JP2023101642A - game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a game machine enabling a preferable execution of checking work of game nails.SOLUTION: An inner frame 13 of a Pachinko machine 10G is mounted with a game board unit 80 where a plurality of game nails is disposed in a manner to protrude toward the front side. To the inner frame 13, a front door frame 14G having a double-layer type glass unit 22G is attached in an openable/closable manner. In a state where the front door frame 14G is disposed at a closed position, it is so configured that the game board unit 80 is covered with the glass unit 22G from the front side of the game machine. The front door frame 14G is provided with a light emission unit for supplying light to the end face of a rear-side glass panel 23G constituting the glass unit 22G and on the rear face of the rear-side glass panel 23G, a light discharge unit where light from the light emission unit is discharged is formed. Due to the discharge of light from the light discharge unit, an attachment position of a check sheet CS is displayed, the check sheet CS being made by disposing patterns indicating the positions of heads of the game nails on a transparent sheet material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 105

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines.

2. Description of the Related Art Some game machines such as pachinko machines provide a player with a privilege such as a game ball payout when a ball enters a ball entry portion such as a starting hole provided in a game area.

JP 2002-78904 A

In the above-described type of game machine, there is a possibility that the state of the game nail may change during work such as cleaning the game area. Here, there is still room for improvement in the configuration related to confirmation in terms of confirming whether the state of the game nail has changed, that is, whether it is in a normal state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a game machine that enables the operation of confirming a game nail to be performed favorably.

The first invention is
a game machine main body having a game board having a game area formed with a plurality of game nails arranged so as to protrude toward the front side, and a support frame for supporting the game board;
a door body that is openable and closable with respect to the gaming machine main body and covers the gaming area from the front of the gaming machine in a closed position;
The main body of the game machine or the door body is provided with at least one of an instruction means for instructing a mounting position of a check sheet formed by a transparent sheet material on which a pattern indicating the position of the head of the game nail is arranged and the check sheet overlaps the game board when viewed from the front of the game machine, and a holding means for holding the check sheet arranged at the mounting position.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suitably perform the confirmation work of the game nail.

1 is a front view showing a pachinko machine according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a pachinko machine; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a pachinko machine in an expanded state; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a pachinko machine in an expanded state; FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure of an inner frame. It is a front view showing the configuration of the game board unit. It is the perspective view which looked at the game board unit from the back side. It is a rear view which shows the structure of an inner frame. It is a rear view showing the configuration of the pachinko machine. It is a front view which shows the structure of a back pack unit. (a) A front view of a variable display unit, (b) a perspective view of the variable display unit. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the variable display unit; FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the variable display unit; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the variable display unit; FIG. It is the schematic which shows the mode of light emission. It is the schematic which shows the attachment structure of a light-guide plate. It is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the light emitting unit and the light guide plate. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a pachinko machine; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing various counters; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration related to pattern display; It is a schematic diagram showing a design displayed on a variable display unit. It is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of symbols displayed on the variable display unit. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of display on the variable display unit; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of side LEDs; It is a flowchart which shows the timer interrupt processing performed by MPU of a main control unit. It is a flow chart which shows a prize-winning process for operation openings. It is a flow chart which shows information acquisition processing. 4 is a flowchart showing normal processing executed by the MPU of the main controller; It is a flow chart which shows game time control processing. It is a flow chart which shows fluctuation start processing. It is a flowchart which shows the variable display control process performed by MPU of an alerting|reporting / production|presentation control apparatus. 10 is a flow chart showing a process for starting fluctuation. It is the schematic which shows the relationship between a fluctuation display mode and a big-hit expectation degree. It is a schematic diagram showing the flow of production in the normal reach unsupported special change. It is a schematic diagram showing the flow of production in the normal reach corresponding to the special change. 10 is a flow chart showing processing for mid-variation. 4 is a flowchart showing light emission and drive control processing; 10 is a flowchart showing processing for special fluctuation display; It is a timing chart showing the flow of production in the normal reach unsupported special change. It is a timing chart showing the flow of production in the normal reach corresponding to the special change. It is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the visible range and the boundary portion. 4A is a flowchart showing light emission regulation processing, and FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between side LEDs to be regulated and a boundary portion. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a variable display unit according to a second embodiment; (a) A schematic diagram showing the relationship between each light guide plate and the background, (b) A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the game state and the background. It is a schematic diagram showing a modification of a variable display unit. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a variable display unit in a third embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of symbols and the like displayed on inner reels; It is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the symbol combination displayed on the inner reel and the jackpot type. 4 is a flowchart showing a game round control process executed by the MPU of the main control device; 4 is a flowchart showing control processing for an upper operating port; FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a variation start process for an upper working port; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing control processing for a lower opening. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a lower working port fluctuation start process; FIG. (a) A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the game state and the types of the lottery mode and the support mode, (b) A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the game state and the variable display time. It is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the game state and the lighting / extinguishing of each display unit. (a) A schematic diagram showing a display centered on the outer reel, (b) A schematic diagram showing a display centered on the inner reel. It is a flowchart which shows the display processing for upper operation openings performed by MPU of an alerting|reporting / production|presentation control apparatus. 4 is a flowchart showing main control processing for an upper operating port; 4 is a flowchart showing special control processing for an upper working port; 9 is a flow chart showing display processing for a lower opening. 4 is a flowchart showing main control processing for a lower opening. 4 is a flowchart showing special control processing for a lower working port; It is a schematic diagram showing a gaming machine in a fourth embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing the distribution destination of the game ball that has reached the distribution mechanism. (a) A schematic diagram of a sorting mechanism in a non-regulated state, (b) a schematic diagram of a sorting device in a regulated state. (a) A perspective view of the ball receiving mechanism as seen from above, (b) A longitudinal sectional view of the ball receiving mechanism. It is a schematic diagram of a gaming machine in a non-assisted state. It is a schematic diagram of a gaming machine in an assisted state. It is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the gaming machine. It is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the gaming machine. It is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the gaming machine. It is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the gaming machine. It is a front view showing a game board unit in the fifth embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the game board unit from the front side. It is a partial enlarged view of the game board unit showing an enlarged lower part of the game area. It is the perspective view which looked at the ball entry unit from the front side. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ball-entering unit showing a state in which the front cover is removed from the base body; It is a schematic diagram showing the flow of an incoming ball. It is the schematic which shows the difference of guidance object to a lower crew. It is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the lower crew and non-electric accessories. It is a schematic diagram showing transition of the number of reservations related to the lower operation port. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration in a fifth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing display contents on a display screen; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing variable display control processing for the first/second variable display areas, which is executed by the MPU of the notification/effect control device; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a variable display control process for a third variable display area, which is executed by the MPU of the notification/effect control device. It is a flow chart showing the first normal game state processing. It is a schematic diagram showing the required period of time when the game ball moves in the entering ball unit. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing second/third phase processing; FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of display effect; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of display effect; It is a schematic diagram showing a variation display time table corresponding to the deviation result referred to in the first normal game state. 4 is a timing chart showing the flow of display effects as the game progresses. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing display contents of a display screen in the sixth embodiment; (a) Flowchart showing pending display control command response processing executed by the MPU of the display control device, (b) A schematic diagram exemplifying pending display. It is a flowchart which shows the information acquisition process performed by MPU of a main control unit. It is a flowchart which shows the confirmation process for reservation advance notices. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing pending command setting processing; FIG. It is a flow chart which shows setting processing for suspension notice production performed by MPU of information / production control device. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing types of pending notice effects; It is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the suspension notice effect. (a) A schematic diagram showing set values in the seventh embodiment, (b) a flow chart showing setting suggestion processing executed by the MPU of the notification/production control device. (a) Schematic diagram showing winning rate of setting suggestion, (b) Schematic diagram showing outline of setting suggestion. It is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the game board unit and the check sheet in the eighth embodiment. It is a front view of a check sheet. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing registration lines for a check sheet; (a) A schematic diagram showing a light guide function, (b) a block diagram showing an electrical configuration related to the light guide function. It is the schematic which looked at the light emission production|presentation in a glass unit from the game machine front. (a) Partially enlarged view of the game board unit in the ninth embodiment, (b) Partial sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 108(a). It is a partially enlarged view of the game board unit.

<First embodiment>
A first embodiment of a pachinko game machine (hereinafter referred to as a "pachinko machine"), which is a type of game machine, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10, FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the pachinko machine 10, and FIGS. 3, the configuration within the game area of the pachinko machine 10 is omitted for the sake of convenience.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pachinko machine 10 is composed of an outer frame 11 forming an outer shell of the pachinko machine 10 and a gaming machine main section 12 attached to the outer frame 11 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the outer frame 11 is constructed by connecting a long frame material to four sides, and is formed so as to form a rectangular frame shape as a whole. The pachinko machine 10 is installed in the game hall by attaching and fixing the outer frame 11 to the island facility. Incidentally, the pachinko machine 10 does not have to have the outer frame 11, and the pachinko machine 10 may be provided with the outer frame 11 on an island facility or the like of the game hall.

The gaming machine main section 12 is supported by the outer frame 11 so as to be openable and closable. Specifically, an upper supporting metal fitting 17 is fixed to the connecting portion of the upper frame portion and the left frame portion of the outer frame 11, and a lower supporting metal fitting 18 is provided to the connecting portion of the lower frame portion and the left frame portion of the outer frame 11. A support mechanism is composed of these upper support metal fittings 17 and lower support metal fittings 18, and the main part 12 of the game machine can be rotated forward of the pachinko machine 10 with respect to the outer frame 11 with the left side as the rotation base side and the right side as the rotation tip side in the front view of the pachinko machine 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main part 12 of the game machine includes an inner frame 13 as a base body, a front door frame 14 arranged in front of the inner frame 13, and a back pack unit 15 arranged behind the inner frame 13. In addition, the inner frame 13 of the game machine main portion 12 is rotatably supported with respect to the outer frame 11 . More specifically, the inner frame 13 can be rotated forward with the left side as the rotation base end side and the right side as the rotation tip side when viewed from the front of the game machine.

A front door frame 14 is rotatably supported by the inner frame 13, and is rotatable forward with the left side as the rotation base side and the right side as the rotation tip side in the front view of the game machine. In addition, a back pack unit 15 is rotatably supported by the inner frame 13, and is rotatable backward with the left side as the rotation base end and the right side as the rotation tip side when viewed from the front of the game machine.

(Front door frame 14)
Next, the front door frame 14 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, the front door frame 14 is mainly composed of a frame body 20 made of synthetic resin whose outer shape is substantially the same as that of the outer frame 11, and covers substantially the entire front surface of the inner frame 13. A substantially elliptical window part 21 is formed in the central part of the frame body 20 so that almost the entire game area PE to be described later can be visually recognized from the front, and the window part 21 is closed from the rear side of the front door frame 14 by a glass unit 22.例文帳に追加

The glass unit 22 includes a plurality of transparent glass panels 23 and a glass holder that holds the glass panels 23 . A partition portion is formed in the glass holder to partition the holding area of the glass panel 23 in the front and rear direction, and the two glass panels 23 face each other in the front and rear direction with the partition portion interposed therebetween. That is, by securing a predetermined gap between both glass panels 23, interference between the glass panels 23 is avoided, and the game area PE is doubly covered from the front side of the pachinko machine 10 by the glass panels 23.例文帳に追加

It should be noted that it is not always necessary to unitize both glass panels 23 using a glass holder, and each glass panel 23 may be individually attached to the frame 20 . Furthermore, the number of glass panels is arbitrary, and may be one or three or more. However, in view of the improvement of safety and security, it is preferable to adopt a plurality of glass panels and to face each glass panel in the front and rear with a predetermined gap therebetween. Incidentally, it is also possible to employ a transparent synthetic resin panel member in place of the glass panel.

Light emitting means such as various lamps are provided around the glass unit 22 (specifically, the window portion 21). For example, along the periphery of the window portion 21, an annular decorative portion 26 containing light emitting means such as an LED is provided. The annular illumination portion 26 lights up or flashes in accordance with changes in the gaming state such as when a big win is made or when a predetermined reach is reached. An error display lamp part 27 which lights up when a problem such as an error occurs is provided at the center of the annular illumination part 26 and at the top of the pachinko machine 10, and a prize ball lamp part 28 which lights up during prize ball payout is provided on the left and right sides of the error display lamp part 27.例文帳に追加In addition, speaker units 29 for outputting sound effects, BGM, etc. according to the game state are provided at positions close to the left and right winning ball lamp units 28 (see FIG. 3).

Below the window portion 21 of the front door frame 14 (frame body 20), an upper bulging portion 31 and a lower bulging portion 32, which bulge forward, are vertically arranged side by side. An upper plate 33 that opens upward is provided inside the upper bulging portion 31, and a lower plate 34 that similarly opens upward is provided inside the lower bulging portion 32 (see FIG. 2). The upper tray 33 has a function of temporarily storing game balls paid out from a payout device described later, aligning them in a line, and guiding them to a game ball shooting mechanism described later. In addition, the lower tray 34 has a function of storing surplus game balls in the upper tray 33 and a function of a tray for storing the discharged game balls when the game balls shot by the game ball shooting mechanism that do not reach the game area PE (see FIG. 3) are returned to the player.

A game ball shooting handle 41 is provided on the right side of the lower swelling portion 32 so as to protrude forward. By operating the game ball shooting handle 41, a game ball is shot from a game ball shooting mechanism which will be described later. The shooting speed of the game ball increases as the amount of operation (the amount of rotation) of the game ball shooting handle 41 increases, and when the amount of operation reaches a predetermined amount after being adjusted by the player, the game ball reaches the game area PE. Further, by adjusting this operation amount by the player, it becomes possible to separate the hitting of the game ball into the right route and the left route, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a passage forming unit 45 is attached to the rear surface of the front door frame 14 . The passage forming unit 45 is molded of synthetic resin and has a front door side upper tray passage leading to the upper tray 33 and a front door side lower tray passage leading to the lower tray 34 . In the passage forming unit 45, a receptacle portion projecting rearward and opening upward is formed at an upper corner portion thereof, and the receptacle portion is partitioned into right and left sides by a partition wall to divide and form an entrance portion of an upper tray passage on the front door side and an entrance portion of a lower tray passage on the front door side. The upstream side of the front door side upper tray passage and the front door side lower tray passage is connected to a game ball distribution part to be described later, the game balls entering the front door side upper tray passage are guided to the upper tray 33, and the game balls entering the front door side lower tray passage are guided to the lower tray 34.

Projection shafts are provided at the upper end and lower end of the rear surface of the front door frame 14 on the rotation base end side. These projecting shafts constitute an assembly mechanism for the inner frame 13 .

Next, the inner frame 13 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view of the inner frame 13. FIG. In FIG. 5, as in FIG. 3, the configuration inside the game area PE of the pachinko machine 10 is omitted for the sake of convenience.

(Inner frame 13)
The inner frame 13 is mainly composed of an inner frame base body 50 having a substantially rectangular outer shape like the outer frame 11 . The height dimension of the inner frame base body 50 is set slightly smaller than the height dimension of the outer frame 11 . Also, the inner frame base body 50 is arranged close to the upper frame portion of the outer frame 11 , and a slight gap is formed between the lower frame portion of the outer frame 11 and the inner frame base body 50 . A curtain plate is attached to the outer frame 11 so as to close this gap. The curtain board is arranged below the inner frame base body 50 (specifically, its lower end part), and when the inner frame 13 is closed with respect to the outer frame 11, the inner frame base body 50 is placed on the curtain board. A slight clearance may be provided between the curtain plate and the inner frame base body 50 for the purpose of preventing mutual interference.

Support metal fittings 71 and 72 are attached to upper and lower ends of the front face of the inner frame base body 50 on the base end side of rotation (left side in FIG. 5). Although not shown, the support metal fittings 71 and 72 have shafts, and the front door frame 14 is rotatably supported with respect to the inner frame 13 by inserting bearings provided on the front door frame 14 into the shafts.

A locking device 75 for locking the inner frame 13 and the front door frame 14 is disposed on the rotating tip side (right side in FIG. 5) of the inner frame base body 50 . The locking device 75 extends vertically along the right end (vertical frame member described later) of the inner frame base body 50, and has front door hook members 76 scattered in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction). The inner frame base body 50 is formed with slits corresponding to the respective front door hook members 76 for projecting the hook receiving member 49 (see FIG. 3) provided on the back surface of the front door frame 14 to the front side of the inner frame 13. The front door frame 14 is locked to the inner frame 13 so that the front door frame 14 cannot be opened by locking the front door hook members 76 projecting through the slits with the front door hook members 76 provided in the front door frame 14 corresponding to the front door hook members 76 one-to-one. The locking device 75 also has an inner frame hook member 77 extending rearward of the inner frame 13 . The main part 12 of the game machine is locked with respect to the outer frame 11 in a closed state by hooking these inner frame hook members 77 on the hook receiving member 19 fixed to the outer frame 11 .

A cylinder lock 78 for unlocking the locking device 75 is installed on the inner frame base body 50 (locking device 75 ). The cylinder lock 78 is provided separately from the locking unit (the hook members 76 and 77, the interlocking rod, etc.) that constitutes the main part of the locking device 75, and is arranged adjacent to the locking unit. The front door frame 14 is unlocked from the inner frame 13 by turning the key inserted into the keyhole of the cylinder lock 78 to the right (clockwise), and the locking of the inner frame 13 from the outer frame 11 is unlocked by turning the key inserted into the keyhole of the cylinder lock 78 to the left (counterclockwise).

A housing recess 51 for housing the game board unit 80 is formed in the central portion of the inner frame base body 50 . The housing recess 51 is recessed toward the rear of the game machine according to the outer shape of the game board unit 80, and the game board unit 80 is fixed to the housing recess 51 from the front of the game machine by a manual lock mechanism. A substantially rectangular window hole 52 is formed in the bottom of the accommodation recess 51 , and the rear structure of the game board unit 80 (a rear block 80 b described later) protrudes rearward from the inner frame 13 through the window hole 52 . It should be noted that almost the entire window hole 52 is covered from the front of the game machine by the game board unit 80 attached to the inner frame base body 50 .

(Game board unit 80)
The game board unit 80 is formed by integrating a front block 80a mainly made of a plate material made of a synthetic resin material, and a rear block 80b provided on the rear side of the front block 80a and having various game parts (a variable display device, a control device, a movable performance mechanism, etc.) to be described later mounted on a base body 251.

The front block 80a has a game area forming body 310 made of a transparent resin, and the above-described game area PE in which game balls flow down is formed in front of the game area forming body 310. FIG. As already explained, the game area PE is covered with the glass unit 22 (specifically, the glass panel 23 on the rear side). The glass unit 22 is arranged so that the gap between the rear side glass panel 23 and the front surface of the game area forming body 310 is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, that is, the game balls flowing down the game area PE are not arranged in the same position in the same game area PE. This suppresses ball clogging in the game area PE. The game area forming body 310 is not limited to be made of synthetic resin, and may be made of wood.

The game board unit 80 (in particular, various configurations arranged in the game area PE of the game area forming body 310) will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a front view of the game board unit 80, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the game board unit 80 as seen from the rear.

The game area forming body 310 is formed with a plurality of large and small openings penetrating in its thickness direction (front-rear direction). As shown in FIG. 6, each opening is provided with a general winning opening 81, a variable winning device 82, an operating opening unit 83 (operating openings 83a and 83b), a through gate 84, and the like. When a game ball enters a general winning hole 81, a variable winning device 82 and operation holes 83a and 83b, the game ball is detected by a detection sensor (not shown) provided corresponding to each ball entering part, and based on the detection result, a privilege such as a predetermined number of prize balls (payout of game balls) is given to the player. In addition, an out port 89 is provided at the bottom of the game area formation body 310, and game balls that do not enter various ball entry portions are discharged from the game area PE through the out port 89. In the following description, in order to distinguish clearly from the game ball entering the out hole 89, the game ball entering the general winning hole 81, the variable winning device 82, and the operating holes 83a, 83b is also expressed as "winning".

In addition, various game parts such as a large number of game nails 93 and windmills 94 are arranged in the game area forming body 310 in order to appropriately disperse and adjust the flow-down path of the game ball. The flow path of the game ball is differentiated by various configurations such as the game nail 93 and the windmill 94, and adjustment is made so that the above-described general prize winning opening 81 and the like are won with an appropriate probability.

A central opening 85 is formed in the center of the front block 80a (game area forming body 310), and a transparent opening cover 86 is attached so as to cover this central opening. The variable display unit 500 belonging to the rear block 80b is positioned behind the central opening 85, and the variable display unit 500 and the like can be visually recognized from the front of the gaming machine through the central opening (opening cover 86). In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the opening cover 86 is indicated by a chain double-dashed line, showing a state in which the variable display unit 500 is visible.

An operating port unit 83, a through gate 84, and the like are arranged around the central opening 85. As shown in FIG. The operating port unit 83 is provided with an upper operating port 83a arranged below the variable display unit 500 and a lower operating port 83b arranged below the upper operating port 83a. Of these two operating ports 83a and 83b, the lower operating port 83b is provided with an electric accessory 91 as an opening/closing type ball entry assisting device (ball entry assisting means) or an opening/closing member (opening/closing means). The electric accessory 91 has a movable piece and a solenoid-type drive unit for driving the movable piece, and can be switched between an open state (assisted state) in which the ball can or cannot be easily entered into the lower operation opening 83b, and a closed state (non-assisted state) in which the ball cannot or is difficult to enter.

The through gate 84 is arranged on the upstream side of the lower operation port 83b (more specifically, on the side of the variable display unit 500: the right route), and when winning a lottery triggered by the passage of the game ball through the through gate 84, the electric accessory 91 is switched from the closed state to the open state for a predetermined time.

When a ball enters the upper working port 83a, three game balls are put out, and when a ball enters the lower working port 83b, four game balls are put out. However, the number of game balls to be put out is not limited to the above.

A variable winning device (special ball entry device or special ball entry means) 82 is formed with a large winning opening through which game balls can pass, and is provided with an opening/closing body as an opening/closing member (opening/closing means) for opening/closing the large winning opening. The opening/closing body can be switched between an open state (permitting state) in which entry of a game ball is possible or facilitated, and a closed state (blocking state) in which entry of a game ball is impossible or difficult. In addition, the opening/closing body is connected to a variable prize-winning drive unit (specifically, a solenoid or the like) provided on the back side of the game board unit 80, and the opening/closing door is normally kept in a closed state, and is switched to an open state when a transition to an opening/closing execution mode (opening/closing execution state) is won in an internal lottery (jackpot: transition to a special game state more advantageous to the player than a normal game state).

Here, the open/close execution mode is a mode to be shifted to when a jackpot is won. As for the manner in which the variable prize winning device 82 is opened in the opening/closing execution mode, for example, the opening of the opening/closing door is set to be repeated with a plurality of rounds (for example, 16 rounds) as the upper limit, with the elapse of a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) or the winning of a predetermined number (for example, 10) as one round.

Here, a supplementary description of the variable display unit 500 will be given. The variable display unit 500 constitutes a pattern display device that variably displays (variable display) a pattern triggered by the winning of the operation openings 83a and 83b, and its display contents are controlled by a notification/effect control device and a display control device, which will be described later. In the variable display unit 500, for example, patterns are displayed side by side on the left, middle, and right, and these patterns are variably displayed by being scrolled vertically, for example. When a jackpot is won, a predetermined combination of symbols is stopped and displayed on a preset activated line, and the opening/closing execution mode (special game state or jackpot) is entered.

A center frame 95 is provided in the game area forming body 310 so as to surround the central opening 85 . The center frame 95 is fixed to the game area forming body 310 from its front side, and when fixed in this way, it stands up from the front of the game area forming body 310, so that the clearance between the center frame 95 and the glass unit 22 is configured to be smaller than the diameter of the game ball. As a result, the game ball flowing down the game area PE is prevented from colliding with the variable display unit 500, and the flowing path of the game ball flowing down the game area PE is roughly divided into the above-mentioned right route bypassing the variable display unit 500 (specifically, the center frame 95) from the right side and the above-mentioned left route bypassing from the left side.

The variable winning device 82 and the through gate 84 described above are arranged on the right route, and game balls flowing down the left route are avoided from entering the variable winning device 82 and the through gate. On the other hand, the game ball flowing down the right route is prevented from entering the upper operation opening 83a. Therefore, when the electric accessory 91 of the lower operation port 83b is in the high frequency support mode or in the opening/closing execution mode, the game can be advantageously advanced by shooting the game ball to the right route, and when it is in the low frequency support mode, the game can be advantageously advanced by shooting the game ball to the left route. In other words, the player can advance the game advantageously by selecting the flow path of the game ball from the right route/left route according to the game situation.

A stage portion 96 is formed on the upper surface of the frame portion forming the lower portion of the center frame 95 so that the game ball can roll left and right. A game ball entering from an inlet formed in the left frame portion of the center frame 95 is discharged onto the stage portion 96 through a warp passage 97 also formed in the center frame 95 . The stage portion 96 is configured so that game balls that have reached the stage portion 96 relatively easily flow into the upper working port 83a, specifically, compared to game balls that do not pass through the stage portion 96, flow into the upper working port 83a more easily.

Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, the transparent opening cover 86 covers the central opening 85, and the game ball reaching the stage portion 96 is regulated so as not to move toward the back block 80b (variable display unit 500).

A first holding lamp portion 98a and a second holding lamp portion 98b are provided on the front surface of the frame portion forming the lower portion of the center frame 95. As shown in FIG. The first holding lamp part 98a on the left side corresponds to the upper working port 83a, and the number of times the game ball passes through the upper working hole 83a is held up to four times, and the number of holdings is displayed by lighting the first holding lamp part 98a. The second holding lamp portion 98b on the right side corresponds to the lower operating port 83b, and the number of times the game ball passes through the lower operating port 83b is held up to four times, and the number of holdings is displayed by lighting the second holding lamp portion 98b.

The operation openings 83a and 83b are arranged at positions close to the central opening 85 (variable display unit 500). Since the transition to the special game state can be triggered by the winning of the operation ports 83a and 83b, it is conceivable that the player pays attention to whether or not the operation ports 83a and 83b win, and to the variable display unit 500 to grasp whether or not to shift to the special game state. The actuation openings 83a and 83b are provided near the variable display unit 500 in order to concentrate the player's attention on the vicinity of the variable display unit 500. FIG.

At the right end of the game area forming body 310, a game area partitioning member 99 that partitions and forms the game area PE together with a guide rail 100, which will be described later, is arranged. The game area partitioning member 99 is provided with a stopper member with which a game ball flying along the guide rail 100 collides and a main display unit 87 . The stopper member is a buffer member arranged near the tip of the guide rail 100, and the game ball that collides with the stopper member is weakened and then flows down the game area PE. In other words, the stopper member is provided with a force reducing function for weakening the force of the game ball that collides with it.

Here, a supplementary description of the main display unit 87 will be given. The main display unit 87 is embedded in the game area partitioning member 99 , and a part thereof is arranged so as to face the glass unit 22 . A main display section on which a predetermined pattern or the like is displayed is provided in the facing portion. The main display unit 87 is electrically connected to a main control device, which will be described later, and the display contents of the main display section are controlled by the main control device.

The main display part has a lower working port display part for displaying the lottery result based on the prize winning to the upper working port 83a and a lower working port display part for displaying the lottery result based on the prize winning to the lower working port 83b. In the display part for the lower operation port, the variable display of the pattern is performed with the winning of the upper operation port 83a as a trigger, and the result of the internal lottery performed based on the winning of the upper operation port 83a is clearly indicated as the result of stopping the variable display. When the result of the internal lottery based on the prize winning to the upper operation port 83a is the winning result corresponding to the shift to the opening/closing execution mode, the variable display is stopped in the display part for the lower operation port, and after a predetermined pattern is displayed as the stop result, the opening/closing execution mode is shifted.

In the display part for the lower operation port, the variable display of the pattern is performed with the winning of the lower operation port 83b as a trigger, and as a result of stopping the variable display, the result of the internal lottery performed based on the winning of the lower operation port 83b is clearly indicated. When the result of the internal lottery based on the prize winning to the lower operating port 83b is the winning result corresponding to the big win, the variable display is stopped in the display part for the lower operating port, and after the predetermined pattern is displayed as the stop result, the opening/closing execution mode is shifted according to the result.

Here, based on the winning of any one of the operation openings 83a and 83b, the corresponding operation opening display unit starts a variable display, displays a predetermined stop result, and stops the variable display, which corresponds to one game cycle. However, one game round is not limited to the above-mentioned contents. For example, in a configuration in which a single display area is provided and a variable display is performed in the single display area even if a prize is won in any of the operation ports 83a and 83b, one game round may be defined as a period from when the variable display is started in the single display area to when the variable display is stopped in a state in which a predetermined stop result is displayed.

In addition to the above two display sections, the main display section of the main display unit 87 is also provided with a through-gate display section for displaying the lottery result based on the winning of the through-gate 84 . In the display part for the through gate, the variable display of the pattern is performed with the winning of the through gate 84 as a trigger, and the result of the internal lottery performed based on the winning of the through gate 84 is clearly indicated as the stop result of the variable display. When the result of the internal lottery based on the prize winning to the through gate 84 is the winning result corresponding to the transition to the electric duty open state, the predetermined stop result is displayed in the through gate display part and the fluctuation display is stopped, and then the electric duty open state is shifted. In the electric operation open state, the electric accessory 91 provided in the lower operation opening 83b is opened in a predetermined manner.

Further, in the present embodiment, the number of times the game ball passes through the through gate 84 is retained up to four times, and the main display portion of the main display unit 87 is provided with a display portion for the retained number for displaying the retained number.

The main display portion described in detail above can be visually recognized from the front of the pachinko machine 10 through the glass unit 22 of the front door frame 14, and the game balls are prevented from moving in front of these various display portions, thereby ensuring the visibility.

Referring again to FIG. 5, the structure of the inner frame 13 will be described. Below the game board unit 80 in the inner frame base body 50, a game ball shooting mechanism 110 for shooting game balls to the game area PE based on the operation of the game ball shooting handle 41 is provided.

(Game ball launching mechanism 110)
The game ball shooting mechanism 110 includes, as main components, a solenoid 111 for shooting a game ball arranged at a predetermined shooting standby position, a shooting rail 112 for defining the shooting direction of the game ball shot by the solenoid 111, a ball feeding device 113 for supplying the game ball to the shooting standby position, and a base plate 114 to which these various components 111 to 113 are mounted. , and integrated with the inner frame base body 50 .

The launch rail 112 is fixed to the base plate 114 in an oblique state so as to be inclined upward toward the game board unit 80 side. A groove portion having a substantially V-shaped cross section is formed in the launch rail 112, and a game ball is fitted in the groove portion so that the front and rear positions of the game ball are defined.

At a position near the downstream end (that is, the lower end) of the launch rail 112, a ball stopper is arranged to stop the game ball supplied from the ball feeding device 113 at the launch standby position described above. The solenoid 111 is arranged at a position further downstream than the ball stopper.

Solenoid 111 is electrically connected to a power supply and launch control device, which will be described later. The output shaft of the solenoid 111 reciprocates in the direction of expansion and contraction based on the output of an electrical signal from the power supply/shooting control device, so that the game ball placed at the shooting standby position is shot toward the game board unit 80 side, more specifically, toward the guide rail 100 mounted on the game board unit 80. - 特許庁

The guide rails 100 together with a game area partitioning member 99 fixed to the game board unit 80 (specifically, the front surface of the plate) partition the game area PE so that the outer shape of the game area PE is substantially circular. The guide rail 100 is composed of an inner rail 101 and an outer rail 102 arranged to face each other with a gap larger than the diameter of the game ball, and the rails 101 and 102 define a guide passage 103. The guide passage 103 has an entrance portion 104 opened to the tip side (diagonally downward) of the launch rail 112 and an exit portion 105 located above the game area PE. A game ball shot based on the operation of the solenoid 111 is guided to the game area PE by moving in the order of the shooting rail 112→the guide rail 100 (the entrance portion 104→the exit portion 105). In the game board unit 80, on the front side of the exit portion 105, more specifically near the tip of the inner rail 101, a return prevention member 106 is attached to prevent the game ball that has reached the game area PE from returning into the guide passage 103, thereby suppressing the following game ball from being hindered by the game ball that has reached the game area PE first.

