels 134c and 134d is 0, the excitation release waiting process S1800 is terminated, and if the motor phase of the reels 134c and 134d is not 0, the process is returned to step S1801. Therefore, the reel control means 306 or the payout control means 310 repeats the determination process of determining whether the motor phase is 0 if the motor phase is not 0.

Then, the flowchart of the excitation release waiting process S1800 is realized by, for example, the program of FIG. 16B. Further, as shown in FIG. 16C, the motor phases of the reels 134a, 134b, 134c, and 134d are continuously arranged in the work area in this order.

In the program of FIG. 16 (b), "JTQ NZ, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 0), EXCFREE" on the second line of FIG. 14 (a) is the second line of FIG. 16 (b) as compared with FIG. 14 (a). "LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 0)" is replaced with "JR NTZ, EXCFREE" in the third line of FIG. 16 (b), and "LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 1)" in the third line of FIG. 14 (a). Is changed to "LDQ HL, (LOW_SMC_PHS + 2)" as shown in the fourth line of FIG. 16 (b). In the second line "LDQ HL, (LOW_SMC_PHS + 0)" of FIG. 16B, the contents of the motor phase address (_SMC_PHS + 0) of the reel 134a and the motor phase address (_SMC_PHS + 1) of the reel 134b are set in the HL register. Indicates to do. Even when a value is simply called to the register, if the called value is 0, the second zero flag becomes 0. “JR NTZ, EXCFREE” on the third line of FIG. 16B indicates that if the second zero flag is not 0, the train moves to EXCFREE. In the fourth line "LDQ HL, (LOW_SMC_PHS + 2)" of FIG. 16B, the contents of the motor phase address (_SMC_PHS + 2) of the reel 134c and the motor phase address (_SMC_PHS + 3) of the reel 134d are set in the HL register. Indicates to do. Further, "JR NTZ, EXCFREE" on the fifth line of FIG. 16B indicates that if the second zero flag is not 0, the train moves to EXCFREE. Here, the commands on the 2nd and 3rd lines determine whether or not both the motor phase of the reel 134a and the motor phase of the reel 134b are 0, and the commands on the 4th and 5th lines determine whether or not the reel 134c Whether or not it is 0 is determined for both the motor phase and the motor phase of the reel 134d.

Compared with FIG. 14 (a), the number of lines of the instruction code is added, but the command length of "JTQ NZ, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 0), EXCFREE" on the second line of FIG. 14 (a) is 4 bytes. On the other hand, the command length of "LDQ HL, (LOW_SMC_PHS + 0)" on the second line of FIG. 16B is 3 bytes, and the command length of "JR NTZ, EXCFREE" on the third line is 2 bytes, which is a result. The command length is only increased by 1 byte. Further, the description change to "LDQ HL, (LOW_SMC_PHS + 2)" on the fourth line of FIG. 16B does not affect the command length (the command length does not change). Therefore, the total command length of the program is 9 bytes.

Therefore, by reading the motor phase values of the two reels 134a and 134b with one instruction by the instruction command (“LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 0)”), the 4-byte JTQ is read and determined for each of the reels 134a and 134b. The total number of bytes is smaller when the LDQ instruction and the JR instruction, which total 4 bytes, are executed once than when the instruction is executed twice. Further, by reading the motor phase values of the two reels 134c and 134d with one instruction by the instruction command (“LDQ HL, (LOW _SMC_PHS + 2)”), the 4-byte JTQ is read and determined for each of the reels 134c and 134d. The total number of bytes is smaller when the LDQ instruction and the JR instruction, which total 4 bytes, are executed once than when the instruction is executed twice.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modifications or modifications within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Will be done.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the main control board 200 and the sub control board 202 are arranged so as to share the functional part for advancing the game, but the functional part of the main control board 200 is assigned to the sub control board 202. Alternatively, the functional parts of the sub-control board 202 may be arranged on the main control board 200, or all the functional parts may be arranged together on one control board.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the bonus game is described as the game profit, but not limited to such a case, the above-mentioned AT production state and the winning probability of the replay combination are set to be higher than the normal game. By suppressing the consumption of medals, an RT (replay time) game that increases the chances of drawing a winning combination for the consumption of medals, or an ART game in which the above AT and RT games proceed at the same time may be provided.

Further, the excitation release waiting process S800 in the lottery process S300 may be executed before the winning combination lottery process S301, may be executed before the symbol code setting process S302, and one game timer becomes 0. It may be executed after (YES in S303), or it may be executed after setting one game timer. That is, the excitation release waiting process S800 may be executed at any timing after the start switch 128 is operated and before the rotation of the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c is started.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c have been described as examples of the device, but the device is not limited to this.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, as the motor phase, acceleration = 3, steady rotation = 2, stopped = 1, standby = 0, but for example, acceleration = 2, steady rotation = 1, Any state corresponding to 0 may be used, such as stopped = 0 and waiting = 3.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the motor phase has been described as an example of the device parameters, but the parameters are the step counter value, the currently appearing symbol number, the stop request flag, the index previous value, the sequence counter, and the rotation error. It may be a detection counter, an initial detection edge type, or the like.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reels 134a, 134b, and 134c are stopped by exciting the stepping motor 262 in all phases, but the reels 134a, by exciting the stepping motor 262 in one phase or two phases. 134b and 134c may be stopped.

Further, each process performed by the main control board 200 and the sub control board 202 described above does not necessarily have to be processed in chronological order in the order described in the flowchart, and may include parallel or subroutine processing.

100 slot machine (game machine)
134a, 134b, 134c Reel 200a Main CPU (CPU)
200b main ROM
200c main RAM
262 Stepping motor (motor)
304 Winning combination lottery means 306 Reel control means 308 Judgment means 310 Payout control means (game value adding means)

In order to solve the above problems, the gaming machine of the present invention has a plurality of reels in which a plurality of types of symbols are arranged, a motor for rotating the reels, and a winning combination according to the operation of a start switch. The winning combination lottery means for determining the result and the rotation of the plurality of reels are started, and the motor of the reel corresponding to the operated stop switch is excited in response to the operation of the predetermined stop switch to stop the reel. The reel control means includes a reel control means for releasing the excitation when a predetermined time elapses after being excited and excited, and the reel control means is from the operation of the start switch to the start of rotation of the reel. during executes exciting open- waiting process to wait for the opening of the excitation of the motor in the stop of the reels of the previous game.

The reel control means the excitation open- wait process may be performed after the propriety of the winning combination determined by the winning symbol combination lottery means.

Claims (2)

Multiple reels in which multiple types of symbols are arranged, and
A motor for rotating the reel and
Winning combination lottery means to determine the winning or not of the winning combination according to the operation of the start switch,
A predetermined time has elapsed since the rotation of the plurality of reels was started, the motor of the reel corresponding to the operated stop switch was excited to stop the reel, and the reel was excited in response to the operation of the predetermined stop switch. A reel control means that releases the excitation when
With
The reel control means
A gaming machine that executes an excitation release waiting process that waits for the motor to release the excitation between the time the start switch is operated and the time the reel starts rotating. The reel control means
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the excitation release waiting process is executed after the winning or losing of the winning combination is determined by the winning combination lottery means.

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