Each of the rails 101 and 102 that constitute the guide rail 100 has an arcuate shape centered on the substantially central portion of the game area PE. Therefore, the game ball passing through the guide passage 103 is likely to move (sliding or rolling) along the outer rail 102, that is, while in contact with the outer rail 102 due to the centrifugal force generated by itself. That is, when the game ball is shot so as to reach the game area PE, the area along the outer rail 102 in the guide path 103 constitutes a passage area (passing route) through which the game ball substantially passes, and the area along the inner rail 101 is substantially an area through which the game ball does not pass.

As shown in FIG. 5, the guide rail 100 and the launch rail 112 are arranged so that the entrance portion 104 of the guide rail 100 and the tip portion of the launch rail 112 face each other obliquely across the lower edge of the game board unit 80. In other words, both rails 100 and 112 are arranged such that the entrance portion 104 of the guide rail 100 and the tip portion of the launch rail 112 are laterally shifted near the lower edge of the game board unit 80 . As a result, both rails 100 and 112 are brought closer to the lower edge of the game board unit 80, and a gap of a predetermined distance is formed between the entrance portion 104 of the guide rail 100 and the launch rail 112. As shown in FIG.

A foul ball passage is arranged below the gap thus formed. The foul ball passage is formed integrally with the passage forming unit 45 of the front door frame 14 . If the game balls shot from the game ball shooting mechanism 110 do not reach the game area PE and return in the guide path 103 as foul balls, the foul balls enter the foul ball path through the clearance. The foul ball passage communicates with the front door side lower tray passage, and the game ball entering the foul ball passage is discharged to the lower tray 34 shown in FIG. This suppresses interference between the foul ball and the game ball to be launched next.

A rail cover 107 is provided at the left end of the game area forming body 310 so as to cover the outer rail 102 from the side. The game board unit 80 is often handled singly during manufacturing or maintenance work, and at this time, the outer rail 102 may collide with the game table or the like. The rail cover 107 is a member mounted in consideration of such circumstances, and is provided with a protective function to prevent the outer rail 102 from being deformed due to the factors described above.

A through-hole passing through the inner-frame base body 50 in the front-rear direction is formed in the inner-frame base body 50 on the left side of the firing rail 112 (specifically, the side supporting the front door frame 14), and a passage forming member 121 is arranged in the through-hole. The passage forming member 121 is screwed to the inner frame base body 50 and has a main body side upper tray passage 122 and a main body side lower tray passage 123 . The upstream side of the main body side upper tray passage 122 and the main body side lower tray passage 123 communicates with a game ball distribution section which will be described later. A socket part of a passage forming unit attached to the front door frame 14 is inserted below the passage forming member 121, a front door side upper tray passage is arranged below the main body side upper tray passage 122, and a front door side upper tray passage is arranged below the main body side lower tray passage 123.

Below the passage forming member 121 in the inner frame base body 50, an opening/closing member 124 for opening and closing the main body side upper tray passage 122 and the main body side lower tray passage 123 is attached. The opening/closing member 124 is urged to a front position for closing the main body side upper tray passage 122 and the main body side lower tray passage 123, and when the front door frame 14 is opened, each opening/closing member 124 is brought into a closed state by this urging force, thereby preventing game balls from falling out of the respective passages 122 and 123. On the other hand, when the front door frame 14 is closed, the open/close member 124 is pushed open by the receptacle provided in the passage forming unit 45 of the front door frame 14 against the urging force. In this state, the main body side upper tray passage 122 and the front door side upper tray passage communicate with each other, and further, the main body side lower tray passage 123 and the front door side lower tray passage communicate with each other.

Next, the rear configuration of the inner frame 13 (the inner frame base body 50 and the game board unit 80) will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 8 is a rear view of the inner frame 13. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, a bearing metal fitting 132 is attached to the back surface of the inner frame base body 50 on the rotation base end side (the right side in FIG. 8). Bearing portions 133 are formed on the bearing metal fitting 132 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. A plurality of fixing levers 134 are provided on the back surface of the inner frame base body 50 for fixing the back pack unit 15 to the inner frame base body 50 in a closed state.

As already described, a window hole 52 is formed through the inner frame base body 50 in the thickness direction and is open to the rear side of the inner frame base body 50 at the bottom portion of the housing recess (game board housing section) 51 in the inner frame base body 50. The window hole 52 is covered from the front side of the inner frame 13 by the game board unit 80 housed in the housing recess 51. Various components such as a control device are mounted on the back surface of the game board unit 80 (back block 80 b ), and these various components are exposed on the back side of the inner frame 13 through the window holes 52 . Here, the configuration of the rear surface of the game board unit 80 will be described.

As already explained, the back block 80b is attached to the back of the game board unit 80. As shown in FIG. The back block 80b has a substantially box-shaped base body 251 opened to the front block 80a side, and the base body 251 is fixed to the back face of the game board unit 80 to integrate the front block 80a and the back block 80b.

The front side of the base body 251 serves as an arrangement area for a movable performance mechanism and the like, and the rear side serves as an arrangement area for a control device for controlling these various configurations and the variable display unit 500 .

More specifically, a part of the base body 251 protrudes to the back side of the inner frame base body 50, and the above-described variable display unit 500 (see FIG. 6) and the variable display unit 500 are attached to the protruding part. The variable display unit 500 and the notification/effect control device 140 are stacked in the front-rear direction (thickness direction of the inner frame base body 50) so that the variable display unit 500 is on the front side and the notification/effect control device 140 is on the rear side.

The notification/effect control device 140 includes a notification/effect control board for outputting sound, displaying lamps, and controlling the variable display unit 500 in accordance with instructions from the main control device, which will be described later.

A main control device unit 160 is provided below the notification/production control device 140 so as to cover the base body 251 from behind. The main controller unit 160 has a synthetic resin mounting base 161 fixed to the rear surface of the game board unit 80 (specifically, the rear block 80b) and a main controller 162 mounted on the mounting base 161. The main control device 162 includes a main control board having a function (main control circuit) for controlling the main game and a function (power failure monitoring circuit) for monitoring the power supply, and the main control board is housed in a board box 163 made of a transparent resin material or the like.

The board box 163 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box base (front case body) and a box cover (back case body) that covers the opening of the box base. The box base and the box cover are unopenably connected by a box sealing portion 164 as sealing means, whereby the substrate box 163 is sealed. A plurality of box sealing portions 164 are provided on the short sides of the substrate box 163, and at least one of them is used to perform the sealing process.

The box sealing portion 164 can be of any configuration as long as it is configured to connect the box base and the box cover in an unopenable manner, but the box base and the box cover are unopenably connected by inserting locking pins into locking holes forming the box sealing portion 164.例文帳に追加The sealing process by the box sealing part 164 prevents illegal opening after the sealing, and even if the box is illegally opened, such a situation can be detected early and easily, and it is possible to perform the sealing process again even after the box is once unsealed. That is, the sealing process is performed by inserting a locking pin into at least one locking hole of the plurality of box sealing portions 164 . When the board box 163 is to be opened, such as when a malfunction occurs in the housed main control board or when the main control board is inspected, the connecting portion between the box sealing portion into which the lock pin is inserted and the body of the board box 163 is cut. As a result, the box base and box cover of the board box 163 are separated, and the main control board inside can be taken out. After that, when the sealing process is performed again, a locking pin is inserted into another locking hole. If the history of the opening of the circuit board box 163 is left in the circuit board box 163, it can be easily found that the circuit board box 163 has been illegally opened.

The board box 163 and the mounting base 161 are unopenably connected by a pedestal sealing portion 165 . More specifically, the pedestal sealing portion 165 has a locking hole and a locking pin similar to the box sealing portion 164, and by inserting the locking pin into the locking hole, the substrate box 163 and the mounting base 161 are inseparably connected. As a result, when the board box 163 is illegally removed, the fact can be easily grasped.

A collection passage (not shown) corresponding to the game board openings of the general winning opening 81, the variable winning device 82, and the operation openings 83a and 83b and gathering at one place on the downstream side is formed in the front part of the base body 251 facing the lower back surface of the game board unit 80. As a result, all the winning game balls such as the general winning opening 81 are gathered under the game board unit 80 through the recovery path. That is, the base body 251 is provided with a function of collecting game balls that have entered various winning holes.

A discharge passage, which will be described later, is arranged below the game board unit 80, and the game balls collected under the game board unit 80 are discharged into the discharge passage by the collection passage. It should be noted that the out port 89 is similarly connected to the discharge passage, and game balls that have not won in any of the prize winning ports are drawn out into the discharge passage through the out port 89 .

Further, on the base body 251 constituting the back block 80b, as the detection sensors for the respective ball entry portions described above, a general winning opening detection sensor for detecting a game ball that has entered the general winning opening 81 and an operation opening detection sensor for detecting a game ball that has entered the operation openings 83a and 83b are mounted, and these various detection sensors constitute a winning detection mechanism. These various detection sensors are electrically connected to the main controller 162 , and detection information (detection signals) from each detection sensor is output to the main controller 162 .

Next, the back pack unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10, and FIG. 10 is a front view of the back pack unit 15. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, the inner frame 13 is covered from behind by a back pack unit 15. As shown in FIG. The back pack unit 15 has a back pack 201 as a main body of the back pack unit 15. To the back pack 201, a payout mechanism 202, a discharge passage board, and a controller assembly unit 204 are attached.

The back pack 201 is molded from synthetic resin having transparency, and as shown in FIG. 9, has a base portion 211 to which the payout mechanism portion 202 and the like are attached, and a protective cover portion 212 which protrudes rearward of the pachinko machine 10 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The protective cover part 212 has a shape in which left and right sides and an upper surface are closed and only a lower surface is opened, and has a size sufficient to surround at least the variable display unit 500 (see FIG. 10).

The base portion 211 is provided with an external terminal plate. Various output terminals are provided on the external terminal board, and various signals are output to the game hall side management control device (hall computer) through these output terminals. As shown in FIG. 10, the base portion 211 is provided with a pair of upper and lower locking pins 214 at the right end as viewed from the rear of the pachinko machine 10. By inserting the locking pins 214 into the bearing portions 133 provided on the inner frame 13, the back pack unit 15 is rotatably supported with respect to the inner frame 13. The base portion 211 is formed with a plurality of insertion portions through which the fixing levers 134 provided on the inner frame 13 are inserted, and the back pack unit 15 is fixed to the inner frame 13 by coming into contact with the base portion 211 from behind while the fixing levers 134 are inserted through the insertion portions.

A payout mechanism part 202 is arranged on the base part 211 so as to bypass the protective cover part 212 . The payout mechanism part 202 is provided with a tank 221 arranged at the top of the back pack 201 and opened upward, and the tank 221 is sequentially supplied with game balls supplied from the island equipment of the game hall. A tank rail 222 gently sloping downstream is connected to the side of the tank 221 , and a vertically extending case rail 223 is connected to the downstream side of the tank rail 222 . A dispensing device 224 is provided at the most downstream portion of the case rail 223 . The game balls paid out from the payout device 224 are supplied to the game ball distribution portion 225 provided in the base portion 211 of the back pack 201 through a payout passage (not shown) provided downstream of the payout device 224 .

The game ball distribution part 225 has a function of distributing the game balls put out by the payout device 224 to either the upper tray 33, the lower tray 34, or a discharge passage described later, and is formed such that the inner opening communicates with the upper tray 33 via the main body side upper tray passage 122 and the front door side upper tray passage, and the outer opening communicates with the lower tray 34 via the main body side lower tray passage 123 and the front door side lower tray passage.

At the lower end of the base portion 211, the discharge passage board and control device collective unit 204 is attached so as to sandwich the lower end in the front and rear direction. The discharge passage board has a rearwardly open discharge passage formed on the surface facing the control device assembly unit 204 , and the opening of the discharge passage is closed by the control device assembly unit 204 . The discharge passage is formed so as to discharge the game balls to the island facilities of the game hall, etc., and the game balls led out to the discharge passage from the recovery passage or the like are discharged to the outside of the pachinko machine 10 by passing through the discharge passage.

The control device assembly unit 204 has a horizontally long mounting base 241 on which a payout control device 242 and a power supply/launch control device 243 are mounted. The payout control device 242 and the power supply/launch control device 243 are arranged one on top of the other in such a manner that the payout control device 242 is behind the pachinko machine 10 .

In the payout control device 242, a payout control board for controlling the payout device 224 is accommodated in a board box 244, and a state return switch 245 provided on the payout control board protrudes outside the board box 244. For example, when a dispensing error such as a ball clogging occurs in the dispensing device 224, pressing the state return switch 245 clears the ball clogging.

The power/fire control device 243 has a power/fire control board housed in a board box 246 . The power supply/shooting control board generates and outputs a predetermined power supply required by various control devices, etc., and further controls the launching of game balls accompanying the operation of the game ball shooting handle 41 by the player. Specifically, drive control of the solenoid 111 constituting the game ball shooting mechanism 110 and drive control of the ball feeding device 113 are executed.

A power switch 247 is provided in the power/launch control device 243 . By operating the power switch 247, the power of the pachinko machine 10 can be switched between an on state (on state) and a cut off state (off state).

Here, the pachinko machine 10 has a function of storing and holding various data, so that even if a power failure should occur, the state at the time of the power failure is retained and the state at the time of the power failure can be restored when recovering from the power failure. For example, when the power supply is cut off according to a normal procedure such as when the game hall is closed, the state before the cutoff is stored and held. On the other hand, when the power is turned on while pressing the RAM erase switch 166 provided in the main controller 162, the RAM data is initialized.

These various switches can be operated from the front side of the game machine by opening the main part 12 (inner frame 13) of the game machine to expose the rear part of the inner frame 13. FIG. On the other hand, when the locking device 75 restricts the opening of the game machine main section 12, the various switches cannot be operated from the front side of the game machine. In other words, the above various switches are difficult to operate when the game machine main part 12 is closed, making it difficult for a person who does not have a key for the locking device 75 (for example, a fraudulent person) to operate from the front side of the game machine.

(Variable display unit 500)
As already explained, in the present embodiment, the result of the lottery based on the entry of the ball into the operation opening unit 83 is notified by the variable display unit 500 mounted on the game board unit 80, and the configuration related to this variable display unit 500 is characteristic. The variable display unit 500 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14. FIG. 11A is a front view of the variable display unit 500, FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the variable display unit 500, FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the variable display unit 500, FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view of the variable display unit 500, and FIG. 14 is a horizontal sectional view of the variable display unit. In FIG. 12, some of the drum units are shown without a light guide portion, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 11, the variable display unit 500 has a substantially box-shaped housing 521 that is open to the front of the game machine, and a plurality of (more specifically, three) drum units 523 that are housed in the housing 521 so as to be arranged side by side. The housing 521 is colored and opaque, and blocks light from the outside of the housing 521 so that it does not enter the interior through the meat portion of the housing 521 .

A portion of the drum unit 523 protrudes forward through an opening 522 of the housing 521 . A part of this projecting portion is visible from the front of the game machine through a central opening 85 formed in the game board unit (see two-dot chain line in FIG. 11(a)). In other words, the central opening 85 functions as a regulating portion or a window portion that defines a visible region in the variable display unit 500 .

As shown in FIG. 12, the drum unit 523 has a plate-like base body 524 forming a mounting portion to the housing 521 and a rotating body (drum) 525 held by the base body 524 . When the base body 524 is fixed to the housing 521 , the base body 524 divides the inner region of the housing 521 horizontally into three equal parts corresponding to the drum units 523 .

A rotating body 525 is mounted on a base body 524 via a motor 526 . Specifically, a motor 526 is fixed to a base body 524 , and a rotor 525 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 526 . The output shaft of the motor 526 extends in the side-by-side direction (horizontal direction) of the drum unit 523, and the rotating body 525 rotates about the axis (rotation center axis CL) of the output shaft. The motor 526 is connected to the notification/effect control device 140 and is configured to be driven and controlled by the notification/effect control device 140 . The motor 526 is a stepping motor, and the rotational position of the rotating body 525 can be adjusted by the number of pulses of the output drive signal.

A position detection sensor 527 for detecting the rotational position of the rotating body 525 is mounted on the base body 524 . The position detection sensor 527 is connected to the notification/production control device 140 , and the notification/production control device 140 grasps the rotation position of the rotor 525 based on detection information (detection signal) from the position detection sensor 527 . When the rotational position of the rotating body 525 deviates due to the influence of an external force, malfunction, or the like, the rotational position of the rotating body 525 is corrected (corrected) based on the grasped positional information.

The rotating body 525 is composed of a circular frame 531 that constructs the skeleton of the rotating body 525 and a substantially cylindrical light guide portion 532 that covers the outer peripheral portion of the frame 531 and has a constant thickness. As shown in FIG. 12, the frame 531 is composed of a hub 535 as a central portion to which the output shaft of the motor 526 is fixed, an annular rim 536 as the outer peripheral portion to which the light guide portion 532 is fixed, and spokes 537 connecting the hub 535 and the rim 536.

Specifically, the rim 536 has a pair of left and right circular ring portions 541 centered on the rotation center axis CL, and a long connecting portion 542 connecting the circular ring portions 541 . The light guide portion 532 is fixed to the connecting portion 542 using a fixing means in a state of being overlaid on the connecting portion 542 from the outside of the frame 531 . The frame 531 shown in this embodiment is made of a colorless and transparent synthetic resin, and a colorless and transparent adhesive is used as the fixing means. This is a device for making the frame 531 and the fixed portion (fixing means) to the frame 531 inconspicuous when the light guide portion 532 is visually observed.

As shown in FIG. 13, a background display device 529 is arranged inside the light guide portion 532 . The background display device 529 has a decorative sheet 581 provided with a pattern imitating the seaside, a backlight 582 positioned behind the decorative sheet 581 and irradiating the decorative sheet 581 with light, and a holder 583 in which the decorative sheet 581 and the backlight 582 are mounted, and the holder 583 is fixed to the base body 524 to be integrated with the base body 524. The decorative sheet 581 is arranged so that the sheet surface provided with a pattern faces the front of the game machine (the side of the central opening 85), and faces the inner surface part 552 of the light guide part 532 from the inside of the frame 531 with a gap. As a result, the background drawn on the decoration sheet 581 can be visually recognized from the front of the gaming machine through the light guide portion 532 . Although the decorative sheet 581 is light transmissive, it is colored and opaque, so that the backlight 582 and the like positioned on the far side through the decorative sheet 581 are not visible.

The backlight 582 is connected to the notification/production control device 140, and is switched on/off by the notification/production control device 140. FIG. When the backlight 582 is turned on, the light from the backlight 582 passes through the decorative sheet 581, and the decorative sheet 581 emits bright light.

Next, with reference to FIG. 14, a configuration related to light emission of the light guide portion 532 will be described. A rim 536 of the frame 531 is formed with a contact portion 543 that contacts the light guide portion 532 from the side opposite to the base body 524 side. The contact portion 543 defines the lateral position of the light guide portion 532 . The end portion of the light guide portion 532 on the side opposite to the contact portion 543 (on the base body 524 side) extends laterally from the rim 536 . The base body 524 is formed with an insertion portion 561 into which the extending portion (end portion) is inserted.

The insertion portion 561 has a groove shape that is open to the light guide portion 532 side, and the end portion of the light guide portion 532 is inserted into the insertion portion 561 through this open portion (hereinafter referred to as first opening portion 564). A light-emitting substrate 571 on which a plurality of light-emitting bodies 572 (specifically, LEDs) are mounted is arranged on the side opposite to the light guide portion 532 across the bottom portion 562 of the insertion portion 561 . The light-emitting board 571 is connected to the notification/effect control device 140 , and the light-emitting control of the light-emitting board 571 is performed by the notification/effect control device 140 .

A plurality of through-holes 563 are formed in the bottom portion 562 of the insertion portion 561 in accordance with each light emitter 572, and the light emitters 572 mounted on the light-emitting substrate 571 face the end surface 554 of the light guide portion 532 through the through-holes 563. The optical axis of each light emitter 572 faces the same direction as the rotation center axis CL of the rotating body 525 , and light from the light emitters 572 irradiates the end surface 554 of the light guide portion 532 . The base body 524 (including the insertion portion 561) is made of a colored and opaque synthetic resin material, and has the function of absorbing light. Thereby, light leakage from the insertion portion 561 is suppressed. In the present embodiment, the end surface 554 of the light guide portion 532 is positioned on a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation center axis CL, and the distance between the light emitter 572 and the end surface 554 is constant at any rotation position.

As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 15 , the light from the light emitter 572 is repeatedly reflected by the outer surface portion 551 and the inner surface portion 552 of the light guide portion 532 and travels toward the opposite end surface of the light guide portion 532 . Here, the outer surface portion 551 of the light guide portion 532 is formed with a light emitting portion 553 having fine unevenness. The light supplied to the light guide portion 532 reaches the light emitting portion 553 and is emitted forward of the gaming machine. The light emitting portion 553 corresponds to various patterns, which will be described later, and the patterns are displayed on the outer surface portion 551 of the light guide portion 532 when the light emitting portion 553 emits light. In other words, the pattern is not displayed when the light emitting portion 553 is not emitting light. In addition, since the light emitting portion 553 is formed of fine unevenness, the ambient light such as the lighting of the game hall moves into the light guide portion 532, and it is possible to visually see the light emitting portion 553, which is normally substantially invisible or extremely difficult. Although the details will be described later, the variable display unit 500 shown in the present embodiment is devised to suppress the occurrence of such inconveniences.

As for the rotating body 525 shown in the present embodiment, a light guide section 532 having a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole is constructed by combining a plurality of light guide panels 555 to 557 provided separately in the rotation direction. A specific configuration of the light guide portion 532 will be supplementarily described below with reference to FIG. 16 .

The light guide panels 555 to 557 are made of transparent synthetic resin, and each has a plate shape with a constant thickness and a constant curvature. In addition, the length dimension in the rotation direction and the width dimension in the rotation center axis CL direction of the rotating body 525 are also the same, and the outer appearance is the same except for the light emitting portion 553 (displayed pattern). Although the light guide panels 555 to 557 are each fixed to the rim 536 (more specifically, the connecting portion 542) of the frame 531 using the transparent adhesive that is the fixing means, the light guide panels 555 to 557 are not fixed to each other.

As described above, in the configuration in which one end of the light guide portion 532 is inserted into the insertion portion 561, it is preferable to bring the inner surface of the insertion portion 561 and the light guide portion 532 as close as possible in order to improve the light supply efficiency. However, in order to have such a structure, it is necessary to add a certain margin to the gap between the light guide panels 555 to 557 in consideration of distortion occurring in the light guide panels 555 to 557 due to manufacturing errors and aging. Here, in the present embodiment, the light guide panels 555 to 557 are not fixed to each other, so that it is possible to avoid distortion that may occur when the light guide panels 555 to 557 are fixed. This makes it possible to minimize the margin.

When the rotating body 525 is constructed using the light guide section 532, the expressiveness of the variable display unit 500 can be improved, but the weight of the rotating body 525 tends to increase. There is a concern that this may be a factor in lowering the responsiveness when rotating/stopping the rotating body 525 . In this regard, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16B, the light guide panels 555 to 557 are prevented from overlapping in the thickness direction. This suppresses an increase in the weight of the light guide section 532 and suppresses a decrease in responsiveness.

At the boundary portion BP1 between the light guide panels 555-557, the adjacent light guide panels 555-557 face each other with a gap therebetween. This is a device for avoiding strong interference between the light guide panels 555 to 557 at the boundary portion BP1 when the sizes of the light guide panels 555 to 557 vary due to manufacturing errors or the like. By avoiding the strong interference of the light guide panels 555 to 557, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as the above distortion in the light guide panels 555 to 557. FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16B, the boundary portion BP1 is displaced in the rotational direction with respect to the connecting portion 542 of the frame 531, and both ends of the light guide panels 555 to 557 in the rotational direction are unfixed (free ends). This is a device to separate the fixing point by the adhesive from the boundary portion BP1.

Next, with reference to FIG. 17, the insertion portion 561 will be additionally described. The insertion portion 561 extends along a portion of the light guide portion 532 that protrudes from the opening 522 toward the front of the gaming machine. Open portions on both upper and lower sides of the insertion portion 561 (hereinafter referred to as second open portions 565) are expanded so as to gradually increase in width toward the ends. This prevents the boundary portion BP1 from being caught when passing through the second open portion 565 .

When the second opening 565 is expanded, light leakage from the sidelight 528 is likely to occur. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the second openings 565 are formed to face rearward, more specifically, to face diagonally rearward. As a result, when light leaks from the second opening 565, it is devised so that it is difficult for the player to see the light.

The bottom portion 562 of the insertion portion 561 can also be formed so that the distance from the light guide portion 532 increases toward the upper and lower ends of the insertion portion 561 . With such a configuration, it is possible to more preferably suppress the boundary portion BP1 from being caught when passing through the insertion portion 561 .
(Electrical Configuration of Pachinko Machine 10)
Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

A main control board 601 provided in the main controller 162 is equipped with an MPU 602 . The MPU 602 is an element that incorporates a ROM 603 that stores various control programs and fixed value data to be executed by the MPU 602, a RAM 604 that is a memory for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 603, an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, a data input/output circuit, various counter circuits as a random number generator, and the like. A part of the functions of the MPU 602, for example, the functions of the ROM 603 and the functions of the RAM 604 may be provided as separate elements.

The MPU 602 is provided with an input port and an output port. The input side of the MPU602, power failure monitoring board 605 provided in the main control device 162, payout control device 242 and various detection sensors 611a ~ 611e, etc. are connected. In this case, the power supply/emission control device 243 is connected to the power failure monitoring board 605 , and power is supplied to the MPU 602 via the power failure monitoring board 605 . In addition, as part of the various detection sensors 611a to 611e, detection sensors provided in various prize winning ball receiving portions (payout corresponding ball receiving portions) such as the general winning port 81, the variable winning device 82, the operating port unit 83 (upper operating port 83a, lower operating port 83b), and the through gate 84 are connected respectively, and the MPU 602 of the main controller 162 detects the winning to each ball receiving portion based on the detection information (detection signal) from these detection sensors. Judgment (entering ball judgment) is made. Further, the MPU 602 executes a jackpot generating lottery based on winnings to the upper working port 83a and the lower working port 83b, and executes a support generating lottery based on winnings to the through gate 84. - 特許庁

The output side of the MPU 602 is connected to a power outage monitoring board 605, a payout control device 242, and a notification/production control device 140. A winning ball command is output to the payout control device 242 based on the winning determination result to the winning corresponding ball entering portion such as the operation ports 83a and 83b described above, for example. In this case, the command information storage area 625 of the ROM 603 is referred to when outputting the prize ball command. When the winning to the general winning opening 81 is specified, the winning ball command corresponding to the payout of 10 game balls is output, when the winning to the variable winning device 82 is specified, the winning ball command corresponding to the paying out of 15 game balls is output, when the winning to the upper working opening 83a is specified, the winning ball command corresponding to the paying out of 3 game balls is specified, and when the winning to the lower working opening 83b is specified, 4. A prize ball command corresponding to the payout of game balls is output.

Various commands such as a variation command, a type command, a variation end command, an opening command and an ending command are output from the main control device 162 to the notification/production control device 140 . When outputting these various commands, the command information storage area 625 of the ROM 603 is referred to. Details of these various commands will be described later. Each of the above commands is configured as information of a predetermined number of bytes, and various types of information are included as the information of the predetermined number of bytes.

In addition, the output side of the MPU 602 is connected to a variable winning drive unit 82c that opens and closes the door of the variable winning device 82, an electric accessory drive unit 91c that opens and closes the electric accessory 91 of the lower operation opening 83b, and a main display unit 87. Various driver circuits are provided on the main control board 601, and the MPU 602 executes drive control of various drive units through the driver circuits.

In other words, in the open/close execution mode, the MPU 602 executes drive control of the variable winning driving section 82c so that the big winning opening is opened and closed. Further, when the support lottery for the electric accessory 91 is won, the MPU 602 executes drive control of the electric accessory drive unit 91c so that the electric accessory 91 is opened and closed. Further, display control of the main display unit 87 is executed by the MPU 602 .

Furthermore, an external output terminal plate 213 is connected to the output side of the MPU 602, and through this external output terminal plate 213, ball entry information to various ball entry sections and information related to lottery results such as big hits are output to the management control device (hall computer HC) on the gaming hall side. As a result, the state of the pachinko machine 10 can be grasped by the hall computer HC.

The power failure monitoring board 605 relays the main control board 601 and the power supply/launch control device 243, and the power failure monitoring board 605 is provided with the function of monitoring the voltage of stable 24 volts, which is the maximum voltage output from the power supply/launch control device 243. The payout control device 242 controls the payout of prize balls and rental balls by the payout device 224 based on the prize ball command input from the main control device 162 .

The power supply/launch control device 243 is connected to, for example, a commercial power supply (external power supply) in a game arcade or the like. Then, based on the external power supplied from the commercial power supply, the main control board 601, the payout control device 242, etc. generate the necessary operating power for each, and the generated operating power is supplied through a predetermined power path. The power/shooting control device 243 controls the shooting of the game ball shooting mechanism 110, and the game ball shooting mechanism 110 is driven when predetermined shooting conditions are met.

The notification/production control device 140 controls the display lamp portions 26 to 28 and the speaker portion 29 provided on the front door frame 14 and the variable display unit 500 provided on the game board unit 80 based on various commands input from the main control device 162. In particular, the notification/effect control device 140 has a function of determining the effect mode in each game round based on various commands input from the main control device 162, for example, an outline of the fluctuation display mode of the symbols in the variable display unit 500 (for example, presence or absence of reach occurrence and contents of the reach effect, etc.) and the stop display mode of the symbols (type of combination of symbols to be finally stopped (determined) displayed at the end of the variable display).

(About various counters)
Next, the operation of the pachinko machine 10 configured as described above will be described.

During the game, the MPU 602 uses various counter information to set the jackpot generation lottery, set the display of the main display unit 87, and set the pattern display of the variable display unit 500. Specifically, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. A reach random number counter C3 used for a reach lottery when is performed, a random number initial value counter CINI used for setting the initial value of the jackpot random number counter C1, and a variation type counter CS determining a variation display time in the main display unit 87 and the variable display unit 500 are used. Further, an electric accessory open counter C4 is used for lottery to determine whether or not the electric accessory 91 of the lower operating port 83b is in the electric role open state.

Each of the counters C1 to C3, CINI, CS, and C4 is a loop counter that adds 1 to the previous value each time it is updated and returns to 0 after reaching the maximum value. Each counter is updated at short time intervals, and the updated value is appropriately stored in the lottery counter buffer 631 set in a predetermined area of the RAM 604 . In the lottery counter buffer 631, information corresponding to the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, and the reach random number counter C3 is stored in a retained ball storage area 632 as an acquired information storage means when a prize is won in the upper working port 83a or the lower working port 83b.

The reserved ball storage area 632 includes a reserved area RE consisting of an upper working opening reservation area Ra and a lower working opening reservation area Rb, and an execution area AE. The reservation areas Ra and Rb are provided with first areas Ra1 and Rb1, second areas Ra2 and Rb2, third areas Ra3 and Rb3, and fourth areas Ra4 and Rb4. In accordance with the winning history of the upper operation port 83a or the lower operation port 83b, each numerical value information of the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2 and the reach random number counter C3 stored in the lottery counter buffer 631 is reserved information, Stored in one of areas Ra1 to Ra4 and Rb1 to Rb4. In addition, the said pending|holding information corresponds to special information.

In this case, in the first areas Ra1, Rb1 to the fourth areas Ra4, Rb4, each numerical value information is stored chronologically in the order of the first areas Ra1, Rb1 → the second areas Ra2, Rb2 → the third areas Ra3, Rb3 → the fourth areas Ra4, Rb4 when the winning in the upper working hole 83a or the lower working hole 83b occurs a plurality of times in succession. Since four areas Ra1 to Ra4 and Rb1 to Rb4 are provided, respectively, up to four winning histories of game balls to the upper operation opening 83a or the lower operation opening 83b are retained and stored. In addition, a total reserved number storage area is provided in the reserved ball storage area 632, and information for specifying the number of holding and storing the winning history to the upper working opening 83a or the lower working opening 83b is stored in the total reserved number storage area.

The execution area AE is an area for moving each value stored in the first areas Ra1 and Rb1 of the reserve area RE when starting the variable display of the main display unit 87, and at the start of one game round, winning/failure determination is performed based on various numerical information stored in the execution area AE.

For details of each counter, the jackpot random number counter C1 is, for example, incremented one by one within the range of 0 to 299, and returns to 0 after reaching the maximum value (that is, 299). In particular, when the jackpot random number counter C1 makes one round, the value of the random number initial value counter CINI at that time is read as the initial value of the jackpot random number counter C1. The random number initial value counter CINI is a loop counter similar to the jackpot random number counter C1 (value = 0 to 599). The jackpot random number counter C1 is periodically updated, and stored in the reserved ball storage area 632 of the RAM 604 at the timing when the game ball enters the upper operation opening 83a or the lower operation opening 83b.

The values of the random numbers for winning the jackpot are stored as a success/failure table (a success/failure information group) in a success/failure table storage area 621 as success/failure information group storage means in the ROM 603 . Here, the contents of the success/failure table will be described.

In the success/failure table, address information consisting of binary number information and jackpot numerical value information likewise consisting of binary number information are set in a one-to-one correspondence. Specifically, 10 kinds of address information are set in decimal numbers from "1" to "10", and 10 kinds of jackpot numerical information are set in decimal numbers, "7", "36", "67", "100", "131", "164", "195", "223", "241", and "272". is associated with The numerical value of each jackpot numerical value information is included in the numerical range of random number information "0" to "299" that can be updated in the jackpot random number counter C1.

Here, in the pachinko machine 10, a low-probability mode (low-probability state) and a high-probability mode (high-probability state) are set as the lottery mode of the win/fail lottery means. The number of jackpot numerical information referred to in the low-probability mode and the number of jackpot numerical information referred to in the high-probability mode are different, and the former is smaller than the latter. Specifically, in the low-probability mode, only the big win numerical information whose address information is "1" is referred to in the lottery, and in the high-probability mode, the big win numerical information corresponding to all the address information is referred to in the lottery. That is, in the low-probability mode, there is one piece of numerical information for winning the jackpot, and in the high-probability mode, there are ten pieces, which is more than in the low-probability mode. As a result, the probability of winning a big win in the low probability mode is 1/300 while the probability of winning a big win in the high probability mode is 1/30, and the probability of winning a big win is higher in the high probability mode than in the low probability mode. As long as the probability of winning is higher in the high-probability mode than in the low-probability mode, the number and value of random numbers for winning are arbitrary.

The jackpot type counter C2 is incremented by 1 in order within the range of 0 to 29, and returns to 0 after reaching the maximum value. The jackpot type counter C2 is periodically updated, and stored in the reserved ball storage area 632 of the RAM 604 at the timing when the game ball enters the upper working opening 83a or the lower working opening 83b.

Here, in the pachinko machine 10, a plurality of types of jackpot results are set by providing a difference between two conditions: (1) a win-or-fail lottery mode in the win-or-fail lottery means after the end of the opening/closing execution mode; As the lottery mode, the low-probability mode and the high-probability mode are set as described above.

As the support mode, a low-frequency support mode (low-frequency support state or low-frequency guide state) and a high-frequency support mode (high-frequency support state or high-frequency guide state) are set so that the frequency at which the electric accessory 91 of the lower operating port 83b is in an open state per unit time is relatively high or low when compared in a situation where game balls are continued to be shot in a similar manner to the game area PE.

Specifically, in the low-frequency support mode and the high-frequency support mode, the probability of winning the electric role open state winning in the electric role open lottery using the electric role item opening counter C4 is the same (for example, both 4/5), but in the high-frequency support mode, the number of times the electric role product 91 is in the open state when the electric role open state is won is set more than in the low-frequency support mode, and the opening time for one time is set longer. In this case, when the open state of the electric accessory 91 is generated a plurality of times in the high-frequency support mode when the open state is won, the closed time from the end of one open state to the start of the next open state is set shorter than the open time of one time. Furthermore, in the high-frequency support mode, a shorter time is selected than in the low-frequency support mode as a securing time to be secured when the next electric accessory open lottery is performed after one electric accessory open lottery is performed.

As described above, in the high-frequency support mode, the probability of winning the lower operation opening 83b is higher than in the low-frequency support mode. In other words, in the low-frequency support mode, the probability of winning the upper working opening 83a is higher than that of the lower working opening 83b, but in the high-frequency supporting mode, the probability of winning the lower working opening 83b is higher than that of the upper working opening 83a. When a prize is awarded to the lower operation port 83b, a predetermined number of game balls are put out, so that in the high-frequency support mode, the player can play the game without reducing the number of balls he has.

In addition, the configuration for increasing the frequency of being in the electric role open state per unit time in the high frequency support mode than in the low frequency support mode is not limited to the above, and for example, it may be a configuration that increases the probability of winning the electric role open state in the electric accessory open lottery. In addition, in a configuration in which a plurality of types of secured time (for example, variable display time executed in the accessory result display unit based on the winning of the through gate 84) are prepared after one electric accessory open lottery is performed and the next electric accessory open lottery is performed, it may be set so that a shorter secured time is more likely to be selected in the high frequency support mode than in the low frequency support mode, or the average secured time is shortened. Furthermore, by increasing the number of times of opening, lengthening the opening time, shortening the secured time secured after one electric accessory open lottery is performed and then performing the next electric accessory open lottery (i.e., shortening the fluctuation display time of one time in the accessory result display unit), shortening the average time of the securing time, and increasing the winning probability, any one condition or any combination of conditions may be applied to increase the advantage of the high frequency support mode over the low frequency support mode.

The distribution destination of the game result for the jackpot type counter C2 is stored as a distribution table (distribution information group) in a distribution table storage area as distribution information group storage means in the ROM 603 . Then, as such distribution destinations, a normal jackpot result (low-probability special game result) and a probability-variable jackpot result (high-probability special game result) are set.

The normal jackpot result is a jackpot result in which the winning/failure lottery mode becomes a low probability mode after the opening/closing execution mode ends, and the support mode becomes a high frequency support mode until the number of games reaches the end reference number of times (specifically, 100 times) after the shift of the support mode. In addition, after the end reference number of times has passed, the mode is shifted to the low-frequency support mode.

The probability variable jackpot result is a jackpot result in which the win/fail lottery mode becomes the high probability mode and the support mode becomes the high frequency support mode after the opening/closing execution mode ends. The high-frequency support mode continues until the lottery results in the win/fail lottery result in a big winning state and the mode is shifted to the opening/closing execution mode.

In the distribution table, "0 to 19" correspond to normal jackpot results, and "20 to 29" correspond to probability variable jackpot results, but the distribution of these numbers is arbitrary. Also, the allocation destination of the jackpot result is not limited to the above two types, and for example, a plurality of modes may be set in the opening/closing execution mode so that the expected value of winning the game ball is high or low, and the type of the jackpot result may be increased more than the above two types by providing a difference in the transition destination mode of the opening/closing execution mode.

The reach random number counter C3 is, for example, incremented by 1 in the range of 0 to 238, and returns to 0 after reaching the maximum value (that is, 238). The reach random number counter C3 is periodically updated, and stored in the reserved ball storage area 632 of the RAM 604 at the timing when the game ball enters the upper working opening 83a or the lower working opening 83b. More specifically, it is stored in the reservation area RE of the RAM 604 at the timing when the game ball wins in the upper working port 83a or the lower working port 83b. Then, whether or not to generate reach is determined based on the reach table stored in the reach table storage area of the ROM 603 . However, in the game round to shift to the open/close execution mode, the MPU 602 determines whether to generate reach regardless of the value of the reach random number counter C3. Although the number of the reach random number counter C3 corresponding to the occurrence of the reach display is the same in each game state, it may be set individually according to the game state. For example, when the support mode is the high-frequency support mode, the number of reach random number counters C3 corresponding to the occurrence of the reach indication may be set larger than in the low-frequency support mode.

Here, the ready-to-reach display (ready-to-reach state) is a display to make the player think that the variable display unit 500 is capable of performing variable display (or variable display) of patterns (pictures), and in a game cycle in which the open/close execution mode is set, the stop display result after the variable display is the special display result, and in the stage before the variable display (or variable display) of the patterns (pictures) on the variable display unit 500 is started and before the stop display result is derived and displayed, the variable display state is likely to result in the special display result. state.

In other words, it is a display state in which a combination of ready-to-win symbols having a possibility of forming a combination of jackpot symbols corresponding to the occurrence of the opening/closing execution mode is displayed by stopping and displaying symbols in some of the plurality of symbol rows displayed on the variable display unit 500, and in this state, symbols are variably displayed in the remaining symbol rows.

More specifically, as a stage prior to ending the variable display of patterns, a ready-to-win pattern combination having a possibility of forming a combination of big win patterns corresponding to the occurrence of the opening/closing execution mode is stop-displayed on a preset effective line to form a ready-to-win line, and under the condition that the ready-to-win pattern is formed, the variable display of patterns is performed by a final stop pattern row.

Here, with reference to FIG. 20, the configuration related to the variable display of symbols in each game cycle and the outline of the variable display will be described. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an outline of display in the variable display unit 500. FIG. In the following description, the structure related to the left drum is distinguished by adding an "L" to the end of the identification code, the structure related to the middle drum by adding an "M" to the end of the identification code, and the structure related to the right drum by adding an "R" to the end of the identification code.

The variable display unit 500 is set with three left, middle and right pattern rows, and a left variable display area DL, a middle variable display area DM and a right variable display area DR are provided corresponding to each of these symbol rows. In the variable display unit 500, the symbols in each symbol row are variably displayed so as to scroll in a predetermined direction (for example, from top to bottom) with periodicity. In each of the variable display areas DL, DM, and DR, three symbols are stop-displayed for each symbol row, and as a result, a total of nine symbols of 3.times.3 are stop-displayed.

As shown in (a) to (j) of FIG. 21, the patterns are composed of 9 types of main patterns that are numbers "1" to "9" and sub patterns that are pictures imitating seashells. Main patterns with odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) correspond to ``high-probability patterns'', and when the high-probability patterns are aligned, the game enters a special game state, a jackpot state, and then shifts to a high-probability state. Further, the main patterns with even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8) correspond to ``low probability patterns'', and when the low probability patterns are aligned, the machine shifts to a big win state, but in such a case, it does not shift to the state at the time of high probability.

As shown in FIG. 22 (a schematic plan view of the light guide portion 532 of each drum), the left symbol row and the middle symbol row have nine main symbols arranged in descending order with the sub symbols interposed therebetween. On the other hand, in the right symbol row, nine main symbols are arranged in ascending order with sub-symbols interposed therebetween. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 22 shows a state in which the light emitting portion 553 provided in the light guide portion 532 emits light.

Returning to the description of FIG. 20, the variable display unit 500 is set with five effective lines, that is, a left line L1, a middle line L2, a right line L3, a left rising line L4, and a right rising line L5. In each game, the variable display of patterns is stopped in the order of the left pattern row→right pattern row→middle pattern row, and when the variable display of all the pattern rows is completed in a state where a predetermined combination of symbols (for example, a combination of symbols with the same number) is formed on any of the effective lines L1 to L5, a big win animation is displayed as the occurrence of the normal big win result or the probability variable big win result.

When the above-described ready-to-win display is performed, the variable display of the pattern is first completed in the left variable display region DL, and furthermore, in a state in which the variable display of the pattern is completed in the right variable display region DR, a ready-to-win line is formed by stop-displaying a pattern with the same number on at least one of the effective lines L1 to L5. Then, when the opening/closing execution mode occurs, the same pattern as the pattern forming the reach line is stopped and displayed on the reach line, and the variable display of the pattern in the medium pattern row is terminated.

Returning to the description of FIG. 19, the fluctuation type counter CS is configured to be incremented by 1 in sequence within the range of 0 to 198, for example, and return to 0 after reaching the maximum value (that is, 198). The variation type counter CS is used when the MPU 602 determines the variation display time on the main display unit 87 and the symbol variation display time on the variable display unit 500 . The fluctuation type counter CS is updated once each time a normal process, which will be described later, is executed, and is repeatedly updated within the remaining time of the normal process. Then, the buffer value of the variation type counter CS is obtained when the variation pattern is determined when the variable display unit 500 starts to vary the pattern.

The electric accessary product release counter C4 is, for example, configured to be incremented by one within the range of 0 to 249 and return to 0 after reaching the maximum value (that is, 249). The electric accessory release counter C4 is periodically updated, and stored in the electric role holding area 633 of the RAM 604 at the timing when the game ball wins the through gate 84. - 特許庁Then, at a predetermined timing, a lottery is performed as to whether or not to control the electric accessory 91 to the open state based on the stored value of the electric accessory release counter C4. For example, if C4=0 to 199, the electric accessory 91 is controlled to open state, and if C4=200 to 249, the electric accessory 91 is not controlled to open state.

As already described, the MPU 602 determines the variable display time in the variable display unit 500 using at least the buffer value of the variable type counter CS, and the variable display time table storage area 623 of the ROM 603 is used for this determination. Also, in the MPU 602, the stop result in the main display unit 87 is determined using the value of the jackpot random number counter C1 and the value of the jackpot type counter C2 stored in the execution area AE.

Here, with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 23, a supplementary description of the pattern display in the variable display unit 500 will be given. As already described, rotating body 525 shown in the present embodiment has light guide portion 532 , and light is supplied from side light 528 to light guide portion 532 to display a pattern. The light guide portion 532 is transparent, and the background display device 529 can be visually recognized through the light guide portion 532 . Therefore, when the variable display unit 500 is viewed from the front of the gaming machine, the pattern appears to float in front of the background. Particularly in this embodiment, the background display device is separated from the outer surface portion 551, which is the display surface of the light guide portion 532, so that the pattern and the background are coordinated.

Next, the relationship between the light emitters 572 forming the sidelights 528 and the pattern display positions will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. In this embodiment, the light emitters 572 are arranged in a row along the edge of the light guide section 532 (see FIG. 17). These light emitters 572 include an upper light emitter 572a that supplies light to the light emitters 553 positioned on the effective line L1 (upper) of the light emitters 553 formed in the light guide section 532, a middle emitter 572b that supplies light to the light emitters positioned on the effective line L2 (middle), a lower emitter 572c that supplies light to the light emitters positioned on the effective line L3 (lower), and an upper emitter. an upper limit light emitter 572d in the central opening 85 disposed above the upper light emitter 572a; an intermediate light emitter 572e disposed between the upper light emitter 572a and the middle light emitter 572b; an intermediate light emitter 572f disposed between the middle light emitter 572b and the lower light emitter 572c; 572 g of light emitters for the lower limit in the opening 85 .

When the light emitter 572a for the upper stage is turned on, light is emitted from the light emitting portion 553 located in the upper stage, and the pattern appears (is displayed) on the upper stage. When the light emitter 572b for the middle stage is turned on, light is emitted from the light emitting portion 553 located in the middle stage, and a pattern emerges (is displayed) in the middle stage. When the light emitter 572c for the lower stage is turned on, light is emitted from the light emitting portion 553 located in the lower stage, and the pattern appears in the lower stage.

In this embodiment, the rotation of the rotating body 525 may cause the light emitting portion 553 to move across the light supply range for the upper stage and the light supply range for the middle stage. These light supply ranges are connected via the light supply range of the intermediate light emitter 572e. The supply of light from the intermediate light emitter 572e prevents the pattern from becoming difficult to see when moving between the upper stage and the middle stage. Further, the rotation of the rotating body 525 may cause the light emitting portion 553 to move across the light supply range for the middle stage and the light supply range for the lower stage. These light supply ranges are connected via the light supply range of the intermediate light emitter 572f. The supply of light from the intermediate light emitter 572f prevents the pattern from becoming difficult to see when moving between the middle stage and the lower stage.

When the light emitting portion 553 moves from the outside of the central opening 85 onto the effective line L1, the light emitting portion 553 passes through the supply range of the light from the upper limit light emitter 572d, so that the display of the pattern is started before reaching the effective line L1. Further, when the light emitting portion 553 moves from the effective line L3 to the outside of the central opening 85, the light emitting portion 553 passes through the supply range of the light from the lower limit light emitter 572g, so that the display of the pattern is continued even after leaving the effective line L3.

(Regarding various processes executed by the main controller 162)
Next, the timer interrupt processing and normal processing which are executed in advancing the game in each game round by the MPU 602 in the main control device 162 will be described. In addition to the timer interrupt processing and normal processing, the MPU 602 also executes main processing that is started when the power is turned on and NMI interrupt processing that is started by inputting a power failure signal to the NMI terminal (non-maskable terminal).

(timer interrupt processing)
First, timer interrupt processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is started by the MPU 602 periodically (for example, every 2 msec).

In step S101, reading processing of various winning detection sensors is executed. That is, the state of various winning detection sensors connected to the main controller 162 is read, the state of the winning detection sensor is determined, and detection information (winning detection information) is stored.

After that, in step S102, the random number initial value counter CINI is updated. Specifically, the random number initial value counter CINI is incremented by 1 and cleared to 0 when the counter value reaches the maximum value. Then, the updated value of the random number initial value counter CINI is stored in the corresponding buffer area of the RAM 604 .

In the subsequent step S103, the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, the reach random number counter C3, and the electric accessory release counter C4 are updated. Specifically, the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, the reach random number counter C3, and the electric accessory release counter C4 are each incremented by 1, and cleared to 0 when those counter values reach the maximum value. Then, the updated values of the respective counters C1 to C4 are stored in the corresponding buffer area of the RAM604.

In the subsequent step S104, a prize-winning process for through accompanying the prize-winning to the through gate 84 is executed. In the win-through processing, it is determined whether or not a prize-winning detection flag for a through gate is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604, and if the same flag is stored, the value of the electric accessory release counter C4 updated in step S103 is stored in the electric role holding area under the condition that the number of accessory holding storage stored in the wire holding area is less than 4. Further, the notification/production control device 140 executes processing for lighting the suspension lamp portion 98 corresponding to the number of suspension memories. Then, when the winning detection flag for the through gate is stored in the various flag storage area 635, the winning detection flag is erased and the winning processing for the through gate is ended.

After executing the winning process for the through gate in step S104, the process proceeds to step S105, in which the winning process for the working openings associated with the winning of the working openings 83a and 83b is executed, and this timer interrupt process ends.

(Winning process for working opening)
Here, the prize winning process for the working opening will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 26 and 27. FIG.

In step S201, it is determined whether or not the game ball has entered (won a prize) into the upper working opening 83a. When it is determined that the game ball has entered the upper operation port 83a, the process proceeds to step S202, and a prize ball command for causing the payout control device 242 to pay out three game balls is set.

In the subsequent step S203, external signal setting processing is performed to output a signal to the hall computer HC on the gaming hall side of information indicating that the game ball has entered the upper working hole 83a. As a result, the hole computer HC recognizes that the ball has entered the upper working hole 83a. After that, in step S204, information acquisition processing for storing the values of the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, etc. is performed, and the prize winning processing ends.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S201 that the game ball has not won the upper operation opening 83a, the process proceeds to step S205. In step S205, it is determined whether or not the game ball has entered (won a prize) into the lower operation opening 83b. When it is determined that the game ball has entered the lower operation opening 83b, the process proceeds to step S206, and a prize ball command for causing the payout control device 242 to pay out four game balls is set. Incidentally, the prize ball commands set in steps S202 and S206 are transmitted to the payout control device 242 in the external output process (S701) of the normal process described later.

In subsequent step S207, an external signal setting process is performed to output a signal to the hall computer HC on the game hall side, information indicating that the game ball has entered the lower operation opening 83b. As a result, the hall computer HC recognizes that the ball has entered the lower opening 83b. After that, information acquisition processing is performed in step S204, and the prize winning processing ends.

Incidentally, when both the processes of steps S201 and S205 are negatively determined, that is, when there is no ball hit in either the upper working opening 83a or the lower working opening 83b, the prize winning process is terminated as it is.

Here, the information acquisition processing in step S204 will be described with reference to FIG.

(Information acquisition process)
In the information acquisition process, first, in step S301, it is determined whether or not the number N of starting suspension memories stored in the holding number storage area FE of the holding ball storage area 632, specifically, the starting suspension storage number N related to the ball-entering portion that triggered the information acquisition process among the upper working opening 83a and the lower working opening 83b is less than the upper limit value ("4" in the present embodiment). If the start reservation memory number N is the upper limit value, this information acquisition process is terminated as it is, and if it is less than the upper limit value, the start reservation memory number N of the corresponding ball-entering section is incremented by 1 in step S302, and the total reservation number (hereinafter referred to as the common reservation number CRN) stored in the reservation number storage area FE is incremented by 1 in step S303.

In the following step S304, the values of the jackpot random number counter C1, the jackpot type counter C2, the reach random number counter C3, and the variation type counter CS updated in the step S103 are stored in the first storage area among the empty storage areas of the reservation area RE, that is, the storage area corresponding to the common reservation number CRN incremented by 1 in the step S302.

In the subsequent step S305, a pending command setting process is executed to make the notification/production control device 140, which is a control device on the sub side (secondary side), recognize that a prize has been won in the operation ports 83a and 83b, and this information acquisition process ends. The pending command set in the pending command setting process of step S305 will be transmitted to the notification/production control device 140 in the external output process (step S401) of the normal process to be described later.

(Normal processing)
Next, the flow of normal processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The normal process is a process that is started after the main process that is activated when the power is turned on is executed, and the main process of the game is executed in the normal process. As an overview, the processing of steps S401 to S406 is executed as regular processing with a period of 4 msec, and the counter update processing of steps S408 and S409 is executed during the remaining time.

In normal processing, first, an external signal output processing is executed in step S401. In the external signal output process of step S401, output data such as a command set in the timer interrupt process or the previous normal process is transmitted to each sub-side control device. Specifically, the presence or absence of a prize ball command is determined, and if the prize ball command is set, it is transmitted to the payout control device 242 . In addition, when various commands such as command for effect such as command for variation, type command, command for end of variation, hold command, and command for shift to be described later are set, it is transmitted to the notification and effect control device 140.例文帳に追加

Next, in step S402, the change type counter CS is updated. Specifically, the variation type counter CS is incremented by 1, and the counter value is cleared to 0 when the counter value reaches the maximum value. Then, the updated value of the fluctuation type counter CS is stored in the corresponding buffer area of the RAM 604 .

In the following step S403, game round control processing for controlling the game in each game round is executed. In this game turn control process, determination of a big hit, setting of variable display of symbols by the variable display unit 500, display control of the display portion for the operation port of the main display unit 87, and the like are performed.

After executing the game round control process of step S403, it progresses to step S404 and executes a game state transition process. By this game state transition processing, the game state shifts to an opening/closing execution mode, a high probability mode, a high frequency support mode, and the like.

In the subsequent step S405, an electric role support process for driving and controlling the electric accessory 91 provided in the operation port unit 83 is executed. In the electric role support processing, an electric role opening lottery is performed to determine whether or not the electric role product 91 is to be put in the open state using the numerical information acquired from the electric role object opening counter C4 stored in the electric role holding area 633 of the RAM 604, and when the electric role object 91 is won in the electric role open state, the opening/closing processing of the electric role object 91 is executed. In addition, display control of the through-gate display unit is performed so as to indicate the lottery result of the power opening lottery.

As already explained, as modes of support by the electric accessory 91, a low-frequency support mode and a high-frequency support mode are set, and transition to either support mode is performed in the game state transition process. After this process, if the high frequency support flag is set in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604, the high frequency support mode is set, and if the flag is not set, the low frequency support mode is set.

In the electric service support process, it is determined whether or not the high frequency support mode is set by determining whether or not the high frequency support flag is set in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604 . In the high-frequency support mode, the number of times the electric accessory 91 is brought into the open state is set larger and the opening time for one time is set longer when the electric accessory 91 is elected in the open state than in the low-frequency support mode. In the case of the high-frequency support mode, when the open state of the electric accessory 91 is generated a plurality of times due to winning of the open state, the closed time from the end of one open state to the start of the next open state is set to be shorter than the one open time.

Incidentally, when shifting to the open/close execution mode, the support mode is forcibly set to the low frequency support mode even if the high frequency support flag is set in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604 .

Thereafter, in step S406, game ball launch control processing is executed. In the game ball shooting control process, the solenoid 111 of the game ball shooting mechanism 110 is energized once in a predetermined period (for example, 0.6 sec) on condition that a shooting permission signal is input from the power/shooting control device 243 . As a result, the game ball is launched toward the game area PE.

In the following step S407, it is determined whether or not it is time to execute the next normal process, that is, whether or not a predetermined time (4 msec in this embodiment) has elapsed since the start of the previous normal process. Then, the random number initial value counter CINI and the fluctuation type counter CS are repeatedly updated within the remaining time until the execution timing of the next normal process.

That is, in step S408, the random number initial value counter CINI is updated. Specifically, the random number initial value counter CINI is incremented by 1 and cleared to 0 when the counter value reaches the maximum value. Then, the updated value of the random number initial value counter CINI is stored in the corresponding area of the RAM 604 . Also, in step S409, the change type counter CS is updated. Specifically, the variation type counter CS is incremented by 1 and cleared to 0 when the counter values reach the maximum value. Then, the updated value of the fluctuation type counter CS is stored in the corresponding area of the RAM 604 .

The execution time of each process of steps S401 to S406 changes according to the state of the game. Therefore, the remaining time until the execution timing of the next normal process is not constant and fluctuates. Therefore, by repeatedly updating the random number initial value counter CINI using the remaining time, the random number initial value counter CINI (that is, the initial value of the jackpot random number counter C1) can be randomly updated, and similarly the variation type counter CS can be randomly updated.

(Game round control processing)
Next, the game round control processing of step S501 will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 29 to 30 and the like.

In the game round control process, first, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 29, it is determined in step S501 whether or not the opening/closing execution mode is in progress. If it is in the open/close execution mode, the game round control process is ended without executing any of the processes after step S502, that is, the game round start process of steps S503 to S505 and the game round progress process of steps S506 to S508.

If it is not in the opening/closing execution mode, it is determined in step S502 whether or not the display section for the operating port of the main display unit 87 is in the process of variable display. If the operation port display unit is not in the variable display, the process proceeds to the game turn start processing of steps S503 to S505. In the game turn start processing, first, in step S503, it is determined whether or not the total number of start-reserved balls (common reserved number CRN) is "0". When the common pending number CRN is “0”, it means that pending information is not stored in the pending ball storage area 632 . Therefore, this game round control process is terminated as it is.

On the other hand, when the common reserved number CRN is not "0", in step S504 data setting processing for setting the data stored in the reserved area RE of the reserved ball storage area 632 for variable display is executed, and in step S505, after executing the variable start processing for starting the variable display on the main display unit 87 and the variable display on the variable display unit 500, this game round control processing ends.

Here, the data setting process in step S504 and the variation start process in step S505 will be described in detail.

(data setting processing)
In the data setting process, first, of the start pending storage numbers N stored in the pending number storage area FE, the one targeted for the current setting process and the common pending number CRN are decremented by one. Subsequently, when the target of the setting process this time is based on the ball entering the upper working hole 83a, the data stored in the first area Ra1 of the reservation area RE is moved to the execution area AE. After that, a process of shifting the data (that is, the reserved information) stored in each of the areas Ra1 to Ra4 of the reserved area RE is executed. This data shift process is a process for sequentially shifting the data stored in the first area Ra1 to the fourth area Ra4 to the lower area side. The data in the first area Ra1 is cleared, and the data in each area is shifted in the order of the second area Ra2→the first area Ra1, the third area Ra3→the second area Ra2, and the fourth area Ra4→the third area Ra3.

When the target of the setting process this time is based on the ball entering the lower opening 83b, the data stored in the first area Rb1 of the reservation area RE is moved to the execution area AE. After that, a process of shifting the data (that is, the reserved information) stored in each of the areas Rb1 to Rb4 of the reserved area RE is executed. This data shift process is a process for sequentially shifting the data stored in the first area Rb1 to the fourth area Rb4 to the lower area side. The data in the first area Rb1 is cleared, and the data in each area is shifted in such a manner as the second area Rb2 → the first area Rb1, the third area Rb3 → the second area Rb2, the fourth area Rb4 → the third area Rb3.

Subsequently, a shift time command, which is information for making the notification/production control device 140 recognize that the data in the reserved area has been shifted, is set. After that, the data setting process is terminated. The set shift command is transmitted to the notification/effect control device 140 at step S401 in the normal process (FIG. 28). In the notification/production control device 140, by receiving the command at the time of shift, it is grasped that the shift of the hold information has occurred.

(Variation start processing)
Next, the fluctuation start processing of step S505 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the fluctuation start process, first, in step S601, a success/failure judgment process for judging whether or not the reservation information referred to in the fluctuation start process of this time corresponds to the winning of the jackpot is executed. Specifically, among the information stored in the execution area AE, the information obtained from the information for judging the jackpot, ie, the information updated by the jackpot random number counter C1, is grasped. Then, when the lottery mode is the low probability mode, the low probability mode lottery table stored in the lottery table storage area 621 of the ROM 603 is referred to specify whether or not the grasped information is included in the information corresponding to the jackpot winning. identify.

In the subsequent step S602, it is determined whether or not the result of the success/failure determination process in step S601 corresponds to the winning of the jackpot. When the result corresponds to the jackpot winning, a type determination process is executed in step S603.

In the type determination process, among the information stored in the execution area AE, information for type determination, that is, information obtained from the information updated by the jackpot type counter C2 is grasped. In addition, with reference to the distribution table stored in the distribution table storage area 622 of the ROM 603, it is specified whether or not the grasped information for type determination is included in the information corresponding to the probability variable jackpot result. Specifically, when the holding information corresponds to the ball entering the upper working port 83a, the distribution table for the upper working port 83a is referred to, and when the holding information corresponds to the ball entering the lower working port 83b, the classification table for the lower working port 83b is referred to determine the type.

In the following step S604, it is determined whether or not the type of the current jackpot winning is the probability variable jackpot result based on the information specified in the type determination processing in step S603. If the result is a variable probability big win, stop result setting processing for the variable probability big win is executed in step S605, and if the result is not a variable probability big win, stop result setting processing for the normal big win is executed in step S606. If it is determined in step S602 that the jackpot has not been won, then in step S607 stop result setting processing for the time of loss is executed.

In each stop result setting process of steps S605 to S607, the information of the form of the pattern to be finally stopped and displayed on the main display unit 87 is specified by referring to the stop result table stored in the stop result table storage area of the ROM 603, and the specified information is stored in the RAM 604. In addition, in steps S605 and S606, the information for specifying in the MPU 602 that the win/loss determination result of the current game round is the probability variable jackpot result or the normal jackpot result is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM604. Specifically, the variable probability jackpot flag is stored in step S605, and the normal jackpot flag is stored in step S606.

After executing any of the processes of steps S605 to S607, a variable display time setting process is executed in step S608. In the variable display time setting process, first, it is determined whether or not the winning lottery is won. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the variable probability jackpot flag or the normal jackpot flag is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604 . If the result of the win/loss lottery is a loss result, it is determined whether or not the variable display unit 500W will display the ready-to-win state in the current game round. Specifically, when the value of the reach random number counter C3 stored in the execution area AE is a value corresponding to the occurrence of the reach, the indication of the reach is generated. The reach determination table stored in the reach determination table storage area of the ROM 603 is referred to when specifying the presence or absence of the reach occurrence using the value of the reach random number counter C3.

In the case of a jackpot result or even in the case of a losing result corresponding to the occurrence of reach, the variable display time table for the occurrence of reach stored in the variable display time table storage area 623 of the ROM 603 is referred to acquire the variable display time information corresponding to the value of the current variable type counter CS, etc., and the variable display time information is set in the variable display time counter area (variable display time measuring means) provided in the various counter areas 634 of the RAM 604. After that, the setting process is terminated.

That is, in the present embodiment, when the result of the lottery is a jackpot winning result, or when the result of the same lottery is a losing result and the lottery for generating the ready-to-win is won, the ready-to-win is displayed.

Although the details will be described later, the reach display includes normal reach display and super reach display, which have different variable display modes. Variable display time information corresponding to each of the normal reach display and the super reach display is set in the variable display time table for reach generation, and the variable display time information corresponding to each reach display is acquired by referring to the table. Regarding determination of the type of ready-to-win display, a table corresponding to the type of ready-to-win display and the value of the variation type counter CS is provided, and by referring to the table, the ready-to-win display corresponding to the value of the current variation type counter CS is determined.

On the other hand, when it is not a big hit result but a loss result and does not correspond to the occurrence of reach, a variation display time table for reach non-occurrence stored in a variation display time table storage area 623 is referred to acquire a variation display time corresponding to the value of the current variation type counter CS, and the variation display time information is set in the variation display time counter area. After that, the setting process is terminated.

The variable display time information at the time of reach non-occurrence is set so that the variable display time becomes shorter as the number of common reservations CRN increases. However, it is not limited to this, for example, it may be configured not to depend on the number of common reservations CRN, and may be set so that the smaller the number of common reservations CRN, the shorter the variable display time. In addition, in the situation where the support mode is the high-frequency support mode, compared with the case where the number of pending information is the same, the variable display time table for reach non-occurrence is set so that a shorter variable display time is selected than in the situation where the support mode is the low-frequency support mode. Furthermore, the above configuration may be applied to the variable display time at the occurrence of the ready-to-win, and the variable display time to be easily selected and the variable display time to be difficult to be selected may be different between when the jackpot is won and when the winning is reached. Also, the variable display time table for probability variable jackpot, the variable display time table for normal jackpot, the variable display time table for loss reach, and the variable display time table for complete loss may be individually set.

As described above, the variable display time of each game round is determined using the presence or absence of reach occurrence, the type of reach display, the number of pending information, the value of the variable type counter, and the like as parameters. However, the variable display time of each game round is determined without using the contents of other hold information, specifically, the information for big hit determination, the information for type determination, and the information for reach determination included in the other hold information as parameters.

Returning to the description of the variation start process, after the variation display time setting process is executed in step S608, the variation command and the type command are set in step S609. The variable command includes information on presence/absence of reach occurrence and information on variable display time. Also, the type command includes information on the game result. That is, the type command includes, as game result information, probability variable jackpot result information, normal jackpot result information, loss result information, and the like.

The variation command and type command set in step S609 are transmitted to the notification/production control device 140 in step S401 in the normal process (FIG. 28). The notification/performance control device 140 determines the light emission pattern of the display lamp part 26 and the output pattern of the sound from the speaker part 29 in the game round based on the received variation command and the type command, and controls the display lamp part 26 and the speaker part 29 so that the content of the determined performance is executed. Further, the notification/performance control device 140 determines a variable display pattern in the variable display unit 500 in the game round based on the received variable command and type command, and controls the variable display unit 500 so that the determined variable display pattern is executed. After that, in step S610, after starting the variable display of the pattern on the display portion for the operating port of the main display unit 87, the variable start processing is terminated.

Returning to the description of the game round control process (FIG. 29), when the main display unit 87 is in the variable display, the game round progressing process of steps S506 to S509 is executed. In the game round progressing process, first, in step S506, it is determined whether or not the variation display time of the current game round has elapsed. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the value of the variable display time information stored in the variable display time counter area of the RAM 604 has become "0". The value of the variable display time information is set in the variable display time setting process, as described above. Also, the value of this set variable display time information is decremented (subtracted) by 1 each time the timer interrupt process (FIG. 25) is started.

If the variable display time has not elapsed, the variable display process is executed in step S507. In the variable display process, the display mode on the main display unit 87 is changed. After that, the game round control process is terminated.

If the variation display time has elapsed, variation end processing is executed in step S508. In the fluctuation ending process, the information stored in the RAM 604 in any one of the above steps S505 to S507 is specified, and the main display unit 87 is controlled so that the pattern corresponding to the information is stopped and displayed on the main display unit 87.

In the subsequent step S509, a fluctuation end command is set. After that, the game round control process is terminated. The fluctuation end command set at step S509 is transmitted to the notification/production control device 140 at step S401 in the normal process (FIG. 28). Upon receiving the variation end command, the notification/production control device 140 confirms and displays (final stop display) the combination of the final stop symbols in the game round.

As already explained, in the present embodiment, the outline of the variable display mode of the pattern in the variable display unit 500 is specified by the notification/production control device 140 with reference to the command from the main control device 162, and the details of the variable display mode are determined by the notification/production control device 140 based on the specified result. Specifically, in the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140, a variable display control process is executed as part of a regular process that is started at a predetermined cycle (for example, 2 msec), and an overview of the variable display mode of the pattern is specified in this variable display control process. Here, the variable display control process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(Variable display control processing)
In the variable display control process, first, in step S701, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress, that is, whether or not the variable display unit 500 is performing variable display of symbols for one game. If it is determined that the game is not in progress, the process proceeds to step S702, and it is determined whether or not the variation command transmitted from the main controller 162 is received. If a negative determination is made in step S702, this variable display control process is terminated. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S702, the variable display control process is terminated after the process for starting variation is executed in step S703.

Returning to the description of step S701, when the determination in step S701 is affirmative, that is, when it is determined that the game is in progress, the process proceeds to step S704. In step S704, it is determined whether or not the fluctuation end command transmitted from the main controller 162 has been received. If a negative determination is made in step S704, the variable display control process is terminated after executing the variable display process in step S705. The variation mid-process is a process of executing various effects and changing the determined effect in the game cycle started by the process for starting the variation.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S704, the process proceeds to step S706, and after executing the fluctuation end processing in step S706, the fluctuation display control processing is ended. In the fluctuation end processing, the fluctuation display of symbols and the effect being executed are ended (determined and stopped) so as to correspond to the lottery result related to the game round. Specifically, the variable display unit 500 is controlled so as to fix and stop the symbol. In this process, the driving control of the speaker section 29 and the lamp section 26 is performed to produce an effect corresponding to the definite stop. After that, the fluctuation end processing is ended.

(Processing for start of fluctuation)
Here, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 32, a supplementary description of the fluctuation start processing in step S703 will be given. The variation start process is a process for starting an effect for a game turn based on receipt of a variation command transmitted from the main controller 162 . In the variable start process, a variable display mode such as a ready-to-win display and a combination of symbols to be displayed are determined as an effect for the game cycle.

In the variation start process, first, in step S801, the command for variation received this time is read, and information on the presence or absence of reach occurrence and information on the variation display time are specified from the command. Further, as already explained, when the command for variation is transmitted from the main controller 162, the type command is also transmitted. In step S1201, the type command received together with the variation command received this time is read, and from the command, the game result information such as probability variable jackpot result information, normal jackpot result information, or loss result information is specified. Then, in step S2101, from the specified information, information on whether or not the big win is won, information on the type of big win when the jackpot is won, information on the presence or absence of reach occurrence when the big win is not won, and information on the variable display time are grasped, and the grasped information is stored in the register of the MPU 652. - 特許庁

In the subsequent step S802, it is determined whether or not the game result of the game cycle to be started this time is a game result corresponding to the jackpot result, based on the information grasped in step S801. In the case of a jackpot result, that is, in the case of a variable probability jackpot result or a normal jackpot result, in the subsequent step S803, the effect setting process for the jackpot is executed.

In the effect setting process for big win, the stop result of the symbol for big win is determined (stop result determination process is performed). In the stop result determination processing, in the case of the probability variable jackpot result, the stop result in which the combination of the same specific symbols (main symbols with odd numbers) is established on one effective line L1 to L5 is determined as the stop result of the game round. In addition, in the case of a normal jackpot result, a stop result in which a combination of the same non-specified patterns (main patterns with even numbers) is formed on one effective line L1 to L5 is determined as the stop result of the main game round.

The type of the main symbol to be stop-displayed and the effective lines L1 to L5 are randomly determined by a lottery or the like when a big win results. Effective lines L1 to L5 and address information are stored in the final stop line table stored in various table areas of the ROM 653, and the final stop line determined by the above processing is stored as address information in the final stop line address storage area provided in the RAM 654. Also, at this time, a process of storing the determined stop result information in the stop result address storage area is executed. It should be noted that the stop result address information determined by various stop result determination processes is stored in the stop result address storage area of the RAM 654 also in the following description.

Also, in the effect setting process for the big win, the variable display mode of the symbol for the big win is determined (performs the variable display mode determination process (effect pattern determination process)). As already explained, when a jackpot result is obtained, the result is notified through the ready-to-win display. In the variable display mode determination processing for the ready-to-win display, a variable display pattern table for the ready-to-win display stored in various table areas of the ROM 653 is acquired, and the effect pattern of the normal ready-to-win display or the super ready-to-win display corresponding to the game result in the variable display time and the type command of the command for the change received this time is determined. In addition, a process of storing the address information of the determined variable display mode in the pattern address storage area of the RAM 654 is executed. Also in the variable display mode determination process described below, the corresponding variable display pattern table is acquired from the variable display pattern table storage area of the ROM 653 to determine the effect pattern corresponding to the variable display time and the game result. Then, the address information of the effect pattern determined by the effect pattern determination process is stored in the pattern address storage area of the RAM654.

If it is determined in step S802 that the result is not a big hit, the process proceeds to step S804. In step S804, it is determined whether reach will occur in the current game round. When reach occurs, the process advances to step S805 to execute effect setting processing for reach occurrence. In the effect setting process for generating ready-to-win, the outline of the effect and the combination of symbols to be finally stopped are determined. The former is the same as the processing in step S803, so the description is incorporated. Since this processing corresponds to the loss reach, the stop symbols are determined so as not to result in a combination of symbols corresponding to the big hit result. That is, the stop result in which a combination of outlier reach symbols is established on one of the effective lines L1 to L5 is determined as the current stop result. In this case, the types of combination of winning reach symbols and effective lines L1 to L5 are randomly determined by lottery or the like. In this determination, the result of stopping on the effective line is determined so that the same combination of patterns is not established on any of the effective lines L1 to L5 and the patterns of the same middle pattern row as the patterns forming the reach line are finally stopped at a stop position shifted forward or backward with respect to the reach line. After that, a process of storing the determined stop result information in the stop result address storage area is executed.

If it is determined in step S804 that reach has not occurred, the process proceeds to step S806. In step S806, the outline of the performance for the normal failure and the combination of symbols to be finally stopped are determined. Since this processing corresponds to a complete loss, the stop symbols are determined so as not to form a symbol combination corresponding to the result of a big win.

After executing any one of steps S803, S805, and S806, the process proceeds to step S807. In step S807, display control (variable display control) of the variable display unit 500 is performed in order to execute the effect in the current game round. As a result, each drum unit 523 starts rotating. Further, drive control of the speaker section 29 and the lamp section 26 is started based on the performance patterns determined in steps S803, S805, and S806, and the performance for the game cycle is started.

33 to 35, the variable display mode of the pattern in the variable display unit 500 will be supplementarily explained. FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the variable display mode and the degree of expectation for the big win, FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of normal reach that does not correspond to special changes to be described later, and FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of normal reach that corresponds to special changes to be described later.

As shown in FIG. 33, the pattern variation display modes in the present embodiment are roughly classified into three types: complete loss, normal reach, and super reach. For the normal reach and the super reach, the variable display mode of the pattern until shifting to the ready reach display is made common, and at least until the shift to the ready reach display, it is not specified to which of the normal reach and the super reach the transition from the variable display mode of the pattern up to that point is made.

When normal reach and super reach are compared, there is a difference in the scroll speed of the middle pattern after the reach display transition. Specifically, in the case of normal reach, the speed of scrolling the medium symbols is set to be lower than in the case of super reach. Compared to normal reach, super reach results in a big hit and the degree of expectation for shifting to a special game state is high. Therefore, it is assumed that the player who expects the transition to the special game state will pay attention to the variable display of the symbols in anticipation of the transition to the super ready-to-win state.

(Normal reach that does not support special changes)
FIG. 34 exemplifies the flow of normal reach corresponding to the result of deviation. As shown in FIG. 34(a), when a game round is started based on the entry of a ball into the operation openings 83a and 83b, the variable display of symbols in the variable display areas DL, DM and DR, more specifically, the scroll display that traverses the variable display areas DL, DM and DR from the upper side to the lower side is started.

After that, they are stopped and displayed in the order of the left symbol row→right symbol row, and in the example shown in FIG.

At a predetermined timing immediately after the ready-to-win line is formed, as shown in FIG. 34(c), the scroll speed of the middle pattern row becomes the first steady speed (low speed), and accordingly, the other patterns that do not form the ready-to-win line in the left and right pattern rows are hidden. Specifically, the middle luminous body 572bL of the left varying display area DL and the middle luminous body 572bR of the right varying display area DR are extinguished, thereby hiding the sub-symbol displayed in the middle stage.

In the variable display unit 500 shown in the present embodiment, both the light guide portion 532 and the sidelight 528 are used to display the pattern, and when the light supply from the sidelight 528 is stopped, the pattern is not displayed. If the light emitting portion 553 formed in the light guide portion 532 is scrutinized, it is not impossible to identify the pattern.

After that, as shown in FIG. 34(d)→FIG. 34(e), the scrolling display of the medium pattern row is continued in the medium fluctuation display area DM, and finally, the "4" pattern is stopped and displayed in the middle stage of the medium fluctuation display area DM, thereby clearly indicating to the player that the result is a failure.

In the present embodiment, there is a case in which the medium symbol row is displayed in a variable manner again after being stopped in part of the game rounds related to normal reach and super reach (hereinafter referred to as special change). When such a special change occurs, the expectation of a big win increases in both normal reach and super reach. Here, with reference to FIG. 35, the flow of the special change will be described.

(Normal reach for special changes)
When a game round is started based on the ball entering the operating holes 83a, 83b, the variable display of patterns in the variable display areas DL, DM, DR, more specifically, the scroll display that traverses the variable display areas DL, DM, DR from the upper side to the lower side is started. After that, the symbols are stop-displayed in the order of left symbol row→right symbol row, and in the example shown in FIG.

At a predetermined timing immediately after the ready-to-win line is formed, as shown in FIG. 35(b), the scroll speed of the middle pattern row becomes the first steady speed (low speed), and accordingly, other patterns that do not form the ready-to-win line are hidden in the left and right pattern rows. Specifically, the upper and lower light emitters 572aL and 572cL of the left varying display region DL and the upper and lower light emitters 572aR and 572cR of the right varying display region DR are extinguished, thereby hiding the sub-symbols displayed in the upper and middle rows.

After that, as shown in FIG. 35(c), the middle symbol row continues to be scrolled, and as shown in FIG. 35(d), symbols other than the "7" symbol are temporarily stopped and displayed on the activated line L2. At the timing when a predetermined standby period has elapsed after the middle symbol row is temporarily stopped and displayed, the middle symbol row is hidden as shown in FIG. 35(e). Specifically, when all the light emitters 572 for the middle variation display area DM are turned off, the middle symbol row is hidden.

After that, as shown in FIG. 35(f), when the middle symbol row is displayed again, the symbol positioned on the activated line L2 is replaced from the sub-symbol to the "8" symbol, and it is clearly indicated that the game round is lost. After that, when the fixed display period elapses, the other hidden symbols are also displayed again, and a total of 9 symbols of 3×3 are displayed.

Here, with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 36 to 38, the variable display control process (FIG. 31) will be described.

(Variable intermediate use processing)
As shown in FIG. 36, in the variable mid-use processing, in step S901, switching between lighting and extinguishing of the sidelight 528 and the backlight 582 is determined, in the following step S902, the light emission regulation processing for determining the targets for forcible light emission regulation is performed, and in step S903, light emission control of the side light 528 and the backlight 582 and drive control of the motor 526 are carried out based on the items set in steps S901 and S902.

(Light emission/drive setting processing)
As shown in FIG. 37, in the light emission/driving setting process, first, in step S1001, it is determined whether or not a special change display shift flag is stored in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 654. FIG. This special variation display shift flag is a flag that is stored when the above-described special change of the symbol is performed, and is erased when the corresponding game cycle is completed. If a negative determination is made in step S1001, the process proceeds to step S1002.

In step S1002, it is determined whether or not a reach display shift flag is stored in various flag storage areas of the RAM 654. FIG. The ready-to-win display shift flag is a flag that is stored when the ready-to-win display is parallel, and erased when shifting to the special change or when the corresponding game round ends. If a negative determination is made in step S1002, the process proceeds to step S1003.

In step S1003, it is determined whether or not it is time to stop display the left symbol row in the left fluctuation display area DL. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1003, the process advances to step S1004 to execute processing for stopping the left drum (rotator 525L). Specifically, a flag is set to stop the output of the drive signal to the motor 526L for the left drum. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, based on this flag and the stop pattern determined at the start of the fluctuation, stop control is performed so that the pattern is stopped and displayed in the left fluctuation display area DL.

If a negative determination is made in step S1003, the process proceeds to step S1005. In step S1005, it is determined whether or not it is time to stop display the right symbol row in the right fluctuation display area DR. If a negative determination is made in step S1005, the main light emission/driving control process is terminated.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1005, the process advances to step S1006 to execute processing for stopping the right drum (rotator 525R). Specifically, a flag is set to stop the output of the drive signal to the motor 526R for the right drum. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, based on this flag and the stop pattern determined at the start of variation, stop control is performed so that the pattern is stop-displayed in the right variation display area DR.

After the stop processing is executed in step S1006, the process proceeds to step S1007 to determine whether or not the current game round corresponds to the ready-to-win display. If a negative determination is made in step S1007, the main light emission/drive setting process is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1007, the process proceeds to step S1008.

In step S1008, processing for partially turning off the sidelights is executed. In this partial extinguishing process, a flag is set to extinguish a part of the light emitters 572 of the left drum sidelight 528L and the right drum sidelight 528R so as not to display the pattern that does not form the reach line. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, light emission control is performed so as to extinguish some of the light emitters 572 based on this flag and the symbol stop position (effective line) determined at the start of variation.

In the following step S1009, processing for turning on the backlight 582 of the background display device 529 is performed. Specifically, a flag for lighting the backlight 582 is set. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, light emission control is performed so that the backlight 582 is turned on based on this flag.

In the present embodiment, the background is lit and displayed with the transition to the ready-to-win display, suggesting that there is a possibility that a big win will occur. Although the details will be described later, by turning on the backlight 582, the light emitting portion 553 corresponding to the hidden pattern is made inconspicuous.

Thereafter, in step S1010, the ready-to-reach display transition flag is set in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 654, and the main light emission/drive setting process ends.

Returning to the description of step S1002, when the determination in step S1002 is affirmative, that is, when the reach display shift flag is set in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 654, the process proceeds to step S1011. In step S1101, it is determined whether or not it is time to shift to the special variation display. That is, it is determined whether or not it is time to execute the special change as shown in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S1011, the process proceeds to step S1012. In step S1012, it is determined whether or not it is time to change the variable display speed (scroll speed) of the middle symbol row. If a negative determination is made in step S1012, the main light emission/drive setting process is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1021, the process for changing the variable display speed is executed in step S1013, and then the main light emission/driving setting process is terminated.

In the variable display speed change process, a flag is set for changing the variable display speed of the middle pattern. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, drive control of the middle drum motor 526 is performed based on this flag so that the fluctuation display speed of the middle pattern row becomes a predetermined speed. Specifically, when the current ready-to-win display is normal ready-to-win, the rotation speed of the rotating body 525M is controlled so that the variable display speed of the middle pattern row becomes the first predetermined speed (low speed), and when it is super ready-to-win, the rotating speed of the rotating body 525M is controlled so that the variable display speed becomes the second predetermined speed (high speed).

Returning to the description of step S1011, when the determination in step S1011 is affirmative, that is, when it is time to shift to the special variation display, the process proceeds to step S1014. In step S1014, processing for temporary stop of the middle drum (rotator 525M) is executed. Specifically, a flag is set to temporarily stop the middle drum. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, based on this flag, the output of the driving signal to the motor 526M for the middle drum is stopped. As a result, the three symbols set at the start of the fluctuation are stopped and displayed in the middle fluctuation display area DM. It should be noted that the medium symbols temporarily stopped on the reach line at this time are set so that the symbol combination on the reach line is a symbol combination corresponding to the result of losing.

Subsequently, in step S1015, the ready-to-reach display transition flag stored in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 654 is erased, and in step S1016, after setting the special variation display transition flag in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 654, the main light emission/drive setting process is terminated.

Returning to the description of step S1001, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1001, that is, if the special variation display transition flag is stored in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 654, special variation display processing is executed in step S1016, and then the main emission/drive setting processing is terminated. The special variable display processing will be described below with reference to FIG.

(Special fluctuation display processing)
In the special variation display processing, first, in step S1101, it is determined whether or not it is time to start the above-mentioned special change, that is, the replacement display of symbols. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1101, the process proceeds to step S1102.

In step S1102, processing for turning off the middle drum side light is executed. Specifically, a flag for turning off the sidelights is set. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, the process of turning off the middle drum side light is performed based on this flag. As a result, the symbols forming the middle symbol row are hidden, and the symbols temporarily displayed in the middle fluctuation display area DM are hidden.

In the subsequent step S1103, a process for driving the middle drum is executed. Specifically, a flag for re-driving the middle drum is set. In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, the middle drum is rotated based on this flag. That is, the middle drum rotates under the condition that light is not supplied from the side light 528M. The middle drum is rotated so that the light emitting part 553 corresponding to the pattern (final stop pattern) constituting the pattern combination (final stop pattern combination) corresponding to the game result of this time is positioned on the reach line.

Note that the rotation direction of the middle drum at the time of special change is defined based on two conditions: (1) the number of times the boundary portion BP1 passes through the middle variation display area DM is minimized, and (2) the amount of rotation is minimized. For example, when the middle drum is rotated in the forward direction, one boundary portion BP1 passes through the middle fluctuation display region DM, and when the middle drum is turned in the opposite direction, two boundary portions BP1 pass through the middle fluctuation display region DM. Regarding each of the conditions (1) and (2), (1) is given priority over (2), and by moving the boundary part BP1 in the middle fluctuation display area DM under the condition that the pattern is not displayed, it is difficult for the player to notice the fact that the middle drum is rotating.

Returning to the description of step S1101, if a negative determination is made in step S1101, it is determined in step S1104 whether or not it is time to end symbol replacement (special change). If a negative determination is made in step S1104, the special variable display process is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1104, the process proceeds to step S1105. In step S1105, processing for partially lighting the middle drum side lights is executed. Specifically, a flag for partial lighting is set.

In the light emission/driving control process of step S903, the middle drum side light is partially turned on based on this flag. Specifically, the supply of light is started to the upper, middle, and lower portions of the medium fluctuation display area DM that are positioned on the reach line, and the supply of light to the other portions is kept stopped. For example, when the reach line formed this time straddles the middle row, the light emitter 572b corresponding to the middle row is turned on, and the other light emitters 572a, 572c to 572g remain turned off. As a result, the middle symbols are suddenly replaced, and the impact on the display of the game results can be enhanced.

A supplementary description of the flow of reach display will be given below with reference to the timing charts of FIGS. 39 and 40 . FIG. 39 is a timing chart showing the flow of ready-to-reach display not corresponding to special change, and FIG. 40 is a timing chart showing the flow of ready-to-reach display corresponding to special change.

(Reach display that does not support special changes)
As shown in FIG. 39, at the timing ta1 when the game round related to the ready-to-win display that does not support special changes is started, the side lights 528L, 528M, and 528R of the drums are all lit, and the backlight 582 of the background display device 529 is turned off. In this state, driving signals are output to the motors 526L, 526M, 526R, thereby starting the scrolling display of the pattern rows in the variable display areas DL, DM, DR.

At the timing ta2 after the start of the fluctuation, the output of the driving signal to the motor 526L for the left drum is stopped, and the left drum stops at the preset rotation position. As a result, the three patterns preset in the left fluctuation display area DL are stopped and displayed. At the following timing ta3, output of the drive signal to the motor 526R for the right drum is stopped, and the right drum stops at a preset rotating position. As a result, the three patterns preset in the right fluctuating display area DR are stopped and displayed.

In the example shown in FIG. 39, a ready-to-win line is formed by stopping the same symbol on a preset active line, and the game shifts to a ready-to-win display. At the timing ta3, the backlight 582 of the background display device 529 is turned on to emphasize the shift to the ready-to-win display. Further, at the timing of ta3, part of the light emitter 572L constituting the side light 528L is turned off so that the symbols not forming the reach line among the symbols stopped and displayed in the left variable display area DL are not displayed. Further, part of the light emitter 572R constituting the side light 528R is extinguished so that the symbols that do not form the reach line among the symbols stopped and displayed in the right variable display area DR are not displayed. Even under this condition, all the light emitters 572M that constitute the sidelights 528M for the middle drum are kept turned on.

At the timing ta4 after the transition to the ready-to-win display, the symbols are stopped and displayed in the medium fluctuation display area DM, and a symbol combination corresponding to the game result is formed. Thereby, the game result is clearly shown to the player. After that, at the timing of ta5 after the pattern confirmation display period has passed, the light emitters 572 constituting the sidelights 528 are fully lit, and the backlight 582 is turned off.

(Reach display for special changes)
As shown in FIG. 40, at the timing tb1 when the game cycle related to the ready-to-win display corresponding to the special change starts, the sidelights 528L, 528M, and 528R of the drums are all on, and the backlight 582 of the background display device 529 is off. In this state, driving signals are output to the motors 526L, 526M, 526R, thereby starting the scrolling display of the pattern rows in the variable display areas DL, DM, DR.

At the timing tb2 after the start of the fluctuation, the output of the drive signal to the motor 526L for the left drum is stopped, and the left drum stops at the preset rotation position. As a result, the three patterns preset in the left fluctuation display area DL are stopped and displayed. At the subsequent timing tb3, the output of the drive signal to the motor 526R for the right drum is stopped, and the right drum stops at a preset rotating position. As a result, the three patterns preset in the right fluctuating display area DR are stopped and displayed.

In the example shown in FIG. 40, a ready-to-win line is formed by stopping the same symbol on a preset active line, and the game shifts to a ready-to-win display. At this timing tb3, the backlight 582 of the background display device 529 is turned on to emphasize the transition to the reach display. At timing tb3, part of the light emitter 572L constituting the sidelight 528L is turned off so that the symbols that are stopped and displayed in the left variable display area DL and do not form the reach line are not displayed. Further, part of the light emitter 572R constituting the side light 528R is extinguished so that the symbols that do not form the reach line among the symbols stopped and displayed in the right variable display area DR are not displayed. Even under this condition, all the light emitters 572M that constitute the sidelights 528M for the middle drum are kept turned on.

At the timing tb4 after the shift to the ready-to-win display, the symbols are temporarily stopped and displayed in the medium fluctuation display area DM, and a symbol combination corresponding to the result of losing is formed. The special change (special fluctuation display) is performed after the timing of tb4. It should be noted that a series of flow up to the timing of tb4 is the same as the flow up to the timing of ta4 in the ready-to-win display that does not support the special change shown in FIG.

At timing tb5 when a predetermined standby period (a period slightly shorter than the fixed display period) has passed from timing tb4 when the pattern combination corresponding to the result of the deviation is temporarily displayed, all the light emitters 572M constituting the sidelight 528M for the middle drum are extinguished, and the patterns stopped and displayed in the middle fluctuation display area DM are temporarily hidden. As for the exchange of symbols due to the special change, it may be repeated up to three times, and the example shown in FIG. 40 illustrates the case where this exchange occurs twice.

Immediately after the light emitter 572M is hidden at the timing tb5, a drive signal is output to the motor 526M for the middle drum, and the light emitting portion 553M positioned on the reach line is replaced. At timing tb6 after completion of the replacement, the light emitters 572M corresponding to the reach lines are turned on, and the other light emitters are kept turned off. As a result, it is possible to make it look as if the medium pattern on the reach line has suddenly been replaced with another pattern.

The symbol combination displayed at the timing of tb6 also corresponds to the result of losing, and then the second special change is started. Specifically, at timing tb7 when a predetermined waiting period (a period slightly shorter than the fixed display period) has passed from timing tb6 when the symbol combination is displayed, all of the light emitters 572M constituting the sidelights 528M for the middle drum are extinguished, and the symbols stopped and displayed in the middle fluctuation display area DM are temporarily hidden.

Immediately after the light emitter 572M is hidden at timing tb7, a drive signal is output to the motor 526M for the middle drum, and the light emitting portion 553M positioned on the reach line is replaced. At the timing tb8 after the replacement is completed, the one corresponding to the reach line among the light emitters 572M is turned on, and the other light emitters are kept turned off. As a result, it is possible to make it look as if the medium pattern on the reach line has suddenly been replaced with another pattern. Since the game turn shown in FIG. 40 corresponds to the result of losing, the symbol combination that is finally stopped (confirmed display) also corresponds to the result of losing.

The backlight 582 is maintained in a lighting state while the special change detailed above is being performed, and the light from the backlight 582 is emitted to the front of the gaming machine through each drum (light guide section 532). This is a device for suppressing the appearance of the pattern of the light emitting portion 553 when the ambient light from the lighting of the game hall or the like moves into the light guide portion 532 .

Each drum (specifically, the light guide section 532) of the variable display unit 500 described in detail above is formed by combining a plurality of light guide panels 555 to 557 divided in the rotational direction, and a boundary portion BP1 is generated between the light guide panels 555 to 557. It is feared that the increase in the chances that these boundary parts BP1 are positioned in the variable display area lowers the appearance of the variable display unit 500 and hinders the improvement of attention to the game by performing the various display effects. One of the features of this embodiment is that the relationship between the arrangement of the light emitting portions 553 formed in the light guide portion 532, the position of the boundary portion BP1, and the variable display area is devised in order to suppress the occurrence of such inconvenience. The device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 22 and 41. FIG. Although FIG. 41 exemplifies the left drum, the relationship between the boundary portion BP1 and the variable display area is the same for the middle drum and the right drum. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 41 shows a state in which the light emitting portion 553 emits light.

As shown in FIG. 22, the light guide portion 532 of each drum is provided with a plurality of light emitting portions 553 arranged in the rotation direction. These light emitting parts 553 correspond to the main pattern and the sub-pattern, and by emitting the light supplied from the side light 528 from the light emitting part 553, the main patterns ``1'' to ``9'' and the sub-pattern imitating ``seashell'' are displayed.

As shown in FIG. 41(a), the size of the main symbol in the rotation direction is larger than the size of the sub-symbol. After arranging the border part BP1 between the main pattern and the sub-pattern, the blank part formed between the border part BP1 and the main pattern is biased toward the main pattern side so as to be smaller than the blank part formed between the border part BP1 and the sub-pattern.

In the example shown in FIG. 41, a boundary portion BP1 is provided between the "6" symbol (more specifically, the light emitting portion 553 for the "6" symbol) and the sub-symbol (more specifically, the light emitting portion 553 for the sub-symbol). When the "6" symbol is stopped at the upper stage of the variable display area, the boundary part BP1 is located above the upper limit position of the variable display area, that is, in a range that cannot be seen from the front of the gaming machine (see FIG. 41(b)). On the other hand, when the “6” symbol is stopped just below the variable display area (outside the frame), the boundary part BP1 is located below the lower limit position of the variable display area, that is, in a range invisible from the front of the gaming machine (see FIG. 41(c)).

In order to facilitate manufacturing, it is generally assumed that the boundary portion is set so that the distance from the light emitting portion for the sub-symbol and the distance from the light emitting portion for the main symbol are the same. However, with such a configuration, there is a concern that it will be difficult to increase the chances of stopping the boundary portion at a position outside the variable display area. In this regard, according to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, even when the pattern closest to the boundary part is stopped at the upper or lower stage of the variable display area, the chances of the boundary part BP1 coming into view of the player can be reduced, thereby suppressing the occurrence of the above inconvenience. Thus, the position of the boundary portion BP1 shown in the present embodiment has a clear technical significance of making the boundary portion BP1 inconspicuous.

In addition, one of the features of this embodiment is that it is devised to prevent the boundary portion BP1 from standing out during scroll display of patterns by rotating each drum. The device will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 42 is a flow chart showing the luminescence control process, and FIG. 42(b) is a schematic diagram showing a state of shifting of the restricted objects.

As described with reference to FIG. 36, the process during fluctuation executed by the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140 includes the above-described light emission/drive setting process, light emission regulation process, and light emission/drive control process. As shown in FIG. 42(a), in the light emission regulation process, first, in step S1201, the position of the boundary portion BP1 is specified. Next, among the light emitters 572 forming the sidelight 528, those subject to regulation are specified in step S1202. Specifically, the luminous body located on the side of the boundary site BP1 identified in step S1201 is identified. In the following step S1203, the luminous body specified in step S1202 is set as a target of light emission regulation. In the light emission/driving control process, regardless of the content set in the light emission/driving setting process, the process of turning off the target set in step S1203 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 42(b), when the boundary portion BP1 moves along with the rotation of the symbol row, the light emitters 572 located on the sides of the boundary portion BP1 follow the movement and are switched to the extinguished state. That is, the supply of light to the boundary portion BP1 is suppressed. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the boundary portion BP1 from being conspicuous due to light emission or the like.

According to the first embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects are obtained.

In the variable display unit 500, the pattern is displayed by emitting the light from the side light 528 from the light emitting portion 553 formed in the light guide portion 532. FIG. The pattern can be switched between display and non-display by turning on/off the side light 528, and the color of the pattern can be changed by changing the emission color. In this way, constructing a variable display unit (corresponding to "pattern display means") using both the light guide portion 532 and the sidelight 528 is preferable in terms of diversifying the pattern display mode and improving the degree of attention to the game.

When the light from the sidelight 528 changes from the supply state to the non-supply state, the pattern becomes invisible or difficult to see (hidden). By making it possible to switch between display and non-display of symbols in this way, it is possible to limit the information provided to the player by the variable display unit 500 according to the game situation. In addition, it can contribute to diversification of the display mode when performing variable display of patterns.

By irradiating the end face 554 of the light guide portion 532 with the light from the side light 528, it is possible to prevent the light source from being conspicuous when visually confirming the pattern.

In the case of changing the pattern displayed in the variable display area, by rotating the rotating body 525 (light guide section 532) in the supply state, it is possible to make the pattern appear to move in the direction of the movement. In this way, if the light guide portion 532 is moved instead of the light source, it is possible to preferably avoid the limitation of the pattern change mode due to the length of the wiring or the like. In addition, since the position of the light source can be fixed, the patterns displayed at the same position can be exchanged, and even when the patterns are displayed in a variable manner, the points to which the player should pay attention can be unified. This is a preferable configuration for preventing overlooking of the symbol display and reducing fatigue of the player.

The direction of operation of the light guide section 532 is set so as to be perpendicular to the direction of light emitted from the sidelight 528 (specifically, the light emitter 572). With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress a change in the distance between the light irradiation target (end surface 554 ) and the light emitter 572 in the light guide section 532 as the light guide section 532 operates. This is preferable for suppressing insufficient supply of light to the light emitting portion 553 due to, for example, diffusion of the light from the light emitter 572 before the end surface 554 is irradiated.

The light emitting portions 553 are arranged side by side in the operating direction of the light guiding portion 532 , and the light emitters 572 constituting the side lights 528 are also arranged side by side in the operating direction of the light guiding portion 532 . By individually controlling light emission of these light emitters 572, the number of pictures displayed in the variable display area can be changed. In this way, by making it possible to increase or decrease the number of symbols to be displayed by using the plurality of light emitters 572 that can be individually controlled to emit light according to the game situation or the like, the expressiveness of the variable display unit 500 can be dramatically improved.

In the case where the light emitting portion 553 is composed of minute unevenness, ambient light such as the illumination of the game hall is diffused by the light emitting portion, so it is difficult to completely disable the visual identification of the position and shape of the light emitting portion 553. In other words, there is a possibility that the shape and position of the light emitting portion 553 can be grasped by looking closely. Therefore, as shown in the present embodiment, if the backlight 582 emits light to the light guide portion 532, the light from the backlight 582 distracts the ambient light and the like, making it difficult to grasp the shape and position of the light emitting portion 553. This is preferable in order to enhance the impact when the pattern suddenly appears by switching the supply state/non-supply state of the side light 528 .

When the light guide part 532 is operated, it cannot be denied that the light guide part 532 in operation can be identified by using the light emitting part 553 as a mark by looking carefully. This is a factor of reducing the impact when the light guide section 532 is operated while the side light 528 is in the non-supply state and the pattern is suddenly changed. Therefore, when replacing the pattern, as shown in the above embodiment, if the light guide section 532 is operated under the condition that the side light 528 stops supplying the light to the light guide section 532 and the backlight 582 irradiates the light guide section 532 with light, the ambient light or the like can be distracted by the light from the backlight 582. As a result, it is difficult to know that the light guide section 532 is in operation, and the occurrence of the above inconvenience can be suppressed. Since the light from the backlight 582 illuminates the entire variable display area, the effect of making it difficult to identify the shape of the light emitting portion 553 and the operation state of the light guide can be preferably exhibited.

By rotating the light guide portion 532 having a substantially annular shape, the light supply location in the light guide portion 532 (end face 554) is changed. As a result, the pattern is variably displayed on the light guide portion 532 . Since the light guide portion 532 has a substantially annular shape, the variable display of the pattern can be continued without reversing the rotation direction of the light guide portion 532 . In other words, it is possible to prevent the light guide portion 532 from becoming excessively large in order to perform dynamic display using the light guide portion 532 and enhance the power of expression. This is a preferable configuration for improving the degree of attention of the player.

The distance from the sidelight 528 to the end face 554 of the light guide portion 532 is constant at any rotational position. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the position or orientation of the side light 528 according to the change of the light supply location (for example, for the reason of securing an operating gap). Therefore, the configuration related to light supply in the variable display unit 500 can be simplified.

The side light 528 is configured such that the light irradiation direction of the light emitter 572 (LED) is the same as the rotation center axis CL, and the light irradiation direction and the arrangement direction (rotation direction) of the light emitting portions 553 intersect. In other words, when a plurality of light emitting portions 553 are used together, the light emitting portions 553 are prevented from lining up in the light irradiation direction. Therefore, when the patterns to be displayed are switched according to the rotation position, the supply of light to the patterns not to be displayed is suppressed, and the occurrence of the inconvenience that the patterns which should not be displayed faintly emit light can be suitably avoided.

In the configuration in which the light guide portion 532 has a substantially annular shape, the following effects can be expected by providing an insertion portion 561 into which the portion (end portion) of the light guide portion 532 extending from the frame 531 (rim 536) is inserted, and disposing the side light 528 in this insertion portion 561. That is, even if the movement of the light guide part 532 becomes unstable, the positional deviation of the light guide part 532 can be suppressed at a portion (insertion part) close to the light irradiation position. As a result, the light supply function can be exhibited stably.

In addition, since the insertion portion 561 is provided in the base member 524 holding the rotating member 525, the gap between the base member 524 and the light guide portion 532 can be minimized. This is preferable for suppressing strong interference between the insertion portion 561 and the light guide portion 532 and for suppressing light leakage from the insertion portion 561 .

In a configuration in which the light guide portion 532 is movable, if the light guide portion 532 and the insertion portion 561 come into contact with each other and the light guide portion 532 is damaged, light leakage or the like is likely to occur at that portion. This is a factor that reduces the efficiency of light supply to the light emitting portion 553 . Therefore, as shown in the present embodiment, by forming a gap between the insertion portion 561 and the outer surface portion 551 and the inner surface portion 552 of the light guide portion 532 to avoid contact between the insertion portion 561 and the light guide portion 532, the occurrence of such a problem can be suitably suppressed.

As for the above-described light guide section 532, by dividing it into a plurality of pieces (light guide panels 555 to 557) in the rotation direction, it is possible to contribute to simplification of manufacturing and reduction of manufacturing cost. However, in such a configuration, it is assumed that the behavior of the light guide portion 532 will be disturbed if the portion that becomes the boundary (edge) of each piece is caught in the open portion (entrance portion) of the insertion portion. Therefore, as shown in the present embodiment, the gap is increased toward the open portion to prevent the edge from being caught by the insertion portion 561, thereby suitably suppressing the occurrence of the above inconvenience. In addition, in a configuration in which the open portion (entrance portion) is expanded, light tends to leak from this portion. Therefore, by directing the open portion toward the rear side of the gaming machine, even if light leaks, it can be made less noticeable.

By configuring the light guide portion 532 with a plurality of light guide panels 555 to 557 arranged side by side in the rotational direction as shown in the above embodiment, the shape of the light guide portion 532 can be made substantially annular. Such a configuration can contribute to simplification of manufacturing of the drum unit 523 and reduction of the manufacturing cost, as compared with the case where one light guide plate is formed in an annular shape, for example. Here, when a plurality of light guide panels 555 to 557 arranged side by side are coupled to each other, distortion may occur due to manufacturing variations or the like. In the configuration in which light is supplied to the end face 554 of the light guide portion 532, there is concern that the positional relationship between the side light 528 and the end face 554 may vary due to the influence of such distortion, and the pattern display function may not be exhibited satisfactorily. In this regard, by mounting the light guide panels 555 to 557 on the frame 531 in a non-fixed state as shown in the present embodiment, the occurrence of the above inconvenience can be suppressed. This is preferable in terms of suppressing deterioration in the appearance when the light guiding portion 532 is used to perform the variable display of the symbols, thereby increasing the attention of the player.

As described above, when a plurality of light guide panels 555 to 557 are combined to form one light guide section 532, the boundary portion BP1 between the light guide panels 555 to 557 is conspicuous, and the appearance of the light guide section 532 deteriorates. This is not preferable in terms of increasing the attention of the player. In addition, in a configuration in which the light guide portion 532 is fixed to the frame 531, the portion where the light guide portion 532 is fixed to the frame 531 may differ in appearance from the non-fixed portion. Here, in the present embodiment, both ends of each of the light guide panels 555 to 557 in the rotation direction are free ends, and the fixing point is kept away from the boundary portion BP1 between the light guide panels 555 to 557 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the player's line of sight from being guided to the boundary part BP1 when the player's field of view includes the fixed part, and to suppress deterioration in appearance caused by forming one light guide part 532 by combining a plurality of light guide panels 555 to 557.例文帳に追加

When the light guide section 532 is composed of a plurality of light guide panels 555 to 557, it is preferable to make the boundary portions BP1 of the light guide panels 555 to 557 as inconspicuous as possible. Here, the light emitters 572 (LEDs) that constitute the sidelights 528 are configured to irradiate light in a predetermined direction, and the end surfaces on both sides of the light guide panels 555 to 557 in the rotation direction are configured to extend in the predetermined direction, that is, by configuring the light irradiation direction and the extending direction of the boundary portion BP1 to match, it is possible to suppress the boundary portion BP1 from emitting light. This is preferable for improving the appearance. Although the boundary portion BP1 is located in a pattern-free region (blank region), since this boundary portion BP1 extends in the rotation center axis CL direction, it is possible to suppress the pattern-free region from becoming excessively large in consideration of the boundary portion BP1.

If the number of light guide panels (the number of divisions) is excessively increased, the chances that the boundary portions between the light guide panels stop in the variable display area (effective line) increase. There is a concern that this will be a factor that degrades the appearance of the variable display unit. Therefore, as shown in the present embodiment, if the number of divisions is defined such that the number of patterns arranged on each of the light guide panels 555 to 557 is larger than the upper limit number of patterns that can be stopped in the variable display area, the chances of the boundary part BP1 stopping in the variable display area can be reduced. This makes it possible to alleviate the adverse effects of using a plurality of light guide panels together.

<Modification 1>
In the above-described first embodiment, the side light 528 as the "light emitting section" is arranged on the base member 524 that rotatably holds the rotary member 525 (drum), but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to mount a structure corresponding to the side light 528 on the rotating body 525 . However, if such a configuration is adopted, the weight of the drum is further increased, and it is assumed that the responsiveness during rotation/stopping is lowered. Therefore, desirably, the side light 528 is arranged on the base body 524 as shown in the first embodiment to reduce the weight of the rotating body 525 .

<Modification 2>
In the above-described first embodiment, the supply of light to the boundary portion BP1 is restricted by extinguishing part of the light emitter 572 (the source of light to the boundary portion BP1) according to the rotational position of the boundary portion BP1. A specific configuration for regulating the supply of light to the boundary portion BP1 is arbitrary. For example, shielding means such as a sealing material that covers the boundary portion BP1 from the side may be provided.

However, considering that the end portion of the light guide portion 532 is inserted into the insertion portion 561, it cannot be denied that the shielding means may come into contact with the wall surface of the insertion portion 561 due to manufacturing variations and deterioration over time. If the gaming machine continues to operate under such a situation where there is a possibility of contact, the shielding means may wear out and the shielding function may deteriorate. As a countermeasure, for example, by increasing the gap between the light guide portion 532 and the insertion portion 561, the occurrence of such inconvenience can be suppressed. In consideration of such circumstances, restricting the supply of light to the boundary portion BP1 by light emission control as shown in the first embodiment has technical significance in that the durability of the gaming machine can be favorably improved.

<Modification 3>
In the first embodiment, the light guide panels 555 to 557 forming the light guide section 532 are not coupled together, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the light guide panels 555 to 557 may be coupled together. However, considering that deformation such as distortion may occur in the light guide panels 555 to 557 during or after manufacturing, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the light guide panels 555 to 557 are not coupled to allow such deformation (absorbed at the boundary portion BP1).

<Modification 4>
In the above-described first embodiment, a gap is provided at the boundary portion BP1 of the light guide panels 555-557, but this does not deny the configuration in which the light guide panels 555-557 are brought into contact with each other at the boundary portion BP1.

<Modification 5>
In the first embodiment, the inner surface of the insertion portion 561 and the light guide portion 532 are made non-contact, but this is not the only option. For example, a guide roller that guides the light guide portion 532 may be provided on the insertion portion 561 side. However, if the surface of the light guiding portion 532 is scratched or the like, the optical path may change and the efficiency of supplying light to the light emitting portion 553 may decrease. In view of such circumstances, it is preferable to dispose a protective member or the like in the portion of the light guide portion 532 that contacts the guide roller.

<Modification 6>
In the first embodiment, the rotating body 525 is attached to the base body 524 via the motor 526. However, in view of the fact that the rotating body 525 has the light guide portion 532 and the weight increases, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the rotating body 525 is rotatably held by the base body 524 and the rotating body 525 is operated by the motor 526.

<Modification 7>
In the first embodiment, the light guide section 532 is configured by combining the three light guide panels 555 to 557, but the number of light guide panels to configure the light guide section 532 is arbitrary. However, even in such a case, it is preferable that the number of light emitting portions (that is, the number of patterns) formed in one light guide panel is larger than the upper limit of the number of patterns that can be stopped in the variable display area.

<Modification 8>
In the above-described first embodiment, the light guide portion 532 is configured to be rotatably held, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. It is sufficient if the pattern visible from the central opening 85 can be changed by moving the light guide, and for example, the light guide may be slidably held.

<Modification 9>
Although the light guide portion 532 is formed cylindrical in the first embodiment, it is not limited to this. For example, the light guide part 532 may be formed in a disk shape and arranged so that the plate surface faces the front of the gaming machine. In this case, it is preferable to change the direction of the rotation center axis of the rotating body in the front-rear direction.

<Modification 10>
In the above-described first embodiment, the backlight 582 is lit when shifting to the reach display. However, it is sufficient if the backlight 582 is lit at least when the special change (special variable display) is executed, and whether or not the backlight 582 is lit during other periods is arbitrary.

<Modification 11>
In the above-described first embodiment, when a special change (special change) is executed, after stopping the operation of the rotating body 525, the side light 528 is turned off, and after the re-operation of the rotating body 525 is completed, the side light 528 is turned on. However, the specific configuration for operating the rotating body 525 using the turn-off period of the side light 528 is not limited to this. For example, instead of or in addition to the above configuration, it is possible to turn off the side light 528 during the operation of the rotating body 525 and then turn on the side light 528 after the operation of the rotating body 525 is completed.

In addition, when a pattern is inserted or displayed by special change, if a variable display mode (for example, normal reach) in which the rotational speed of the rotating body 525M of the middle drum is relatively slow and a variable display mode (for example, super reach) that is relatively fast are set, it is possible to change the timing of light supply/stop according to the rotational speed. For example, when the pattern is temporarily stopped on the reach line, the margin for confirming the pattern is increased by lengthening the temporary stop period. However, if the suspension period is simply lengthened, the restriction on the number of times of re-variation at the time of special change may become stronger. Therefore, if the supply of light is restarted immediately before the temporary stop, it is possible to increase the margin for confirming the pattern. However, in such a configuration, the margin substantially changes depending on the rotational speed of the rotating body. Therefore, when the rotation speed is relatively fast, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the start timing of light supply is earlier than when the rotation speed is relatively slow, or to set a part of the upstream side of the reach line as the light supply range.

<Modification 12>
In the first embodiment, the side light 528 as the "light emitting part" is fixed and the light guide part 532 as the "light guide" is movable, but this relationship can be reversed. In other words, it is possible to variably display the pattern by moving the light emitting portion with respect to the fixed light guiding portion. Even in this case, it is preferable to align the arrangement direction of the light emitting portions formed in the light guide portion with the moving direction of the light emitting portions.

<Modification 13>
In the first embodiment, the light guide portion 532 is formed in a substantially annular shape, but it is sufficient if the pattern displayed in the variable display area can be changed by an operation in one direction, and the shape of the light guide portion 532 is not limited to an annular shape (for example, it is not denied that a recess or the like is formed in a part of the light guide portion 532).

<Modification 14>
In a conventional game machine, for example, it is possible to make the symbols substantially unidentifiable by displaying the symbols at high speed. However, such movement hinders improvement in the durability of the pattern display means. In particular, as shown in the present embodiment, in the structure in which the rotating body has the light guide section, the weight is increased compared to the case in which the rotating body is provided with, for example, paper, so there is a concern that such inconvenience will become significant.

Therefore, by stopping the supply of light from the side light 528 while the rotating body 525 is rotating, the pattern displayed on the light guide portion 532 can be suddenly erased. By adopting such a configuration in which the appearance is greatly changed (the distinguishability is changed) by controlling the light emission of the side light 528, it is possible to diversify the display mode and suitably suppress the decrease in durability caused by the diversification.

For example, it is preferable to use both a display mode in which the pattern change process is clearly indicated and a display mode in which the pattern change process is not indicated. With such a configuration, it is possible to suitably diversify the mode of variable display of patterns.

<Modification 15>
In order to obscure the movement of the light guide part 532 when the pattern is specially changed, the operation of the light guide part 532 may be started at the same time when the side light 528 is turned off, or the operation of the light guide part 532 may be started after the side light 528 is turned off. Further, the sidelight 528 may be turned on after the operation of the light guide section 532 is completed, or may be turned on at the same time when the operation of the light guide section 532 is completed.

<Modification 16>
The stop display period (temporary stop period) of the medium symbol in the case of special change may or may not be matched with the fixed display period (final stop period). For example, the temporary stop period may be changed according to the number of times the pattern is replaced in the special change. Specifically, it is also possible to provide a difference so that each temporary stop period becomes longer in the order of the case where replacement occurs three times<the case where the replacement occurs twice<the case where the replacement occurs once. In this case, if the pause period is short, it is preferable to ensure a period during which the pattern can be visually recognized by advancing the timing of starting the supply of the spectroscopic light. More specifically, if the temporary suspension period when the design is replaced once matches the final suspension period, the temporary suspension period when the pattern is replaced twice is shorter than the final suspension period by 0.2 sec, and the temporary suspension period when the pattern is replaced three times is shorter than the final suspension period by 0.4 sec, the supply of light is preceded by the shortened period (the supply is restarted during the operation of the light guide section 532).

<Modification 17>
Light may be supplied to the light emitting portion 553 only during the period when the light emitting portion 553 is positioned on the effective line, and the supply of light may be stopped when the light emitting portion 553 is out of the effective line, thereby performing frame advance display of the pattern (second special modification). In this case, when comparing normal reach corresponding to low-speed fluctuation display and super reach corresponding to high-speed fluctuation display, the visibility of the pattern may be lower in the latter than in the former. Therefore, in the latter case, it is preferable to secure the visibility by supplying light even when the pattern is slightly deviated from the effective line. For example, the timing of stopping the supply of light may be delayed from the former, or the timing of restarting the supply of light may be earlier than the former.

<Modification 18>
In the above-described first embodiment, when a special change is performed, the light guide section 532 is configured not to stop (continue operation) in the process, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the light guide section 532 is temporarily stopped during the special change process.

<Modification 19>
In order to prevent the player from specifying in advance the symbols to be replaced at the time of the special change, it is preferable to increase the proportion of the former in the operation period of the light guide part 532 and the waiting period from the stop of the operation to the resumption of light supply, and to reduce the proportion of the latter.

<Modification 20>
Although the frame 531 is made of synthetic resin in the first embodiment, it is not limited to this. It is also possible for the frame 531 to be made of metal.

<Modification 21>
It is also possible to integrally mold the frame 531 and the light guide panels 555 to 557 shown in the first embodiment. Such a configuration eliminates the need for fixing means for fixing the frame and the light guide panel and associated structures (for example, a portion corresponding to the rim 536). This is preferable for improving the appearance of the variable display unit.

It is also possible to construct a rotating body by integrally molding each frame portion obtained by dividing the frame 531 into three pieces in the rotational direction corresponding to each of the light guide panels 555 to 557 with the corresponding light guide panels 555 to 557, and fixing these three pieces to each other using a fixing means or the like. By adopting such a divided structure, difficulty in molding can be suppressed.

<Second Embodiment>
A variable display unit 500X shown in the present embodiment is similar to the variable display unit 500 shown in the first embodiment in the main configuration for variably displaying a pattern, but is different in configuration from the variable display unit 500 in that the background displayed by the background display device 529X can be switched according to the game situation. Variable display unit 500X in the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view of the variable display unit 500X. It should be noted that although the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used and an "X" is added to the end of the reference numerals, those that are not described in terms of differences are basically the same as the various configurations shown in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 43, the background display device 529X shown in this embodiment has the same basic configuration as the drum unit 523 shown in the first embodiment, specifically the base body 524, the rotating body 525, the motor 526, the position detection sensor 527, and the sidelight 528, although there are differences in size and the like. Specifically, the background display device 529X has a plate-like base body 724X that constitutes an attachment portion to the housing 521, and a rotating body 725X held by the base body 724X.

The rotating body 725X is mounted on the base body 724X via a motor 726X. Specifically, the motor 726X is fixed to the base body 724X, and the rotating body 725X is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 726X. The output shaft of the motor 726X extends in the side-by-side direction (horizontal direction) of the drum unit 723X, and the rotor 725X rotates around the axis of the output shaft. The rotation center axis line of the rotating body 725X shown in the present embodiment matches (is coaxial with) the rotation center axis line CL of the rotating body 525X. By aligning the rotation center axes in this manner, the movement gap between the rotating bodies 525X and 725X is reduced. In the following description, the rotation center axis line of the rotating body 725X is also referred to as "rotation center axis line CL".

The motor 526 is connected to the notification/effect control device 140 and is configured to be driven and controlled by the notification/effect control device 140 . The motor 726X is a stepping motor, and the rotational position of the rotating body 725X can be adjusted according to the number of pulses of the output drive signal.

A position detection sensor that detects the rotational position of the rotating body 725X is mounted on the base body 724X. The position detection sensor is connected to the notification/production control device 140, and the notification/production control device 140 grasps the rotation position of the rotor 725X based on detection information (detection signal) from the position detection sensor. When the rotational position of the rotating body 725X deviates due to the influence of an external force, malfunction, or the like, the rotational position of the rotating body 725X is corrected (corrected) based on the grasped positional information.

The rotating body 725X is composed of a circular frame 731X that constructs the skeleton of the rotating body 725X, a substantially cylindrical light guide portion 732X (light guide panels 755X to 757X) that covers the outer peripheral portion of the frame 731X, and decorative sheets 781X to 783X attached to the outer surface of the light guide portion 732X. The frame 731X is composed of a hub 735X as a central portion to which the output shaft of the motor 726X is fixed, an annular rim 736X as the outer peripheral portion to which the light guide portion 732X is fixed, and spokes 737X that connect the hub 735X and the rim 736X.

Specifically, the rim 736X has a pair of left and right circular ring portions centered on the rotation center axis CL, and a long connecting portion connecting the circular ring portions. The light guide portion 732X is fixed to the connecting portion using a fixing means (adhesive) while being superimposed on the connecting portion from the outside of the frame 731X.

A rim 736X of the frame 731X is formed with a contact portion 743X that contacts the light guide portion 532 from the side opposite to the base body 524 side. The contact portion 743X defines the lateral position of the light guide portion 732X. The end portion of the light guide portion 732X on the side opposite to the contact portion 743X (on the side of the base body 724X) extends laterally from the rim 736X. The base body 724X is formed with an insertion portion 761X into which the extending portion (end portion) is inserted.

The insertion portion 761X has a groove shape that is open to the light guide portion 732X side, and the end portion of the light guide portion 732X is inserted into the insertion portion 761X through this open portion. A light-emitting substrate 771X on which a plurality of light-emitting bodies 772X (specifically, LEDs) are mounted is arranged on the side opposite to the light guide portion 732X across the bottom portion 762X of the insertion portion 761X. The light emitting board 771X is connected to the notification/effect control device 140, and the light emission control of the light emitting board 771X is performed by the notification/effect control device 140.

A plurality of through-holes are formed in the bottom of the insertion portion 761X in accordance with the respective light emitters 772X, and the light emitters 772X mounted on the light-emitting substrate 771X face the end surface 754X of the light guide portion 732X through the through-holes. The optical axis of each light emitter 772X faces in the same direction as the rotation center axis CL of the rotating body 725X, and the light from these light emitters 772X irradiates the end surface 754X of the light guide portion 732X. The base body 724X (including the insertion portion 761X) is made of a colored and opaque synthetic resin material, and has the function of absorbing light. This suppresses light leakage from the insertion portion 761X.

The light from the light emitter 772X is repeatedly reflected by the outer and inner surfaces of the light guide section 732X, and travels toward the opposite end surface of the light guide section 732X. Here, a light emitting portion composed of fine unevenness is formed over almost the entire outer surface portion of the light guide portion 732X. While the formation range of the light emitting portion is limited to a part in the light guide portion 532X for design display, the formation range of the light emitting portion in the light guide portion 732X is not limited in this way. In other words, the light guide portion 732X in the present embodiment has a function as the lighting means (backlight 582) shown in the first embodiment.

The light supplied to the light guide portion 732X reaches the light emitting portion of the light guide portion 732X and is emitted to the front of the gaming machine, and when the light passes through any one of the decoration sheets 781X to 783X, the decoration sheets 781X to 783X emit bright light.

In the present embodiment, the rotating body 525X that constitutes the drum and the rotating body 725X that constitutes the background display device 529 are opposed to each other, and most of the rotating body 725X is accommodated in the rotating body 525X that is one size larger than the rotating body 725X. Since both the rotating body 525X and the rotating body 725X are movable objects, a corresponding movement gap is required between them. However, there is a concern that the background display will not be performed well if such an operation gap becomes too large. One of the features of the present embodiment is that it is devised to reduce the motion gap in consideration of such circumstances.

As shown in FIG. 43, the base body 524X is formed with an engagement recess 591X that engages with the hub 535X of the frame 531X, and the base body 524X is assembled to the frame 531X in a rotatable state by engaging the hub 535X with the engagement recess 591X. The motor 526X is arranged on the side opposite to the frame 531X (outside the drum unit) across the base body 524X, and is fixed to the frame 531X. By adopting such a configuration, the weight load applied to the output shaft of the motor 526X is reduced, and the shake when rotating the rotating body 525X is suppressed.

On the other hand, the base body 724X is formed with an engaging recess 791X that engages with the hub 735X of the frame 731X, and the base body 724X is assembled to the frame 731X in a rotatable state by engaging the hub 735X with the engaging recess 791X. The motor 726X is arranged on the side opposite to the frame 731X (outside the drum unit) across the base body 724X, and is fixed to the frame 731X. By adopting such a configuration, the weight load applied to the output shaft of the motor 726X is reduced, and the vibration when rotating the rotating body 725X is suppressed.

By suppressing the vibration of the rotating bodies 525X and 725X with such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the operating gap between the rotating bodies 525X and 725X when the rotating bodies 525X and 725X are arranged in a double manner.

As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 44(a), in the rotator 725X shown in the present embodiment as well, a light guide section 732X having a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole is constructed by combining a plurality of light guide panels 755X to 757X provided separately in the rotational direction in the same manner as the rotator 525X. The light guide panels 755X to 757X are made of transparent synthetic resin, and each has a plate shape with a constant thickness and a constant curvature. Further, the length dimension in the rotation direction and the width dimension in the rotation center axis CL direction of the rotating body 725X are also the same, and are formed so as to have the same appearance. Although the light guide panels 755X to 757X are each fixed to the rim 736X (more specifically, the connecting portion) of the frame 731X using a transparent adhesive as fixing means, the light guide panels 755X to 757X are not fixed to each other.

As described above, in the configuration in which one end of the light guide portion 732X is inserted into the insertion portion 761X, it is preferable to bring the inner surface of the insertion portion 761X and the light guide portion 732X as close as possible in order to improve the light supply efficiency. However, in order to make such a structure, it is necessary to add a certain amount of margin to the gap between the light guide panels 755X to 757X in consideration of distortion occurring in the light guide panels 755X to 757X due to manufacturing errors or changes over time. Here, in the present embodiment, by not fixing the light guide panels 755X to 757X to each other, it is possible to avoid distortion that may occur when the light guide panels 755X to 757X are fixed. This makes it possible to minimize the margin.

When the rotating body 725X is constructed using the light guide section 732X, the expressiveness of the variable display unit can be improved, but the weight of the rotating body 725X tends to increase. There is a concern that this may be a factor in lowering the responsiveness when rotating/stopping the rotating body 725X. In this regard, in the present embodiment, overlapping in the thickness direction is avoided for the light guide panels 755X to 757X. This suppresses an increase in the weight of the light guide section 732X and suppresses a decrease in responsiveness.

At the boundary portion BP2 between the light guide panels 755X to 757X, the adjacent light guide panels 755X to 757X face each other with a gap therebetween. This is a device for avoiding strong interference between the light guide panels 755X to 757X at the boundary portion BP2 when the light guide panels 755X to 757X vary in size due to manufacturing errors or the like. By avoiding the strong interference of the light guide panels 755X to 757X, it is possible to suppress deformation such as the above distortion in the light guide panels 755X to 757X.

Note that the insertion portion 761X shown in the present embodiment also extends along the portion of the light guide portion 732X projecting from the opening 522 (see FIG. 13) of the housing 521 toward the front of the gaming machine. Open portions on both upper and lower sides of the insertion portion 761X are expanded so as to gradually increase in width toward the end portion. This prevents the boundary portion BP2 from being caught when passing through the open portion. Incidentally, when the opening is expanded, light leakage from the sidelight 728X is likely to occur. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the openings are formed to face rearward, more specifically, to face obliquely rearward. This is a device that makes it difficult for the player to see the light when it leaks from the opening.

Decorative sheets 781X to 783X are attached to the light guide panels 755X to 757X, respectively. The decorative sheets 781X to 783X have the same size as the outer surface portions of the light guide panels 755X to 757X and have the same light transmittance, but differ in the drawn pattern. Specifically, the decorative sheet 781X attached to the light guide panel 755X has a pattern imitating a sandy beach in the daytime, the decorative sheet 782X attached to the light guide panel 756X has a pattern imitating a sandy beach in the evening, and the decorative sheet 783X attached to the light guide panel 757X has a pattern imitating a sandy beach at night.

By rotating the rotating body 725X, the background visible from the front of the gaming machine is switched. Here, with reference to FIG. 44(b), a supplementary description will be given of the relationship between the game state and the background. In the first normal game state in which the support mode is the low-frequency support mode and the lottery mode is the low-probability mode, a sandy beach in the daytime is displayed as the background. In a second normal game state in which the support mode is a high-frequency support mode and a lottery mode is a low-probability mode, and in a third normal game state in which the support mode is a high-frequency support mode and the lottery mode is a high-probability mode, a sandy beach in the evening is displayed as the background. In the special game state (opening/closing execution mode) to which a jackpot result is obtained, the sandy beach at night is displayed as the background. In this way, the game state is indicated to the player by switching the display of the background according to the game state.

In the present embodiment, the background and pattern are displayed using inner and outer rotating bodies. In such a configuration, it is difficult to incorporate the lighting means into the inner rotating body in order to secure the power supply path to the lighting means. In this regard, the above problem can be preferably solved by constructing the rotating body 725X using the light guide portion 732X functioning as the illumination means.

<Modification 1>
In the second embodiment, the motor 526X for the rotating body 525X and the motor 726X for the rotating body 725X are configured to protrude outside the drum unit. In such a configuration, the gap between the left and right drum units becomes large, and the distance between the symbol rows becomes large. Modifications in consideration of such circumstances will be described below.

As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 45, the hubs 535Y and 735Y of the frames 531Y and 731Y are formed so as to protrude inwardly of the drum unit, and the engaging projections 591Y and 791Y of the base bodies 524Y and 724Y engage with the hubs 535Y and 735Y from the rotation center axis CL side. By making the engaging projections 591Y and 791Y hollow and arranging (accommodating) the motors 526Y and 726Y in these hollow portions, it is possible to reduce the protrusion of the motors 526Y and 726Y. As a result, the gap can be made smaller, and separation of the symbol rows can be suppressed.

<Modification 2>
In the second embodiment, the light guide section 732X is used as illumination means for the decorative sheets 781X to 783X, but it is not limited to this. The light guide portion 732X can also be configured to display a predetermined pattern in the same manner as the light guide portion 532X. For example, the light emitting portion of the light guide portion 732X may be formed so as to be able to display a pattern similar to the pattern described on the decorative sheets 781X to 783X. In such a configuration, it is not preferable that the far side can be visually recognized through the light guide portion 732X. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a plain sheet material or the like on the inner surface side of the light guide portion 732X so that the inner side cannot be visually recognized.

<Modification 3>
In the second embodiment, the decorative sheets 781X to 783X are individually attached to the light guide panels 755X to 757X. With such a configuration, by covering the boundary portion BP2 between the light guide panels 755X to 757X, the boundary portion BP2 can be made inconspicuous.

<Modification 4>
In the above-described second embodiment, three backgrounds suggest four game states, but it is also possible to make the number of backgrounds equal to the number of game states.

<Modification 5>
It is also possible to apply the configuration shown in each modification of the first embodiment to the variable display unit shown in this embodiment.

<Third Embodiment>
In this embodiment, the basic structure of the variable display unit is the same as in the second embodiment, but the configuration differs from the second embodiment in that the variable display unit is used to execute a different display effect for each game state. The variable display unit according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view of the variable display unit.

Each drum unit 723Z constituting the variable display unit is roughly divided into a first display unit including a base member 524Z, a rotating member 525Z, a motor 526Z, a side light 528Z, etc., and a second display unit including a base member 724Z, a rotating member 725Z, a motor 726Z, a side light 728Z, and the like. The first display unit has a function of notifying the lottery result based on the entry of the ball into the upper working port 83a (see FIG. 6), and when the lottery results in the probability variable big win result, the symbol combination corresponding to the probability variable big win result is stop-displayed on at least one of the effective lines L1 to L5, and when the lottery results in the normal jackpot result, the symbol combination corresponding to the normal big win result is stop-displayed on at least one of the effective lines L1 to L5. Note that the base body 524Z, the rotating body 525Z, the motor 526Z, and the sidelight 528Z are the same as the base body 524Y, the rotating body 525Y, the motor 526Y, and the sidelight 528Y shown in the second embodiment, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The rotator 725Z has a light guide portion 732Z and a frame 731Z on which the light guide portion 732Z is mounted. The light guide portion 732Z has the same configuration as the light guide portion 732Y shown in the second embodiment in that the light guide portion 732Z is formed by combining a plurality of light guide panels 755Z to 758Z. However, while the light guide portion 732Y has the decorative sheets 781Y to 783Y attached to the outer surface thereof, the light guide portion 732Z shown in the present embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the sheet materials 781Z to 783Z are attached to the inner surface portion of the light guide portion 732Z.

Since the sheet members 781Z to 783Z are not imparted with light transmittance, the depth side thereof cannot be visually recognized through the sheet members 781Z to 783Z. All of the sheet materials 781Z to 783Z are plain, and do not have a pattern such as a background, that is, information that serves as a foothold for specifying the rotation position of the rotating body 725Z. On the other hand, the light emitting portion 753Z (see FIG. 47) formed on the outer surface portion 751Z of the light guiding portion 732Z emits light from the light emitting portion 753Z in the same manner as the light guiding portion 532Z, thereby displaying a predetermined pattern. That is, while the light guide portion 732Y shown in the second embodiment functions as illumination means, the light guide portion 732Z shown in the present embodiment functions as pattern display means. In addition, when light is not emitted from the light emitting portion 753Z, the pattern and the like are not displayed, and it is substantially impossible or difficult to visually identify the light emitting portion 753Z.

Here, with reference to FIG. 47, the light emitting portion 753Z formed in the light guiding portion 732Z, that is, the pattern displayed by the light emitting portion 753Z will be described. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 47 shows a state in which each light emitting portion 753Z emits light to display a pattern or the like.

On the light guide panel 755Z forming the light guide section 732Z, one pattern is written across the three left and right light guide panels 755Z. Specifically, a pattern representing a sandy beach is described. By supplying light from the sidelight 728Z with the light guide panel 755Z facing the front of the gaming machine, the background of the beach is displayed.

On the light guide panels 756Z to 757Z, a "boy" pattern, a "bell" pattern, a "replay" pattern, a "7" pattern, and a "BAR" pattern are arranged in a predetermined order. Although illustration is omitted, the second display unit also has a plurality of effective lines set in the same manner as the first display unit, and when a variable probability jackpot result corresponding to 16R is obtained, the pattern combination of "7", "7", and "7" is stopped and displayed on at least one of the effective lines. (See Figure 48).

In the present embodiment, the display of the sandy beach background is switched between the light guide panel 755Z and the light guide panels 756Z to 757Z according to the game situation.

The effective lines in the second display unit are configured to match each of the effective lines L1 to L5 (effective lines of the first display unit) shown in FIG. 20 when viewed from the front of the gaming machine. Hereinafter, the effective lines of the second display unit are also referred to as effective lines L1 to L5.

In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the game rounds relating to the upper operating port 83a and the game rounds relating to the lower operating port 83b are executed in a predetermined order so that the respective game rounds do not overlap. Various processes executed by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162 and the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140 to realize such a game flow will be described below, focusing on differences from the second embodiment. First, with reference to FIGS. 49 to 53, game round control processing executed by MPU 602 of main controller 162 in the present embodiment will be described.

(Game round control processing)
In the game round control process in this embodiment, first, in step S1301, it is determined whether or not the game is in the special game state (opening/closing execution mode). Specifically, it is determined whether or not the opening/closing execution mode flag (opening/closing execution state information) is stored in the opening/closing execution mode flag storage area (opening/closing execution state information storage means) in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604 . The opening/closing execution mode flag is stored when the game state is shifted to the opening/closing execution mode in the game state transition processing described later, and is erased when the opening/closing execution mode is ended in the game state transition processing.

When an affirmative determination is made in step S1301, this game round control processing is terminated as it is. When a negative determination is made in step S1301, in step S1302, the game round control processing for the game round related to the winning of the upper operating opening 83a (the upper operating opening corresponding game round control processing, the upper operating opening control processing) is executed. End the process. These two control processes have a common basic flow. 50 and 51, the control processing for the upper working port will be described first, and then the control processing for the lower working port will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Control process for upper working port)
As shown in FIG. 50, in the upper operation opening control process, first, in step S1401, it is determined whether or not a game round relating to the upper operation opening 83a is in progress. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the display portion for the upper opening of the main display unit 87 is in the process of variable display to fixed display, that is, whether or not one game is being executed. This determination is made by determining whether or not the in-game flag (in-game information) for the upper operating port is stored in the in-game flag storage area (varying display information storage means) in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604. The game-in-progress flag for the upper opening is stored when the variable display is started on the display unit for the upper opening, and is erased when the pattern is stopped and the fixed display is finished.

If the game is not in progress, a negative determination is made in step S1401, and the process proceeds to step S1402. In step S1402, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress for the lower operation opening 83b. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the display portion for the lower opening of the main display unit 87 is in the process of varying display to fixed display, ie, whether or not one game is being executed. Note that this determination is made by determining whether or not a game-in-progress flag (varying display information) for the lower opening is stored in the game-in-progress flag storage area (varying display information storage means) in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604. A game running flag for the lower operating port is stored when the variable display is started in the display part for the lower operating port, and is erased when the pattern or the like corresponding to the lottery result (game result) is stop-displayed and the fixed display is finished.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1402, the process proceeds to step S1403. In step S1403, it is determined whether or not the game round related to the lower operation opening 83b corresponds to the big hit result. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1403, the control process for the main opening is terminated. If a negative determination is made in step S1403 or step S1402, the process proceeds to step S1404.

In step S1404, the total retention number storage area of the retention ball storage area 632 is referred to, and it is determined whether or not the retention storage number CRN for the upper opening, which is the number of retention information retained and stored (specifically, the number of retention information related to the upper opening 83a), is "0". When the number of reserved memories CRN for the upper working port is "0", the game round control processing is terminated as it is. On the other hand, if the number of reserved memories CRN for the upper working port is not "0", the process proceeds to step S1405. In step S1405, data setting processing is performed.

In the data setting process for the upper working port 83a, first, the upper working port reserved memory number CRN is decremented by one. After that, the data stored in the first area of the reservation area Ra for the upper operation port is moved to the first execution area AE1, and the data stored in the storage area of the reservation area Ra for the upper operation port is shifted.

This data shift process is a process for sequentially shifting the data stored in the first to fourth areas to the lower area side, in which the data in the first area is cleared, and the data in each area is shifted in the order of second area→first area, third area→second area, and fourth area→third area. Then, one of the lit LEDs in the reserved number display section for the upper working port is turned off. In this extinguishing process, contrary to the lighting process executed when the reserving information is added, the LEDs of the reserving number display section for the upper working port are extinguished sequentially from the right side.

After the data setting process described in detail above is performed, in step S1406, the fluctuation start processing for the upper opening for starting the fluctuation display of the pattern on the display unit for the upper opening and the fluctuation display of the pattern on the variable display unit (upper opening fluctuation start processing) is executed. Here, with reference to FIG. 51, the upper working port variation start processing in step S1406 will be described.

(Variation start processing for upper working port)
In the upper opening variation start process, first, in step S1501, a suitability determination process is executed. In the success/failure determination process, the success/failure table for the upper working port is referenced to determine whether or not the information for success/failure determination among the information stored in the first execution area, that is, the numerical value information obtained from the jackpot random number counter C1 matches the above-described jackpot numerical value information. When the determination result in step S1501 is a jackpot result, an affirmative determination is made in step S1502 and the process proceeds to step S1503.

In step S1503, type determination processing is executed. In the type determination process, among the information stored in the first execution area, information for type determination, that is, numerical information acquired from the jackpot type counter C2 is grasped. Further, by referring to the sorting table stored in the sorting table storage area 622 of the ROM 603, it is specified whether the grasped information for type determination is included in either the information group corresponding to the normal jackpot result or the information group corresponding to the probability variable jackpot result.

In step S1504, a stop result setting process for the jackpot result is executed. Specifically, the pattern to be finally stopped and displayed on the main display part D (upper opening display part) of the main display unit 87 in the game cycle is specified from the stop result table for the jackpot result stored in advance in the ROM 603, and the specified information is stored in the RAM 604.例文帳に追加A plurality of patterns to be stopped and displayed on the main display portion D are set in the stop result table for the jackpot result, and in step S1504, information indicating the pattern corresponding to the jackpot result is stored in the RAM604. Also, in step S1504, information for specifying whether the current game result is the normal jackpot result or the probability variable jackpot result in the MPU 602 is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM604. Specifically, the normal jackpot flag is stored in the case of the normal jackpot result, and the probability variable jackpot flag is stored in the case of the probability variable jackpot result.

After executing the setting process in step S1504, the process advances to step S1505. In step S1505, it is determined whether or not the game round related to the lower operation opening 83b is being executed. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1505, the process proceeds to step S1506. In step S1506, a forced termination flag is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604. FIG. When the game cycle (picture variation display) relating to the lower operating port 83b is being executed, the game cycle (picture variation display) relating to the lower operating port 83b is forcibly terminated on the way based on the forced end flag. More specifically, when the game round associated with the upper operating port 83a corresponds to the big win result and the game round relating to the lower operating port 83b can be executed beyond the timing at which confirmation display is performed in the game round, the game round relating to the lower operating port 83b is shortened, and the game round relating to the lower operating port 83b ends together with the game round relating to the upper operating port 83a. In such a case, the pattern stopped and displayed in the game cycle related to the lower actuation opening 83b corresponds to the result of losing.

Returning to the description of step S1502, if the determination result in step S1501 is an outlier, a negative determination is made in step S1502, and the process proceeds to step S1507. In step S1507, stop result setting processing for the deviation result is executed.

Specifically, the pattern to be finally stop-displayed on the main display part D (upper opening display part) of the main display unit 87 in the game cycle related to the start of the current fluctuation is specified from the stop result table for the outlier result stored in advance in the ROM 603, and the specified information is stored in the RAM 604. - 特許庁

After executing the processing of steps S1506 and S1507, or when a negative determination is made in step S1505, the process proceeds to step S1508. In step S1508, processing for setting a variable display time (display continuation time) is executed.

After executing the variable display time setting process in step S1508, a variable start command and a type command are set in step S1509. The variable start command includes variable display time information. Here, as described above, the variable display time acquired by referring to the variable display time table for reach non-occurrence is different from the variable display time acquired by referring to the variable display time table for occurrence of reach. Therefore, even if the information on the presence or absence of occurrence of reach is not included in the variable start command, the notification / effect control device 140, which is a control device on the sub side, can specify the presence or absence of occurrence of reach from the information on the variable display time. In this respect, it can be said that the fluctuation start command includes information indicating whether or not reach occurs. In addition, the information which directly shows the presence or absence of reach occurrence may be included in the fluctuation start command.

After executing the setting process of step S1509, the process advances to step S1510 to start the variable display of the display portion for the upper working opening in the main display unit 87, and then the main changing opening process for the upper working opening ends. In the process of step S1510, the game-in-progress flag for the upper opening is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM604. As a result, in subsequent processing, it becomes possible to specify that the game cycle (for example, variable display) relating to the upper activation port 83a is being executed.

Returning to the description of FIG. 50 again, if an affirmative determination is made in step S1401, that is, if it is determined that the game relating to the upper operation opening 83a is being played, the process proceeds to step S1407. In step S1407, it is determined whether or not it is time to start a game round associated with the lower operating port 83b and a game round corresponding to a big hit result. If a negative determination is made in step S1407, the process proceeds to step S1408.

In step S1408, it is determined whether or not it is the timing when the variable display time set in step S1508 has passed. When a negative determination is made in step S1408, after executing the variable display process in step S1409, the control process for the main operating port ends. In the process for variable display in step S1409, various LEDs constituting the display unit for the upper opening are turned on/off to display the pattern in a variable manner.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1408, the process proceeds to step S1411. In step S1411, fluctuation end processing is executed. In the fluctuation end processing, the display control of the main display unit 87 is performed so that the pattern is stopped and displayed on the display portion for the upper operating port so as to be in a predetermined mode. That is, for example, the final display of the pattern corresponding to the lottery result (game result) is executed. It should be noted that the game-in-progress flag for the top opening stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604 is erased when the confirmation display is completed.

After setting the fluctuation end command in the following step S1412, the game round control process is ended. The fluctuation end command set at step S1412 is transmitted to the notification/production control device 140 at step S401 in the normal process (FIG. 28). The notification/effect control device 140 executes processing for ending the effect in the game round based on the reception of the fluctuation end command. Specifically, by receiving the variation end command, the first display unit of the variable display unit is caused to confirm (final stop display) the combination of symbols corresponding to the game result of the game round. It should be noted that the notification/production control device 140 may end the production for the game cycle independently without transmitting the fluctuation end command.

After executing the process of step S1412, it progresses to step S1413 and performs the update process of a game counter. The number-of-games counter is a counter for specifying the number of games for which the high-frequency support mode is continued in the second normal game state, and is decremented by "1" each time a game is played. When the number-of-games counter becomes "0", the affirmative determination is made in step S1414 and the process advances to step S1415. In step S1415, the high frequency support mode flags stored in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 604 are erased. After the high frequency support mode end command is set in subsequent step S1416, the control processing for the main working port ends. The high-frequency support mode end command is transmitted to the notification/effect control device 140 in step S401 of the normal process (FIG. 28). The notification/effect control device 140 switches the display effect mode based on the reception of this command.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1407, the stop pattern rewriting process is executed in step S1410, and after the processes of steps S1411 to S1416 are executed, the main opening control process is terminated. In the process of rewriting the stop result, the stop result is rewritten so that the pattern corresponding to the missing result is stopped and displayed.

Next, the control processing for the lower working port will be described with reference to FIGS. 52 and 53. FIG.

(Control process for lower working port)
As shown in FIG. 19, in the control process for the lower operation opening, first, in step S1601, it is determined whether or not a game round related to the lower operation opening 83b is in progress. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the display portion for the lower opening of the main display unit 87 is in the process of varying display to fixed display, ie, whether or not one game is being executed. Note that this determination is made by determining whether or not a game-in-progress flag (varying display information) for the lower opening is stored in the game-in-progress flag storage area (varying display information storage means) in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604. The in-game flag for the lower opening is stored when the variable display is started on the display section for the lower opening, and is erased when the pattern is stopped and the fixed display ends.

If the game is not in progress, a negative determination is made in step S1601 and the process proceeds to step S1602. In step S1602, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress for the upper operation port 83a. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the display portion for the upper opening of the main display unit 87 is in the process of variable display to fixed display, that is, whether or not one game is being executed.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1602, the process proceeds to step S1603. In step S1603, it is determined whether or not the game round associated with the upper operating port 83a corresponds to the big hit result. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1603, the control process for the lower working opening is terminated. If a negative determination is made in step S1603 or if a negative determination is made in step S1602, the process proceeds to step S1604. In step S1604, the total reserved number storage area of the reserved ball storage area 632 is referred to, and the lower working opening reserved storage number CRN (specifically, the number of reserved information related to the lower working opening 83b), which is the number of reserved information held and stored, is "0". If the number of reserved memories CRN for the lower opening is "0", the game round control processing is terminated as it is. On the other hand, if the number of reserved memories CRN for the lower working port is not "0", the process proceeds to step S1605. In step S1605, data setting processing is performed.

In the data setting process for the lower working port 83b, first, the lower working port reserved memory number CRN is decremented by one. After that, the data stored in the first area of the lower working port reservation area Rb is moved to the second execution area, and the data stored in the storage area of the lower working port reservation area Rb is shifted.

This data shift process is a process for sequentially shifting the data stored in the first to fourth areas to the lower area side, in which the data in the first area is cleared, and the data in each area is shifted in the order of second area→first area, third area→second area, and fourth area→third area. Then, one of the LEDs lit in the reserved number display section for the lower opening is extinguished. In this extinguishing process, contrary to the lighting process executed when the reserving information is added, the LEDs of the reserving lamp portion for the lower working port are extinguished in order from the right side.

After the data setting process described in detail above is performed, in step S1606, the variation start process for the lower operation opening (variation start process for the lower operation opening) for starting the variable display of the pattern on the main display unit 87 (main display portion D) and the variable display of the pattern on the variable display unit (more specifically, the second display unit) is executed, and then the game round control processing is terminated.

Here, with reference to FIG. 53, the lower working port variation start processing in step S1606 will be described.

(Variation start processing for lower working port)
In the lower opening variation start process, first, in step S1701, a suitability determination process is executed. In the success/failure determination process, the success/failure table for the lower working port is referenced to determine whether the information for success/failure determination, that is, the numerical value information related to the jackpot random number counter C1 among the various types of information stored in the second execution area, matches the above-described jackpot numerical value information. When the determination result in step S1701 is a jackpot result, an affirmative determination is made in step S1702 and the process proceeds to step S1703.

In step S1703, type determination processing is executed. In the type determination process, information for type determination among the various types of information stored in the second execution area, that is, numerical information acquired from the jackpot type counter C2, and the distribution table stored in the distribution table storage area 622 of the ROM 603 are referred to, to specify which of the information group corresponding to the normal jackpot result and the information group corresponding to the probability variable jackpot result the grasped type determination information is included in.

In step S1704, a stop result setting process for the jackpot result is executed. Specifically, the pattern to be finally stopped and displayed on the main display part D (lower operating port display part) of the main display unit 87 in the game cycle is specified from the stop result table for the big win results stored in advance in the ROM 603, and the specified information is stored in the RAM 604. - 特許庁A plurality of patterns to be stopped and displayed on the main display portion D are set in the stop result table for the jackpot result, and in step S1704, information indicating the pattern corresponding to the jackpot result is stored in the RAM604. Further, in step S1704, information for specifying whether the current game result is the normal jackpot result or the probability variable jackpot result in the MPU 602 is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM604. Specifically, the normal jackpot flag is stored in the case of the normal jackpot result, and the probability variable jackpot flag is stored in the case of the probability variable jackpot result.

After executing the setting process in step S1704, the process advances to step S1705. In step S1705, it is determined whether or not the game round related to the upper operation port 83a is being executed. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1705, the process proceeds to step S1706. In step S1706, a forced termination flag is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604. FIG. When the game cycle (picture variation display) relating to the upper operating port 83a is being executed, the game cycle (picture variation display) relating to the upper operating port 83a is forcibly terminated on the way based on the forced end flag. More specifically, when the game round associated with the lower operating port 83b corresponds to the big win result, and the game round relating to the upper operating port 83a (corresponding to the result of a loss) can be executed beyond the timing of the confirmation display in the game round, the game round relating to the upper operating port 83a is shortened, and the game round relating to the upper operating port 83a ends together with the game round relating to the lower operating port 83b. In such a case, the symbols stopped and displayed in the game rounds related to the upper activation port 83a correspond to the result of losing.

Returning to the description of step S1702, if the determination result in step S1701 is an outlier, a negative determination is made in step S702 and the process proceeds to step S1707.

In step S1707, stop result setting processing for the deviation result is executed. Specifically, the pattern to be finally stop-displayed on the main display part D (lower opening display part) of the main display unit 87 in the game turn related to the start of the current fluctuation is specified from the stop result table for the outlier result stored in advance in the ROM 603, and the specified information is stored in the RAM 604. - 特許庁

After executing the process of step S1706 or step S1707, or when a negative determination is made in step S1705, the process proceeds to step S1708. In step S1708, processing for setting a variable display time (display continuation time) is executed.

After executing the variable display time setting process in step S1708, a variable start command and a type command are set in step S1709. The variable start command includes variable display time information. Here, as described above, the variable display time acquired by referring to the variable display time table for reach non-occurrence is different from the variable display time acquired by referring to the variable display time table for occurrence of reach. Therefore, even if the information on the presence or absence of occurrence of reach is not included in the variable start command, the notification / effect control device 140, which is a control device on the sub side, can specify the presence or absence of occurrence of reach from the information on the variable display time. In this respect, it can be said that the fluctuation start command includes information indicating whether or not reach occurs. In addition, the information which directly shows the presence or absence of reach occurrence may be included in the fluctuation start command.

After executing the setting process of step S1709, the process advances to step S1710 to start the variable display of the lower working opening display section in the main display unit 87, and then the lower working opening fluctuation start process ends. In the process of step S1710, the game running flag for the lower opening is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM604. As a result, in subsequent processing, it is possible to specify that the game cycle (for example, variable display) relating to the lower activation opening 83b is being executed.

Returning to the description of FIG. 52 again, if affirmative determination is made in step S1601, that is, if it is determined that the game relating to the lower operation opening 83b is being played, the process proceeds to step S1608. In step S1608, it is determined whether or not it is time to start a game round associated with the upper operating port 83a and corresponding to the result of the big win. If a negative determination is made in step S1608, the process proceeds to step S1609.

In step S1609, it is determined whether or not it is time to pass the variable display time. If a negative determination is made in step S1609, the variable display process is executed in step S1610, and then the control process for the lower opening is terminated. In the variable display process of step S1610, various LEDs constituting the lower opening display section are turned on/off to display the pattern in a variable manner.

If affirmative stabilization is obtained in step S1609, the process proceeds to step S1612. In step S1612, fluctuation end processing is executed. In the fluctuation end processing, display control of the main display unit 87 is performed so that the pattern is stopped and displayed on the display portion for the lower operating port in a manner determined in advance.

In the subsequent step S1613, a fluctuation end command is set. The fluctuation end command set at step S1613 is transmitted to the notification/production control device 140 at step S401 in the normal process (FIG. 28). The notification/effect control device 140 executes processing for ending the effect in the game round based on the reception of the fluctuation end command. In addition, upon receiving the variation end command, the notification/production control device 140 causes the second display unit of the variable display unit 500Z to display (final stop display) the combination of symbols corresponding to the game result of the game round. It should be noted that the notification/production control device 140 may end the production for the game cycle independently without transmitting the fluctuation end command.

After executing the process of step S1613, it progresses to step S1614 and performs the update process of a game counter. The number-of-games counter is a counter for specifying the number of games for which the high-frequency support mode is continued in the second normal game state, and is decremented by "1" each time a game is played. When the number-of-games counter reaches "0", an affirmative determination is made in step S1615 and the process proceeds to step S1616. In step S1616, the high frequency support mode flags stored in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 604 are erased. After a high frequency support mode end command is set in subsequent step S1617, the control processing for the lower working port ends. The high-frequency support mode end command is transmitted to the notification/effect control device 140 in step S401 of the normal process (FIG. 28). The notification/effect control device 140 switches the display effect mode based on the reception of this command.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1608, the stop pattern rewriting process is executed in step S1611, and after the processes of steps S1612 to S1617 are executed, the main opening control process is terminated. In the process of rewriting the stop result, the stop result is rewritten so that the pattern corresponding to the missing result is stopped and displayed.

As described in detail above, in the present embodiment, the game rounds related to the upper operating port 83a and the game rounds related to the lower operating port 83b progress simultaneously. However, a difference is provided in the variable display time set for each game round depending on the game state, and the main target of the game progress is switched depending on the game state. A supplementary description of the relationship between the game state and the variable display time will be given below with reference to FIG.

In the first normal game state in which the support mode is the low-frequency support mode and the lottery mode is the low-probability mode, the variable display time set for the game round executed based on the entry of the ball into the upper operation opening 83a is 1 to 20 seconds. Especially for the game rounds corresponding to the result of the deviation, a difference is provided so that the variation display time becomes shorter as the number of reservations related to the upper operation opening 83a increases, and it is possible to reduce the chance that the reservation information is not acquired despite the occurrence of a ball entering the upper operation opening 83a while the game is progressing quickly. On the other hand, the variable display time set in the game round executed based on the entry of the ball into the lower actuation opening 83b is uniformly 600 sec. That is, the variation display time is 600 seconds regardless of whether the lottery result is a big hit result or a losing result. Thus, in the first normal game state, the game round related to the upper operating port 83a is preferentially progressed.

On the other hand, in the second normal game state in which the support mode is the high frequency support mode and the lottery mode is the high probability mode, and in the third normal game state in which the support mode is the high frequency support mode and the lottery mode is the low probability mode, the relationship between the set fluctuation display times is opposite to that in the first normal game state. In other words, the variable display time set for the game rounds executed based on the ball entering the upper activation opening 83a is uniformly 600 seconds. That is, the variation display time is 600 seconds regardless of whether the lottery result is a big hit result or a losing result. On the other hand, the variable display time set in the game round executed based on the entry of the ball into the lower actuation opening 83b is 1 to 10 sec. Especially for the game turn corresponding to the result of the deviation, a difference is provided so that the variation display time becomes shorter as the number of reservations related to the lower operation opening 83b increases, and it is possible to reduce the chance that the reservation information is not acquired despite the occurrence of a ball entering the lower operation opening 83b while the game is progressing quickly. Thus, in the second normal game state and the third normal game state, the game round related to the lower operation opening 83b is preferentially progressed.

In this embodiment, the lottery result is notified by the symbols displayed by the first display unit, and the lottery result is notified by the symbols displayed by the second display unit. Hereinafter, the relationship between the game state and the lighting mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 55 and 56. FIG.

In the first normal game state in which the game progresses mainly based on the entry of the ball into the upper working opening 83a, the sidelight 528Z of the first display unit and the sidelight 728Z of the second display unit are basically maintained in the lighting state (see FIG. 55). In the first normal game state, the rotator 725Z of the second display unit maintains the sandy beach background facing the front of the game machine, and the pattern corresponding to the upper operation port 83a is variably displayed in front of the sandy beach background. That is, as shown in FIG. 56(a), the design of the first display unit and the background of the second display unit can be visually recognized.

On the other hand, in the second normal game state and the third normal game state in which the game progresses mainly based on the ball entering the lower operation opening 83b, basically the side light 528Z of the first display unit is kept in the off state and the side light 728Z of the second display unit is kept in the on state (see FIG. 55). In these game states, except for some exceptions, the symbols on the first display unit are not displayed, and the symbols displayed by the second display unit are not obstructed. That is, basically, as shown in FIG. 56(b), only the pattern of the second display unit is visible.

In the special game state, the display of the symbol combination that triggered the shift to the special game state is continued. That is, when the pattern combination corresponding to the result of the big win is stop-displayed in the first display unit, the background is hidden and the display of the pattern combination is continued, and when the pattern combination corresponding to the result of the big win is stop-displayed in the second display unit, the display of the pattern combination is continued.

Here, in the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140, control processing for game times is executed as part of regular processing. The game round control processing includes an upper operating opening display process corresponding to a game round based on a ball entering the upper operating opening 83a and a lower operating opening display processing corresponding to a game round based on a ball entering the lower operating opening 83b. The display processing for the upper opening will be described below with reference to FIGS. 57 to 59. FIG.

In the first normal game state, basically the side light 528Z for the first display unit is kept on and the side light 728Z for the second display unit is kept on.

(Display processing for upper opening)
As shown in FIG. 57, in the control process for upper operation opening, first, in step S1801, it is determined whether or not the game is in the first normal game state. If the determination in step S1801 is affirmative, main control processing for the upper working port is executed in step S1802, and if the determination in step S1801 is negative, the special control processing for the upper working port is executed in step S1803.

(Main control processing for upper working port)
As shown in FIG. 58, in the main control process for the upper operating port, first, in step S1901, it is determined whether or not it is time to confirm the symbol combination corresponding to the big win result (final stop display) in the game round related to the lower operating port 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S1901, the process proceeds to step S1902.

In step S1902, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress for the upper operation port 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S1902, the process proceeds to step S1903. In step S1903, it is determined whether or not it is the start timing of the game cycle related to the upper operation port 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S1903, the main processing for the main opening is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1903, the process proceeds to step S1904.

In step S1904, drive control start processing for the first display unit is executed. As a result, a drive signal is output to each motor 526Z that constitutes the first display unit, and each rotor 525Z starts operating. In the subsequent step S1905, light emission control processing of the sidelight 528 of the first display unit is executed. As a result, when power is already supplied to the sidelights 528, the power supply is continued, and when part or all of the power supply to the sidelights 528 is not performed, the power supply to the sidelights 528 is started.

Returning to the description of step S1902, if the determination in step S1902 is affirmative, that is, if the game is being played with respect to the upper operating port 83a, the process proceeds to step S1906. In step S1906, it is determined whether or not it is time to finalize and display the symbol combination in the game cycle associated with the upper operating port 83a. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1906, the process proceeds to step S1907.

In step S1907, stop control processing for the first display unit is executed. As a result, all rotating bodies 525Z constituting the first display unit are stopped, and the symbol combination corresponding to the lottery result is stopped and displayed. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S1906, the process advances to step S1908 to execute light emission/driving control processing for during variation of the first display unit. As a result, the left symbol row and the right symbol row are stopped and displayed to shift to the ready-to-win display, or the middle symbol row is specially changed. The specific flow of the display effect in this case is the same as in the first embodiment.

Returning to the description of step S1901, when an affirmative determination is made at step S1901, that is, when it is time to confirm and display the symbol combination corresponding to the jackpot result in the game round related to the lower operation opening 83b, the process proceeds to step S1909. In step S1909, a light-off control process is executed to turn off all the sidelights 528Z for the first display unit. In other words, when the game cycle related to the lower operation port 83b progresses during the first normal game state and the symbol combination corresponding to the big winning result is stopped and displayed on the second display unit, the symbols on the first display unit are hidden so that the visibility of the symbol combination displayed by the second display unit behind is not hindered.

After that, in step S1910, a forced stop control process is executed to stop and display each rotor 525Z of the first display unit. When forcibly stopping each rotating body 525Z, the combination of the light emitting units 553Z corresponding to the result of the deviation is stopped in the variable display area, but since the supply of light from the sidelights 528Z is stopped in step S1909, these light emitting units 553Z do not emit light.

(Special control processing for upper working port)
Next, a description will be given of the special control process for the upper operating port executed when the game is in the second normal game state and the third normal game state in which the game progresses based on the entry of the ball into the lower operating port 83b. As shown in FIG. 59, in the special control process for the upper opening, first, in step S2001, it is determined whether or not it is time to finalize the symbol combination corresponding to the big win result (final stop display) in the game round related to the lower opening 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S2001, the process proceeds to step S2002.

In step S2002, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress for the upper operation port 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S2002, the process proceeds to step S2003. In step S2003, it is determined whether or not it is the start timing of the game cycle related to the upper operation port 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S2003, the special control process for the main working opening is terminated.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2003, after executing drive control start processing for the first display unit in step S2004, the special control processing for the main operating port ends. By the drive control start processing of the first display unit, output of the drive signal to each motor 526Z for the first display unit is started, and each rotor 525Z starts to operate. However, since the side light 528 for the first display unit is maintained in the off state, the pattern in the first display unit remains hidden. That is, each rotor 525Z idles.

Returning to the description of step S2002, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2002, the process proceeds to step S2005. In step S2005, it is determined whether or not the final display of the symbol combination is being performed in the game cycle associated with the upper operating port 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S2005, the process proceeds to step S2006.

In step S2006, it is determined whether or not it is time to confirm the symbol combination (final stop display) in the game cycle associated with the upper operating port 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S2006, then in step S2010, drive control processing for during variation of the first display unit is executed. Thereby, the rotation/stop of each rotor 525 is controlled. However, even in this case, since the side light 528 for the first display unit is turned off, the pattern remains undisplayed.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2006, the process proceeds to step S2007. In step S2007, stop control processing for the first display unit is executed. When the current game cycle corresponds to the big winning result, the light emitting part 553Z for the pattern combination corresponding to the big winning result is stopped on any of the effective lines L1 to L5, and when the current game cycle corresponds to the losing result, the light emitting part 553Z for the pattern combination corresponding to the losing result is stopped to the effective lines L1 to L5.

In the subsequent step S2008, it is determined whether or not the game result of this time corresponds to the big win result. If a negative determination is made in step S2008, the special control process for the main working opening is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2008, the process advances to step S2009 to execute light emission control processing of the sidelight 528Z for the first display unit. As a result, light is supplied from the side light 528Z only to the light emitting portion 553Z on the line where the big win pattern combination is formed, and the pattern combination corresponding to the big win result suddenly appears on the first display unit.

Returning to the description of step S2005, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2005, that is, if the confirmation display is in progress, the process proceeds to step S2011. In step S2011, it is determined whether or not it is time to end the fixed display after the fixed display period has passed. If a negative determination is made in step S2011, the special control process for the main working opening is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2011, the process proceeds to step S2012. In step S2012, it is determined whether or not the current game result is a jackpot result. If the result is a jackpot, the process proceeds to step S2013 to execute light emission extension control processing to extend the light emission of the sidelight 528 of the first display unit until the special game state ends.

As described in detail above, when a jackpot result is obtained in the game round related to the upper operating port 83a during the second normal game state and the third normal game state, only the result is displayed on the first display unit, and the display is continued until the end of the special game state. On the other hand, in the second normal game state and the third normal game state, when the game turn related to the upper operation port 83a results in a loss, the rotating body 525Z is also stopped according to the result, but the symbol combination corresponding to the result of the loss remains hidden.

(Display processing for lower working port)
Next, the control processing for the lower operating port will be described with reference to FIGS. 60 to 62. FIG. As shown in FIG. 60, in the control process for the lower operation opening, first, in step S2101, it is determined whether or not the game is in the second normal game state or the third normal game state. If the determination in step S2101 is affirmative, the main control process for the lower opening is executed in step S2102, and if the determination in step S2101 is negative, the special control process for the lower opening is executed in step S2103.

(Main control processing for lower working port)
As shown in FIG. 61, in the main control process for the lower opening, first, in step S2201, it is determined whether or not it is time to finalize the symbol combination corresponding to the big win result (final stop display) in the game round related to the upper opening 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S2201, the process proceeds to step S2202.

In step S2202, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress for the lower operation opening 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S2202, the process proceeds to step S2203. In step S2203, it is determined whether or not it is time to start the game round related to the lower operation opening 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S2203, the main processing for the lower working port ends. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2203, the process proceeds to step S2204.

In step S2204, drive control start processing for the second display unit is executed. As a result, a drive signal is output to each motor 726Z constituting the second display unit, and each rotor 725Z starts operating. As described above, in the second normal game state and the third normal game state, the side light 728Z of the second display unit is basically maintained in the lighted state, and therefore, when the rotating body 725Z starts operating, the second display unit starts the variable display of symbols.

Returning to the description of step S2202, if the determination in step S2202 is affirmative, that is, if the game is in progress for the lower operation opening 83b, the process proceeds to step S2205. In step S2205, it is determined whether or not it is time to finalize the symbol combination (final stop display) in the game cycle associated with the lower operating port 83b. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2205, the process proceeds to step S2206.

In step S2206, stop control processing for the second display unit is executed. As a result, all rotating bodies 725Z constituting the second display unit are stopped, and the symbol combination corresponding to the lottery result is stopped and displayed. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S2205, the flow advances to step S2207 to execute light emission/driving control processing for during variation of the second display unit. As a result, the left symbol row and the right symbol row are stopped and displayed to shift to the ready-to-win display, or the middle symbol row is specially changed. The specific flow of the display effect in this case is the same as in the first embodiment.

Returning to the description of step S2201, if the determination in step S2201 is affirmative, that is, if it is time to confirm and display the symbol combination corresponding to the jackpot result in the game round related to the upper operating port 83a, the process proceeds to step S2208. In step S2208, a turn-off control process is executed to turn off all the sidelights 728Z for the second display unit. In other words, when the game cycle related to the upper operating port 83a progresses during the second normal game state or the third normal game state, and the symbol combination corresponding to the result of the big win is stopped and displayed on the first display unit, the symbols on the second display unit are hidden to prevent the player from being overwhelmed by the information provided to the player and confusing the player.

After that, in step S2209, a forced stop control process is executed to stop and display each rotor 725Z of the second display unit. When the rotating bodies 725Z are forcibly stopped, the combination of the light emitting units 753Z corresponding to the result of the deviation is stopped in the variable display area, but since the supply of light from the sidelights 728Z is stopped in step S2208, these light emitting units 753Z do not emit light.

(Special control processing for lower working port)
Next, a description will be given of the special control process for the lower operating port executed when the game is in the first normal game state in which the game progresses based on the entry of the ball into the upper operating port 83a. As shown in FIG. 62, in the special control process for the lower opening, first, in step S2301, it is determined whether or not it is time to finalize the symbol combination corresponding to the big win result (final stop display) in the game round related to the upper opening 83a. If a negative determination is made in step S2301, the process proceeds to step S2302.

In step S2302, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress for the lower operation opening 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S2302, the process proceeds to step S2303. In step S2303, it is determined whether or not it is time to start the game round related to the lower operation opening 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S2303, this special control process for the lower working port ends.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2303, the process proceeds to step S2304. In step S2304, special control processing for the sidelight of the second display unit is executed, and in subsequent step S2305, drive control processing for the second display unit is executed. As a result, output of a drive signal to each motor 726Z for the second display unit is started, and each rotor 725Z starts operating. In this case, the background light emitting portion 753Z and the pattern light emitting portion 753Z pass through the variable display area at a predetermined cycle, but the supply of light from the sidelight 728Z is temporarily stopped while the pattern light emitting portion 753Z passes through the variable display region. As a result, the background appears to be blinking from the player's point of view.

Returning to the description of step S2302, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2302, the process proceeds to step S2306. In step S2306, it is determined whether or not the final display of the symbol combination is being performed in the game cycle associated with the lower operating port 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S2306, the process proceeds to step S2307.

In step S2307, it is determined whether or not it is time to confirm the symbol combination (final stop display) in the game cycle associated with the lower operating port 83b. If a negative determination is made in step S2307, light emission/driving control processing for the second display unit during variation is executed in step S2311. As a result, the side lights 728Z are switched on/off according to the rotational positions of the rotating bodies 725Z, and the background blinks, while the pattern on the second display unit is not displayed. In addition, when the game cycle related to the lower operation port 83b is executed in the first normal game state, each rotating body 725Z stops when the timing of the confirmation display comes without going through the reach display described above.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2307, the process proceeds to step S2308. In step S2308, stop control processing for the second display unit is executed. When the current game cycle corresponds to the big winning result, the light emitting part 753Z for the pattern combination corresponding to the big winning result is stopped on any of the effective lines L1 to L5, and when the current game cycle corresponds to the losing result, the light emitting part 753Z for the pattern combination corresponding to the losing result is stopped to the effective lines L1 to L5.

In the subsequent step S2309, it is determined whether or not the current game result corresponds to the big win result. If a negative determination is made in step S2309, this special control process for the lower working port ends. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2309, the process advances to step S2310 to execute light emission control processing of the sidelight 728Z for the second display unit. As a result, light is supplied from the side light 728Z only to the light emitting portion 753Z on the line where the big win pattern combination is formed, and the pattern combination corresponding to the big win result suddenly appears on the second display unit.

Returning to the description of step S2306, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2306, that is, if the confirmation display is in progress, the process proceeds to step S2312. In step S2312, it is determined whether or not it is time to end the fixed display after the fixed display period has passed. If a negative determination is made in step S2312, the special control process for the main working opening is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2011, the process proceeds to step S2313. In step S2313, it is determined whether or not the current game result is a jackpot result. If the result is a jackpot, the process proceeds to step S2313 to execute light emission extension control processing to extend the light emission of the sidelight 728Z of the second display unit until the special game state ends.

Returning to the description of step S2301, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2301, the process proceeds to step S2315. In step S2315, forced stop control processing for the second display unit is executed. That is, in the first normal game state, when a symbol combination that results in a big hit is stopped and displayed in the game round associated with the upper operating port 83a, each rotating body 725Z is forcibly stopped in the second display unit as well. In this case, the second display unit is adjusted so that the combination of the light emitting parts 753Z corresponding to the big win result does not stop on any of the pay lines L1 to L5.

As described in detail above, when a big hit result is obtained in the game round related to the lower operating port 83b during the first normal game state, only the result is displayed on the second display unit, and the display is continued until the end of the special game state. On the other hand, when the result of a game round related to the lower operation port 83b is lost during the first normal game state, the rotating body 525Z is stopped according to the result, but the symbol combination corresponding to the result of the loss remains hidden.

When the first normal game state corresponding to the low frequency support mode is compared with the second normal game state and the third normal game state corresponding to the high frequency support mode, the latter has a higher frequency of ball entry into the operating port than the former. In consideration of such circumstances, the fluctuation display time set in the second normal game state and the third normal game state is shortened to facilitate the progress of the game. When comparing the arrangement of the light emitting parts 553Z (symbols) in the first display unit and the arrangement of the light emitting parts 753Z (symbols) in the second display unit, the former has one pattern in one pattern row, while the latter has a plurality of each pattern in one pattern row. This is a device for improving the responsiveness of the symbol display during the progress of the game by shortening the required period until the set symbol is stopped and displayed as much as possible.

The result of the lottery based on the ball entering the upper working port 83a is displayed on the first display unit, and the result of the lottery based on the ball entering the lower working port 83b is displayed on the second display unit. In this way, by separately providing the display portion for the upper operation port 83a and the display portion for the lower operation port 83b, the player can quickly grasp which operation port the ball is entered into to progress the game. However, when a display unit is provided for each operation port in this way, there is a concern that the places to be noted are scattered, which increases the burden on the player and increases the possibility of overlooking the lottery result. In this respect, as shown in this embodiment mode, one display section is configured to be visible through the other display section, so the amount of movement of the line of sight between the display sections can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned various inconveniences caused by the individual display unit provided for each operating port, while strengthening the originality. As a result, the effect of increasing the degree of attention to the game can be favorably enhanced.

The display section related to the first display unit and the display section related to the second display unit are parallel. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a large difference in visibility between the pattern display on the first display portion and the pattern display on the second display portion.

The variable display area of the pattern in the first display section and the variable display area of the pattern in the second display section are overlapped back and forth. By adopting such a configuration, when the pattern is variably displayed on the other display part under the condition that the player pays attention to the one display part, the chances of overlooking the variability display can be preferably reduced without making the performance flashy or adding an unnecessary accent. By stacking the position (effective line) where the pattern combination corresponding to the lottery result is stop-displayed in the first display part and the second display part, it is possible to easily identify which pattern combination corresponds to the current lottery result even in the constitution of stop-displaying a large number of patterns.

As described above, in the configuration in which the stop display position (effective line) and the variable display area are overlapped in the front and rear, by making the pattern groups displayed in each display section different in appearance, it is possible to improve the ability to distinguish which display section displays the pattern. In particular, in the constitution in which the effective lines are aligned in the front and rear, the pattern in the first display part and the pattern in the second display part are mixed, so that it is possible to suitably avoid the appearance as if the pattern combination corresponding to the big winning result is stopped and displayed, for example, although the pattern combination corresponding to the result of losing is stopped and displayed in each display part.

In the variable display mode in the first normal game state, the pattern in the second display part is basically hidden, and in the variable display mode in the second normal game state and the third normal game state, the pattern in the first display part is basically hidden. With such a configuration, confusion between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit can be suitably suppressed.

In the constitution in which the lottery by each lottery means is performed in parallel, there is a possibility that the lottery based on the winning to the lower operating port 83b during the first normal game state results in a big hit, or the lottery based on the winning to the upper operating port 83a during the second normal game state and the third normal game state results in a big win. In such a case, it is possible to use a display section other than the display section on the winning side to notify the result of winning, but this may confuse the player. On the other hand, if the symbols are variably displayed in the process of displaying the lottery result, the variably displayed symbols are overlapped on both display units, resulting in an excessive amount of information to be provided to the player. In this respect, as shown in the present embodiment, when a jackpot result is obtained in the lottery based on the prize winning to the upper operation port 83a during the second normal game state and the third normal game state, the symbols corresponding to the winning result are displayed in the stopped state on the first display unit, and when the lottery result based on the prize winning to the lower operation port 83b during the first normal game state results in a big win, the second display unit displays the symbols corresponding to the winning result in a stopped state. Therefore, the occurrence of the various inconveniences described above can be suitably suppressed.

<Modification 1>
In the third embodiment, the background display function is provided to the second display unit, but it is sufficient if it has at least the function of executing the pattern display for the game round related to the lower opening 83b, and the background display function can be omitted.

<Modification 2>
In the third embodiment, the side lights 728 of the second display unit are turned on during the first normal game state, but the side lights 728 may be turned off during the first normal game state.

<Modification 3>
In the above-described third embodiment, when one of the first display unit and the second display unit performs the variable display of the pattern, the other does not perform the variable display of the pattern (more specifically, light is not supplied even if the rotating body is rotating), but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the variable display of the symbols in each display unit is performed in parallel.

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not to shift to the high-probability mode by a lottery based on the ball entering the operation openings 83a, 83b. However, in the present embodiment, it is configured to shift to the high-probability mode when a ball enters an advantageous ball-entering section provided in the variable prize winning device 82 during a special game state shifted to by a lottery based on the ball entering the operation openings 83a, 83b. One of the features is that the structure of the right route of the game area PE is partly devised in accordance with such a difference in playability. Specifically, the configuration differs from that of the first embodiment in that a game mechanism 800 including a sorting unit 810 built in a variable prize winning device 82 arranged on the right route and a stage unit 830 arranged upstream (diagonally above) of the variable prize winning device 82 on the right route is provided. The game mechanism 800 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 63 to 66. FIG. 63 is a schematic view showing the game mechanism 800, FIG. 64 is a schematic view of the stage portion of the sorting unit 810 viewed from above, FIG. 65 is a schematic view showing various states of the sorting unit, and FIG. 66 is a schematic view showing the stage unit 830. In FIG. 63, for convenience of explanation, the distribution unit 810 and the stage unit 830 are shown side by side.

(Distribution unit 810)
First, the sorting unit 810 shown on the right side of FIG. 63 will be described. The sorting unit has a stage part 811 on which game balls can roll. The stage portion 811 is formed with a first ball entrance 812, a second ball entrance 813, and a third ball entrance 814 as ball entrances through which game balls can pass (see FIG. 64). Each of these ball entrances 812 to 814 is open upward and is slightly larger than the game ball. The first ball entrance 812 is connected through a first communication passage 815 to a first branch passage portion 818, which is a passage on the disadvantageous side, and the second ball entrance 813 is similarly connected to the first branch passage portion 818 through a second communication passage 816. On the other hand, the third ball entrance port 814 is connected through a third communication passage 817 to a second branch passage portion 819 (advantageous ball entrance portion), which is a passage on the advantageous side.

When game balls enter the first branch passage portion 818 during the special game state, a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out to the player. On the other hand, when a ball is entered into the second branch passage part 819 during the special game state, a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out to the player, and the lottery mode becomes a high probability mode in the normal game state which shifts after the special game state ends. In this way, the second branch passage portion 819 is treated more favorably than the first branch passage portion 818 so that the player is more advantageous, so it is assumed that the player plays the game expecting that the game ball that has flowed into the variable winning device 82 will enter the third ball entrance 814.例文帳に追加

The stage portion 811 is inclined downward toward each of the ball entrances 812 to 814, and the ball enters one of the ball entrances 812 to 814 in the process of rolling on the stage portion 811 along the inclination. Incidentally, the stage portion 811 is surrounded by the wall surface of the housing of the variable winning device 82 . As a result, game balls that have reached the stage portion 811 are prevented from leaving the stage portion 811 through other than the ball entrances 812-814.

The sorting unit 810 is provided with a movable body 821 as restricting means for restricting balls from entering the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813 . The movable body 821 has a base portion 822 positioned below the stage portion 811 , and a first columnar portion 823 and a second columnar portion 824 standing upward from the base portion 822 .

The tip of the first columnar portion 823 is inserted into the first communication passage 815 from below, and the top surface 823 a of the first columnar portion 823 forms part of the bottom surface of the first communication passage 815 . The tip of the second columnar portion 824 is also inserted into the second communication passage 816 from below, and the top surface 824a of the second columnar portion 824 forms part of the bottom surface of the second communication passage 816.

The movable body 821 is held by the housing of the variable winning device 82 so as to be able to move up and down. In the state where the movable body 821 stands by at the lower limit position shown in FIG. 65(a), the game ball can enter the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813, and the probability that the game ball that reaches the stage portion 811 enters the third ball entrance 814 on the advantageous side is about 1/3.

On the other hand, in the state where the movable body 821 stands by at the upper limit position shown in FIG. Specifically, the upper surfaces 823a and 824a of the columnar portions 823 and 824 complement the rolling surface of the stage portion 811, and game balls rolling toward the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813 pass through the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813. As a result, the probability that the game ball that has reached the stage portion 811 enters the third ball entrance 814 on the advantage side is about 1/1.

One of the features of this embodiment is that the stage unit 830 is used to diversify the standby period for waiting at the upper limit position when the movable body 821 moves to the upper limit position. The stage unit 830 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 63, the stage unit 830 has a stage portion 831 on which game balls roll in the same manner as the distribution unit 810, and a part of the game balls flowing down the right route, more specifically, the game balls that have flowed into the special ball entrance 88 arranged on the right route are guided to the stage portion 831.

The stage portion 831 has a mortar shape that gently slopes down toward the center, and a central opening 832 that opens upward is formed at the center (see FIG. 56(b)). The game ball guided to the stage portion 831 approaches the central opening 832 while rotating around the central opening 832 and flows into the central opening 832 .

The central opening 832 constitutes an entrance portion of a game ball discharge passage 833 in the stage portion 831 . The discharge passage 833 extends in the vertical direction, and the game ball passing through the discharge passage 833 flows into a guide passage 836 provided below the discharge passage 833 and is guided to a position directly above the variable winning device 82 via the guide passage 836. - 特許庁In other words, among the game balls launched to the right route, there is room for the ball to enter the variable winning device 82 through the stage unit 830 .

As with the movable body 821, the stage unit 830 is held so as to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction. Although not shown, the stage unit 830 is urged to the upper limit position by urging means (specifically, a spring member), and waits at the upper limit position when no game ball is placed on the stage portion 831. However, when at least one game ball is placed on the stage portion 831, the stage unit 830 descends against the biasing force of the biasing means due to the weight of the game ball. Note that movement beyond the lower limit position is blocked by the stopper 834 .

Movable body 821 of distribution unit 810 and stage unit 830 shown in the present embodiment are connected via link member 840 . The link member 840 is rotatably supported at an intermediate position between the movable body 821 and the stage unit 830, and rotates around this pivot point (center axis line CL2). Note that the pivotal support location is set to be biased toward the movable body 821 side. This is a device for reducing the force required to move the movable body 821 up and down.

When the stage unit 830 positioned on one end side of the link member 840 descends, the movable body 821 positioned on the other end side of the link member 840 ascends accordingly. On the other hand, when the stage unit 830 is raised, the movable body 821 is lowered accordingly. Here, with reference to FIGS. 67 and 68, the game flow in the special game state will be illustrated.

When shifting to the special game state, the variable winning device 82 is opened, and the game balls flowing down the right route flow into the big winning opening. The game ball that has flowed into the big winning opening is guided to the stage section 811 of the sorting unit 810 .

As shown in FIG. 67, when no game ball is placed on the stage portion 831 of the stage unit 830 (not stationary), the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813 of the sorting unit 810 are open, and the ball entrance probability to the advantageous side third ball entrance 814 is about 1/3.

When a game ball is placed on the stage portion 831 of the stage unit 830, the stage unit 830 is pushed by the game ball and lowered to the lower limit position. In this state, as shown in FIG. 68, the ball cannot be entered into the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813, and the destination of the ball is substantially narrowed down to the third ball entrance 814. In other words, the probability of a ball entering the third ball entrance 814, which is on the advantageous side, becomes 1/1, albeit temporarily.

As shown in FIGS. 68 to 67, when the game ball positioned on the stage portion 831 leaves the stage unit 830 through the central opening 832, the stage unit 830 returns to the upper limit position due to the biasing force. In conjunction with this, the movable body 821 returns to the lower limit position, and the ball entry support to the third ball entrance 814 by the movable body 821 ends.

Here, the game ball rolling on the stage portion 831 of the stage unit 830 is finally discharged from the stage portion 831 through the central opening 832, but the staying period on the stage portion 831 varies. In other words, the length of the staying period varies depending on subtle differences such as the movement speed when reaching the stage portion 831 and the landing position. Therefore, the period during which the movable body 821 supports the ball entering the third ball entrance 814 varies in length.

The stage portion 831 of the stage unit 830 shown in this embodiment is configured so that a plurality of game balls can roll (stay) at the same time, and the central opening 832 is sized such that a plurality of game balls cannot pass through at the same time. As a result, a plurality of game balls are placed on the stage portion 831, thereby prolonging the period of the ball-entering support. Therefore, in the special game state, the game is played with the expectation that as many game balls as possible will be guided to the stage portion 831 .

In addition, in the sorting unit 810 shown in the present embodiment, when a game ball is placed on the upper surfaces 823a and 824a, the movable body 821 tends to fall due to the weight of the game ball, so the support period may be shortened. However, the area of the stage portion 831 is larger than the total area of the top surfaces 823 a and 824 a of the columnar portions 823 and 824 of the movable body 821 . This prevents the above events from occurring frequently.

When a game ball is put on the stage portion 831 of the stage unit 830, the movable body 821 of the distribution unit 810 is displaced from the lower limit position to the upper limit position. Here, a difference occurs in the staying period of staying on the stage portion 831 according to the rolling manner of the game ball on the stage portion 831 (for example, the rolling direction and rolling speed of the game ball). In other words, the period during which the movable body 821 is positioned at the upper limit position depends on the stay period. By suppressing the motion of the game mechanism 800 from becoming monotonous in this way, it is possible to contribute to an increase in the degree of attention to the game.

As the stage section 831 of the stage unit 830 moves up and down, the movable body 821 is displaced to the lower limit position/upper limit position. Here, by setting the movement direction of the stage portion 831 up and down, it is possible to suppress the behavior of the game ball from changing due to the movement of the stage portion 831 . This is preferable in terms of alleviating the imbalance of the waiting period in which the game ball waits on the stage portion 831 .

In a configuration in which the weight of the game ball is used to raise and lower the stage unit 830, the driving force depends on the weight of the game ball. As shown in this embodiment, the stage unit 830 is arranged at one end of the rotatably held link member 840, the movable body 821 is arranged at the other end, and the movements of the stage unit 830 and the movable body 821 are alternated in the vertical direction, thereby reducing the output transmission loss. This is preferable in terms of increasing the certainty of the operation of the game mechanism 800 on the premise that the driving force is small.

The stage portion 831 is formed so that a plurality of game balls can roll simultaneously. In the configuration using the weight of the game ball as power for displacing the movable body 821 as described above, the displacement speed (responsiveness) can be changed according to the number of game balls that can be positioned on the stage portion 831 . Such a configuration in which the responsiveness changes according to the number of game balls can contribute to further diversification of the period during which the movable body 821 is maintained at the upper limit position.

A discharge passage 833 formed in the stage unit 830 extends vertically from the central opening 832 to form a vertical passage. With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid delaying the return of the stage unit 830 to the standby position due to being pushed by a game ball passing through the discharge passage 833 or the like. This can contribute to improvement in responsiveness when the movable body 821 is displaced to the lower limit position/upper limit position.

The central opening 832 is sized such that a plurality of game balls cannot pass through at the same time. Therefore, when a plurality of game balls roll on the stage portion 831, the game balls are successively released from the stage portion 831, thereby avoiding sudden release. Therefore, the period (for example, action period) during which the movable body 821 waits at the upper limit position can be diversified according to the number of game balls positioned on the stage portion 831 .

<Modification 1>
In the fourth embodiment, the upper surfaces 823a and 824a of the columnar portions 823 and 824 complement the rolling surface of the game ball on the stage portion 811 when the movable body 821 is placed at the upper limit position, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 69, when the movable body 821A is arranged at the upper limit position, the columnar portions 823A and 824A can be configured to protrude above the rolling surface of the game ball on the stage portion 811. As a result, it is possible to reduce the chances of game balls landing on the upper surfaces 823aA, 824aA of the columnar portions 823A, 824A while restricting the balls entering the ball entrances 812A, 813A.

<Modification 2>
In the fourth embodiment, the moving direction (vertical direction) of the movable body 821 of the sorting unit 810 and the moving direction (vertical direction) of the stage unit 830 are aligned, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 70, it is also possible to add a shutter 825B that opens and closes the entrance 812B and a biasing means that biases the shutter 825B to the closed position, so that the shutter 825B slides from the closed position to the open position against the biasing force of the biasing means as the movable body 821B rises. With such a configuration, even if a game ball is placed on the shutter 825B, it is possible to prevent the movable body 821B from being pushed down by its weight.

<Modification 3>
In the above-described fourth embodiment, a game ball entered into the special ball entrance 88 arranged on the right route is guided to the stage unit 830 (stage section 831). In order to increase the variation in the moving speed of the game ball guided to the stage portion 831, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. There is a difference in behavior between when the game ball flows in from the same side as the tilt direction and when the game ball flows in from the opposite side to the tilt direction with respect to the opening 88aC of the special ball entrance 88C. Since the momentum of the inflow of game balls is less likely to be lost in the former than in the latter, the difference in movement speed when reaching the stage portion 831 can be made remarkable. This is preferable for increasing the width of the period supported by the movable body 821 .

Further, in order to provide a difference in moving speed, it is possible to change the communication path 88bC as follows. That is, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 72(a), the communication passage 88bD is branched into the first branch passage 88cD and the second branch passage 88dD at the intermediate position, and the distribution means 88gD for distributing the game balls to the first branch passage 88cD and the second branch passage 88dD is arranged at the branch position. Then, deceleration units 88eD and 88fD for decelerating the game ball are provided in the first branch passage 88cD and the second branch passage 88dD, respectively, so that the movement speed of the game ball when passing through each branch passage 88cD and 88dD is preferably different.

By applying this concept to the stage portion 831, the stay period of the game ball in the stage portion 831 may be varied according to the flow path.

<Modification 4>
In the above-described fourth embodiment, the stage portion 831 of the stage unit 830 is shaped like a mortar to diversify the length of stay of the game ball, but the specific configuration for providing a difference in length of stay is arbitrary. For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 72(b1), a stage unit 830E may be provided with a first flow path 88cE having a relatively short required period of passage and a second flow path 88dE having a relatively long required period of time, so that the length of stay differs depending on the flow path through which the stage unit 830E passes. In this case, by allowing the game ball to move from one side of the first channel 88cE/second channel 88dE to the other, it is possible to contribute to further diversification of the length of stay. For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 72(b2), the first flow path 88cE is offset above the second flow path 88dE, and the rolling surface of the game ball in the first flow path 88cE is inclined downward toward the second flow path 88dE.

<Modification 5>
In the fourth embodiment, the stage unit 830 starts to descend when one game ball is placed on the stage portion 831 of the stage unit 830, but the number of game balls that trigger the start of descent is not limited to this. For example, the descent may be started when two game balls land, or the descent may be started when three or more game balls land.

<Modification 6>
In the above-described fourth embodiment, the configuration for shifting to the high-probability mode based on the ball entering the third ball entrance 814 was exemplified. Also, the sorting unit need not be applied to the variable winning device 82 and may be provided separately from the variable winning device 82 . In this case, a lottery for a big win is executed when the ball enters the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813, and a big win is determined when the ball enters the third ball entrance 814.

<Modification 7>
In the above-described fourth embodiment, a difference in the degree of advantage is provided so that the third ball entrance 814 is more advantageous to the player than the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813, but this relationship can be reversed. That is, a difference in advantage may be provided so that the third ball entrance 814 is more disadvantageous to the player than the first ball entrance 812 and the second ball entrance 813 .

<Modification 8>
It suffices if the movable body is configured to be in an operating state over the period in which the game ball stays on the stage unit 830, and the function does not necessarily have to be "distribution of the game ball". For example, a configuration corresponding to the stage unit 830 may be applied to the movable decorative body for performance.

<Fifth Embodiment>
This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the game board unit. The game board unit 80F in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 73 and 74, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. 73 is a front view of the game board unit 80F, and FIG. 74 is a perspective view of the game board unit 80F viewed from the front side.

(Game board unit 80F)
The game area PE provided in the game board unit 80F is roughly divided into a left route and a right route by the center frame 95 as in the game board unit 80 shown in the first embodiment. The left route and the right route join below the game area PE (symbol display device 500F, which will be described later), and a ball entry unit 850F having a lower operating port 859F is arranged at this joining portion. Both the game ball shot to the left route and the game ball shot to the right route can be entered into the lower operation port 859F, but the left route is treated more favorably than the right route in terms of the ball entry probability. Thus, even in the normal game state corresponding to the low-probability mode and low-frequency support mode, the game can be played more advantageously by shooting the game ball to the left route than by shooting the game ball to the right route.

The lower operating port 859F in the present embodiment corresponds to the upper operating port 83a shown in the first embodiment, but since it is arranged closer to the bottom of the game area PE than the upper operating port 83a and on the far side, the visibility when viewed from the front of the game machine is reduced. This is a device to make the effect gate 855F conspicuous in relation to the effect gate 855F to be described later, and to imitate the effect gate 855F from the function and appearance of the effect gate 855F as if the same effect gate 855F is the "operating port" in the present embodiment.

The right route is provided with a right operating port 883F corresponding to the lower operating port 83b shown in the first embodiment. An electric accessory 891F is attached to the right operating port 883F, and when a game ball passes through a through gate 884F also arranged on the right route and wins a support lottery, the electric accessory 891F is switched from a closed state to an open state to allow the ball to enter the right operating port 883F.

The right route is provided with variable winning devices 881F and 882F that switch from a non-accepting state to an accepting state when a lottery based on the entry of balls into the lower operating port 859F and the right operating port 883F results in a big win and shifts to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode). It is the same as the first embodiment described above in that prize balls are awarded to the player by entering the variable prize winning devices 881F and 882F.

Here, the ball entering unit 850F will be described with reference to FIGS. 75 to 77. FIG. FIG. 75 is a partial enlarged view of the game board unit 80F showing the ball entering unit 850F and its periphery, FIG. 76 is a front perspective view of the ball entering unit, and FIG. 77 is an exploded perspective view of the ball entering unit.

As shown in FIG. 75, the right route is divided into an upper route and a lower route starting from the windmill 94 arranged on the side of the center frame 95 (specifically, the stage 96F). The lower route is branched into a route toward the entering ball unit 850F and a route toward the general prize winning port 81 at its midway position, and the game balls flowing down the upper route and part of the game balls flowing down the lower route (specifically, the game balls not heading to the general winning port 81) are discharged from the game area PE via the ball entering unit 850F.

As shown in FIGS. 76 and 77, the ball entering unit 850F is formed by combining a base body 851F on which various game components are mounted, front covers 852F and 853F covering the base body 851F from the front of the gaming machine, and a rear cover 854F covering the base body 851F from the rear of the gaming machine, thereby forming a plurality of flow-down paths for game balls. By being fixed to 0F, it is integrated with the game area forming body 310F in a state of protruding in front of the game machine through an opening formed in the game area forming body 310F.

The lower working port 859F is arranged at the bottom of the ball entering unit 850F, and the ball entering unit 850F is provided with a center route (first route) leading to the lower working port 859F and a side route (second route) leading to the out port 89 as the flow path. The front covers 852F, 853F are transparent, and through the front covers 852F, 853F, it is possible to see the game balls passing through the inside of the entering ball unit 850F (for example, center route and side route) and various built-in game parts.

A performance gate 855F is provided at the top of the ball entry unit 850F as an entrance to the center route. In this embodiment, only game balls distributed to the upper route (stage 96F) can pass through the effect gate 855F. As shown in FIG. 77, an upper crown 856F is provided below the performance gate 855F as a distribution means for distributing game balls.

The upper rune 856F has a disk shape, and its upper surface is a rolling surface 871F on which the game ball rolls. A first opening 873F and a second opening 874F penetrating to the upper limit are formed in the central portion of the upper crown 856F, and the rolling surface 871F is slightly inclined downward toward the first opening 873F and the second opening 874F. A peripheral wall portion 872F standing upward from the rolling surface 871F is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the upper crown 856F, and the game ball that reaches the rolling surface 871F is prevented from flowing out from other than the first opening 873F and the second opening 874F. In other words, the game ball that reaches the rolling surface 871F flows into either the first opening 873F or the second opening 874F.

The base body 851 is provided with a first branch passage portion 864F through which game balls flowing into the first opening 873F pass, and a second branch passage portion 865F through which game balls flowing into the second opening 874F pass. The first branch passage portion 864F forms part of the center route, while the second branch passage portion 865F forms part of the side route. That is, some of the game balls that have passed through the effect gate 855F are configured to move from the center route to the side route by passing through the second branch passage portion 865F. In addition, the number of the second openings 874F is greater than the number of the first openings 873F, and more than half of the game balls that have passed through the effect gate 855F will move to the side route.

The outlet portion of the first branch passage portion 864F and the outlet portion of the second branch passage portion 865F are arranged side by side so that the former is in the center and the latter is on both left and right sides. The lower kuroun 857F has a disc shape like the upper kuroun 856F, and its upper surface is a rolling surface 875F on which the game ball can roll. A central opening 876F is formed vertically through the central portion of the lower crown 857F, and the rolling surface 875F is slightly inclined downward toward the central opening 876F. The rolling surface 875F has an annular shape, and the game ball that reaches the rolling surface 875F through the inlet 878F rolls around the central opening 876F toward the central opening 876F. In addition, the rolling surface 875F is formed so that the number of game balls that can stay on the rolling surface 875F at the same time is larger than the number of reserves related to the lower operation port 859F.

A peripheral wall portion 877F standing upward from the rolling surface 875F is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lower crown 857F, and the game balls that have reached the rolling surface 875F are prevented from flowing out from other than the central opening 876F. Directly under the central opening 876F, the lower working opening 859F is arranged, and the game ball passing through the central opening 876F enters the lower working opening 859F. In other words, the game ball that has flowed into the inflow port 878F (the game ball that has reached the rolling surface 875F) is determined to enter the lower operation port 859F.

Here, a non-electric accessory 858F is arranged between the inflow port 878F and the arrangement area of the outlet portions of the branch passage portions 864F and 865F as a guide means (ball entry assisting means) to the inflow port 878F. The non-electric accessory 858F has a pair of left and right movable pieces facing each other across a flow path connecting the first branch passage portion 864F and the inlet 878F. Each movable piece is held so as to be rotatable about the lower end of the movable piece, and the rotation switches the guide state of the non-electric accessory 858F between the first guide state and the second guide state.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 78, a supplementary description will be given of the non-electrical accessory 858F and the configuration related to the movement of the non-electrical accessory 858F. FIG. 78(a) is a schematic diagram when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the first guided state, and FIG. 78(b) is a schematic diagram when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guided state.

The non-motorized accessory 858F is connected to the lower crown 857F via a link mechanism 879F. The lower rune 857F is held so as to be able to move up and down, and the base body 851F is provided with stoppers that define the upper limit position and the lower limit position of the lower rune 857F. A spring is mounted on the base body 851F to bias the lower rune 857F to the upper limit position, and the lower rune 857F waits at the upper limit position (hereinafter referred to as the standby position) by the biasing force of the spring.

When the game ball is placed on the lower rune 857F (rolling surface 875F), the lower rune 857F descends from the standby position to the lower limit position (hereinafter referred to as the descending position) against the biasing force of the spring. In addition, since the attitude of the lower crew 857F is maintained constant at any position in the ascending/descending section, there is no phenomenon that the movement of the game ball toward the central opening 876F is hindered due to the change in attitude during descent.

In the state where the lower rune 857F is arranged at the standby position, that is, in the state where the game ball is not placed on the rolling surface 875F, the non-electric accessory 858F is maintained in the first guiding state. In the first guiding state, game balls flowing out from the outlet of the first branch passage portion 864F are permitted to flow into the inlet 878F, whereas game balls flowing out of the outlet of the second branch passage 865F are prevented from flowing into the inlet 878F.

When a game ball is placed on the lower crew 857F and the lower crew 857F moves from the standby position to the lowered position, the non-electric accessory 858F switches from the first guide state to the second guide state in conjunction with the movement of the lower crew 857F. In the second guiding state, both the game balls that have flowed out from the exit portion of the first branch passage portion 864F and the game balls that have flowed out from the exit portion of the second branch passage portion 865F are allowed to flow into the inflow port 878F. In other words, the flow path to be flowed into the inflow port 878F is temporarily expanded, and the game ball that has passed through the above-described performance gate 855F can flow into the inflow port 878F through either the first opening 873F or the second opening 874F.

Here, when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guiding state, game balls flowing down other flow paths formed in the entering ball unit 850F may also be guided to the inflow port 878F. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 75 again, a supplementary description will be given of other flow paths formed in the ball entering unit 850F, and then other objects guided to the inlet 878F in the second guided state will be described.

A first guide passage portion 861F is formed at positions on the left and right sides of the upper crown 856F in the ball entering unit 850F. The first guide passage portion 861F constitutes part of the side route described above. Also, the ball-entering unit 850F is formed with a second guide passage portion 862F that constitutes a part of the lower route described above. The second guide passage portion 862F also constitutes a part of the side route, and joins the first guide passage portion 861F on the upstream side of the exit portion of the second branch passage portion 865F. Game balls distributed to the upper route that do not pass through the performance gate 855F and game balls distributed to the lower route are guided to the vicinity of the exit of the second branch passage 865F via the side route.

As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 79(a), when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the first guiding state, the movable piece of the non-electric accessory 858F functions as a partition separating the side route and the center route. Therefore, none of the game balls that have passed through the first guide passage portion 861F and the second guide passage portion 862F flow into the inflow port 878F.

On the other hand, when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guidance state, as shown in FIG. In this state, the game ball passing through the first guide passage portion 861F and the second guide passage portion 862F can also be guided to the inlet 878F by the non-electric accessory 858F. However, compared with the game ball flowing out from the exit portion of the second branch passage portion 865F, the probability of being guided to the inflow port 878F is differentiated so as to be low.

In addition, the game ball flowing down the side route via the merging portion 863F also has a difference in the guidance probability to the inflow port 878F depending on the progress to the merging portion 863F, more specifically, which of the first guide passage portion 861F and the second guide passage portion 862F. Specifically, the communication point where the communication occurs when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guide state is located on the extension of the merging portion 863F, and the slope forming the rolling surface of the game ball at the merging portion 863F is formed so as to slope downward toward the communication point. However, a gap large enough for the game ball to pass is secured between the slope and the communication point, and whether or not the game ball flowing down along the slope can reach the communication point depends on the movement speed of the game ball.

Specifically, since the first guide passage portion 861F extends in the vertical direction, the game ball that has flowed down along the first guide passage portion 861F is decelerated upon reaching the slope. Even if the vehicle is reaccelerated on the slope, the rate at which it can reach a speed that jumps over the gap is relatively low. On the other hand, since the second guide passage portion 862F extends in the same direction (horizontal direction) as the slope, the game ball flowing down along the second guide passage portion 862F is reaccelerated on the slope without reducing momentum. For this reason, the rate of reaching the speed that jumps over the gap is relatively high. In this way, by providing a difference in the inflow probability to the inflow port 878F according to the flow path through which the game ball passes, it is possible to contribute to an improvement in attention to the behavior of the game ball.

Next, with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 80, the flow of winning to the lower operation opening 859F will be described.

The game balls shot to the left route are distributed by the windmill 94 to the upper route and the lower route. When the game balls distributed to the upper route pass through the performance gate 855F and reach the upper rune 856F, it becomes a chance of winning a prize to the lower operation port 859F. As shown in FIG. 80(a)→FIG. 80(b), the game ball placed on the upper rune 856F is distributed to the first branch passage portion 864F (first opening 873F) and the second branch passage portion 865F (second opening 874F).

As shown in FIG. 80 (b) → FIG. 80 (c), the game balls distributed to the first branch passage portion 864F flow into the inlet 878F even if the guide state of the non-electric accessory 858F is the first guide state, and will be placed on the lower crown 857F. When the lower rune 857F moves from the standby position to the lowered position due to the weight of the game ball, the non-electric accessory 858F switches from the first guide state to the second guide state in conjunction therewith. In other words, before the preceding game ball B1 enters the lower operation port 859F, the probability of entering the inflow port 878F is temporarily increased to shift to a high probability state of entering.

As shown in FIG. 80(d), while the game ball is placed on the lower rune 857F, the non-electric accessory 858F is maintained in the second guide state, and the subsequent game ball B3 distributed to the second branch passage portion 865F and the subsequent game ball B4 distributed to the second guide passage portion 862F also have a chance to flow into the inlet 878F.

Here, in the present embodiment, when comparing the game ball heading for the non-electric accessory 858F via the lower route and the game ball heading for the non-electric accessory 858F via the upper route, the difference is provided so that the required time for the former is shorter than the latter. Therefore, when the preceding game ball reaches the lower rune 857F and the non-electrical accessary 858F is switched to the second guide state, the game ball passing through the lower route moves toward the non-electrical accessary 858F faster than the game ball passing through the upper route, increasing the expectation for continuous winning. Generating a time advantage in generating/continuing continuous winning of game balls distributed to the lower route among the subsequent game balls (however, there is an advantage in the winning probability of those passing through the upper rune 856F) has a technical significance of being able to increase attention to the game balls passing through the lower route on the disadvantageous side.

When the subsequent game ball B3 or the game ball B4 is placed on the lower crown 857F, even if the preceding game ball B1 leaves the lower crown 857F and enters the lower operation opening 859F, the lower crown 857F remains at the lowered position, and the non-electric accessory 858F is also maintained in the second guide state. As a result, the number of reservations related to the lower operation port 859F is increased at once. After the number of reservations reaches the upper limit, even if the winning to the lower operation opening 859F continues, acquisition of new reservation information is restricted, so that the player's advantage is prevented from becoming excessively high.

After that, the lower rune 857F returns to the standby position by all the game balls leaving the lower rune 857F, and the non-electric accessory 858F is switched from the first guide state to the second guide state in conjunction therewith. As a result, the temporary high-ball-entering-probability state associated with the lower operating port 859F is cancelled.

Thus, according to the ball entry unit 850F shown in the present embodiment, it is possible to bias the winning to the lower operation opening 859F. Here, with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 81, the transition of the number of holds over time will be described. In FIG. 81, the transition of the number of reservations in this embodiment is illustrated by a solid line, and the transition of the number of reservations in the first embodiment is illustrated by a chain double-dashed line.

In this embodiment, when the game ball reaches the lower rune 857F and the winning of the game ball into the lower operation port 859F is confirmed, the following game ball flows into the inflow port 878F is facilitated. In other words, as long as the shooting of the game ball toward the left route is continued, when one game ball enters the lower operation opening 859F, the winning probability of the following game ball to the lower operation opening 859F is dramatically increased, and the continuous winning to the lower operation opening 859F (the winning in which the subsequent holding information is acquired before the stored holding information becomes 0) occurs. As a result, the number of reservations related to the lower operation port 859F easily reaches the upper limit.

Regarding the winning probability to the lower operation port 859F when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the first guiding state, the upper rune 856F and the non-electric accessory 858F like the upper operation port 83a shown in the first embodiment. It is lower than the winning probability to the upper operation port 83a in the configuration where the configuration corresponding to the non-electric accessory 858F is not provided. In other words, the winning probability is low when the above-described function of inducing consecutive winning is excluded. By adopting such a configuration, the prize winning to the lower operation opening 859F is biased (contrast).

In the structure in which the display performance is performed by the pattern display device 500F based on the winning to the lower operation port 859F, the period during which the number of reservations is 0 becomes longer, and the period during which the display performance is not executed (non-performance period) becomes longer. It is feared that the fact that the non-effect period is conspicuous in this manner and that it becomes clear that no prize has been awarded to the lower operation opening 859F may be a factor in lowering the player's willingness to play. One of the features of this embodiment is that it is devised to suppress the occurrence of such inconveniences by using the effect gate 855F described above. A supplementary description of the electrical configuration in the present embodiment will be given below, and then the above device will be described.

As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 82, in this embodiment, a pattern display device 500F is provided in place of the variable display unit 500 shown in the first embodiment, and a display control device 910F for controlling the display contents of the pattern display device 500F is added.

The display control device 910F includes a display control board 911F on which are mounted an MPU 912F, which is an element in which a program ROM 913F and a work RAM 914F are combined, a video display processor (VDP) 915F, a character ROM 916F, and a video RAM 917F. It is not essential that the program ROM 913F and the work RAM 914F are integrated into one chip for the MPU 912F, and they may be individually integrated into chips.

The MPU 912F of the display control device 910F analyzes various commands received from the main control device 162 via the notification/production control device 140 or performs predetermined arithmetic processing based on the received various commands to control the VDP 915F (specifically, to generate an internal command for the VDP 915F). More specifically, the MPU 912F executes processing for specifying the variable display pattern of each game round in the pattern display device 500F based on the command transmitted from the notification/production control device 140, executes processing related to the pending display, and executes drawing processing for the VDP 915F in accordance with the processing result. As a result, various images are displayed on the display screen 500aF of the pattern display device 500F.

The program ROM 913F is a memory for storing various control programs executed by the MPU 912F and fixed value data, and also stores and holds JPEG format image data for background images. The work RAM 914F is a memory for temporarily storing work data, flags, and the like used when various programs are executed by the MPU 912F. These work data and flags are stored in each area of the work RAM 914F.

The VDP 915F is a kind of drawing circuit that directly operates an image processing device as a liquid crystal display driver incorporated in the pattern display device 500F. Since the VDP915F is made into an IC chip, it is also called a "drawing chip", and its substance should be called a microcomputer chip containing firmware dedicated to drawing processing. The VDP 915F adjusts the timing of each of the MPU 912F, the video RAM 917F, etc., and intervenes in the reading and writing of data.

The character ROM 916F serves as an image data library for storing character data such as patterns displayed on the pattern display device 500F. The character ROM 916F holds bitmap format image data of various display patterns, a color palette table to be referred to when determining the expression color of each dot of the bitmap image, and the like.

It is also possible to provide a plurality of character ROMs 916F and store image data and the like in each character ROM 916F. It is also possible to configure the character ROM 916F to store the JPEG format image data for the background image stored in the program ROM 913F.

The video RAM 917F is a memory for storing display data to be displayed on the pattern display device 500F, and by rewriting the content of the video RAM 917F, the display content of the pattern display device 500F is changed.

The main display unit (main display section) under the direct control of the main controller 162 is provided with a display section for the lower operation opening that displays the lottery result based on the winning at the lower opening 859F, and a display section for the right opening opening that displays the result of the lottery performed based on the winning at the right opening 883F. In the display section for the lower working port, the variable display of the pattern is performed with the winning of the lower working port 859F as a trigger, and as a result of stopping the variable display, the result of the internal lottery performed based on the winning of the lower working port 859F is clearly indicated. When the result of the internal lottery based on the prize winning to the lower operation port 859F is the winning result corresponding to the shift to the opening/closing execution mode, the variable display is stopped in the display part for the lower operation port, and after a predetermined pattern is displayed as the stop result, the opening/closing execution mode is shifted. In the display part for the right operating port, the variable display of the pattern is performed with the winning of the right operating port 883F as a trigger, and as a result of stopping the variable display, the result of the internal lottery performed based on the winning of the right operating port 883F is clearly indicated. When the result of the internal lottery based on the prize winning to the right operating port 883F is the winning result corresponding to the big win, the variable display is stopped in the display part for the right operating port, and after the predetermined pattern is displayed as the stop result, the opening/closing execution mode is shifted according to the result.

By the way, based on the winning of any one of the operation openings 859F and 883F, the corresponding operation opening display unit starts a variable display, displays a predetermined stop result, and stops the variable display, which corresponds to one game cycle. However, one game round is not limited to the above contents. For example, in a configuration in which a single display area is provided and variable display is performed in the single display area even if a prize is won in any of the operation ports 859F and 883F, one game round may be defined as the process from the start of the variable display in the single display area until the variable display is stopped in a state in which a predetermined stop result is displayed.

Here, the configuration related to the variable display of symbols in each game cycle and the contents of the same variable display will be described. Note that FIG. 83 will be referred to as necessary in the following description. FIG. 83 is a schematic diagram for explaining the display contents on the display screen 500aF of the pattern display device 500F.

A character ROM 916F of a display control device 910F pre-stores data of 9 types of main patterns in which numbers '1' to '9' and decorations such as characters simulating fish are combined, data of sub-designs without numbers, and data of 9 types of simple patterns consisting of numbers '1' to '9'.

As shown in FIG. 83, the display screen 500aF of the symbol display device 500F is provided with a variable display area for performing variable display of the various symbols described above. The variable display areas are roughly divided into three: a first variable display area ME1, a second variable display area ME2, and a third variable display area ME3. The first variable display area ME1 is located at the upper left of the display screen 500aF, the second variable display area ME2 is located at the upper right of the display screen 500aF, and the third variable display area ME3 is located at the center of the display screen 500aF.

Three symbol rows of left, middle and right are displayed in the first variable display area ME1. Each symbol row is formed by arranging the simple symbols in a predetermined order, and the symbols of each symbol row are variably displayed so as to scroll in a predetermined direction (specifically, from top to bottom) with periodicity. The first variable display region ME1 is interlocked with the pattern display in the lower working port display portion of the main display portion, and is configured such that the variable display of the pattern is started at the timing when the variable display of the pattern is started in the lower working port display portion, and the variable display of the pattern is finished (the fixed display is started) at the timing when the variable display of the pattern is finished (the fixed display is started). Then, the game result is notified to the player by stop-displaying the symbol combination corresponding to the result of the jackpot lottery related to the display portion for the lower operating port. In this embodiment, a combination of simple patterns having the same number is stop-displayed when a jackpot result is obtained, and a combination of simple patterns in which at least one number among three pattern rows is different from the numbers of the other pattern rows is stop-displayed when a loss result is obtained.

Three symbol rows of left, middle and right are displayed in the second variable display area ME2. Each symbol row is formed by arranging the simple symbols in a predetermined order, and the symbols of each symbol row are variably displayed so as to scroll in a predetermined direction (specifically, from top to bottom) with periodicity. The second variable display area ME2 is interlocked with the pattern display in the right operating port display portion of the main display portion, and is configured such that the variable display of the pattern is started at the timing when the variable display of the pattern is started in the right operating port display portion, and the variable display of the pattern is finished (the fixed display is started) at the timing when the variable display of the pattern is finished (the fixed display is started). Then, the game result is notified to the player by stop-displaying the symbol combination corresponding to the result of the lottery for the right operating port 883F. In this embodiment, for example, when the result is a big hit, the combination of simple patterns with the same number is stop-displayed, and when the result is a loss, the combination of simple patterns in which at least one number among the three pattern rows is different from the numbers of the other pattern rows is stop-displayed.

The content displayed in the third variable display area ME3 varies depending on the game state. FIG. 83(a) illustrates display contents in a normal game state corresponding to low-frequency support mode and low-probability mode (hereinafter referred to as first normal game state), and FIG. 83(b) illustrates display contents in normal-game state corresponding to high-frequency support mode and high probability mode (hereinafter referred to as second normal game state).

Although the details will be described later, in the first normal game state, a girl character is displayed in the third variable display area ME3, and the movement of this character clearly indicates the result of the lottery. In the first normal game state, the pattern row in the first variable display area ME1 and the character in the third variable display area ME3 are used to notify the lottery result based on the winning to the lower operation opening 859F.

In the second normal game state, three symbol rows of upper, middle and lower rows are set in the third variable display area ME3. Each symbol row is configured by arranging main symbols and sub-symbols in a predetermined order. In the third variable display area ME3, the symbols of each symbol row are variably displayed so as to scroll in a predetermined direction (specifically, from right to left) with periodicity.

In the upper pattern row, nine types of main patterns "1" to "9" are arranged in descending numerical order, and one sub-pattern is arranged between each main pattern. In the lower pattern row, nine types of main patterns "1" to "9" are arranged in ascending numerical order, and one sub-design is arranged between each of the main patterns. That is, the upper symbol row and the lower symbol row are composed of 18 symbols. On the other hand, in the middle pattern row, 9 kinds of main patterns of '1' to '9' are arranged in ascending numerical order, and then the main pattern of '4' is additionally arranged between the main pattern of '9' and the main pattern of '1', and one sub-pattern is arranged between each of these main patterns. In other words, only the middle pattern row is composed of 20 symbols with 10 main symbols arranged.

Also, in the third variable display area ME3, three symbols are stop-displayed for each symbol row, and as a result, a total of nine symbols of 3×3 are stop-displayed. In addition, five effective lines, that is, a left line L1, a middle line L2, a right line L3, a right-down line L4, and a right-up line L5 are set in the third variable display area ME3. Then, the variable display is stopped in the order of the upper pattern row→lower pattern row→middle pattern row, and when the variable display of all the pattern rows is completed in a state where a combination of prescribed patterns (for example, a combination of patterns with the same numbers) is formed on any of the effective lines, the result of a big win is clearly indicated.

In the second normal game state, the result of the jackpot lottery based on the winning to the right operation opening 883F is reported using the symbol rows of the second variable display area ME2 and the third variable display area ME3.

In the third variable display area ME3, a display effect such as a ready-to-win display is executed. On the other hand, in the first variable display area ME1 and the second variable display area ME2, all the symbols are stopped and displayed at the same time when the variable display is changed to the fixed display, and the display effect such as the ready-to-win display is not executed. In other words, the first variable display area ME1 and the second variable display area ME2 are similar to the third variable display area ME3 in that they have the function of notifying the game result, but differ from the third variable display area ME3 in that the process up to notifying the game result is simplified.

By the way, the pattern display device 500F is not limited to the above-described pattern variation display mode, and is arbitrary. For example, a plurality of symbol rows may be arranged vertically, and the direction of the variable display of symbols in the symbol rows may be set in the horizontal direction.

As already described, in the present embodiment, the display mode on the display screen 500aF is specified by the notification/effect control device 140 with reference to the command from the main control device 162, and the details of the display mode are determined by the display control device 910F based on the specified result. Here, the variable display control processing executed as part of the regular processing by the MPU 652 of the notification/effect control device 140 will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 84 to 86. FIG. The variable display control processing includes variable display control processing for the first/second variable display regions and variable display control processing for the third variable display region.

(Varying display control process for first/second varying display area)
In the variable display control processing for the first/second variable display areas, it is first determined in step S2401 whether or not a game is in progress, that is, whether or not the variable display of symbols for one game is being executed in the first variable display area ME1 or the second variable display area ME2 of the symbol display device 500F. If it is determined that the game is not in progress, the process advances to step S2402 to determine whether or not the command for variation transmitted from the main controller 162 has been received. If a negative determination is made in step S2402, the variable display control processing ends. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2402, this variable display control process is terminated after the process for starting variation is executed in step S2403. In the process for starting the fluctuation, the fluctuation display mode of the symbols and the combination of symbols to be confirmed and displayed are determined.

Returning to the description of step S2401, if the determination in step S2401 is affirmative, that is, if it is determined that the game is in progress, the process proceeds to step S2404. In step S2404, it is determined whether or not the fluctuation end command transmitted from main controller 162 has been received. If a negative determination is made in step S2404, the variable display control process is terminated after executing the process for mid-variation in step S2405. The mid-variation process is a process of varying the symbol corresponding to the current game round among the symbols being displayed in the first variable display area ME1 or the second variable display area ME2 in the game round started by the variable start process.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2404, the process advances to step S2406, and after the fluctuation end processing is executed in step S2406, the fluctuation display control processing ends. In the process for ending variation, the variation display of symbols is terminated (determined and stopped) so as to correspond to the lottery result related to the game round. After that, the fluctuation end processing is terminated.

(Varying display control process for third varying display area)
In the variable display control process for the third variable display area, first, it is determined whether or not the current game state is the first normal game state. When it is the first normal game state, an affirmative determination is made in step S2501, and the process proceeds to step S2502 to execute the first normal game state processing. If it is the second normal game state, a negative determination is made in step S2501, and the process proceeds to step S2503 to execute the second normal game state processing.

(Second normal game state processing)
In the second normal game state processing, first, it is determined whether or not the game is in progress, that is, whether or not symbols for one game are displayed in the third variation display area ME3 of the symbol display device 500F. When it is determined that the game is not in progress, it is determined whether or not the variation command transmitted from the main controller 162 is received. If the command for variation has not been received, the variable display control process is terminated. On the other hand, if a variation command has been received, the variation start processing is executed, and then the variation display control processing is terminated.

When the game is in progress, it is determined whether or not the fluctuation end command transmitted from the main controller 162 is received. When the fluctuation end command is not received, the process for the second normal game state is ended after the process for the fluctuation is executed. The variation mid-process is a process of executing various effects and changing the determined effect in the game cycle started by the process for starting the variation.

When the variation end command is received, the second normal game state processing is terminated after the variation end processing is executed. In the fluctuation end processing, the fluctuation display of symbols and the effect being executed are ended (determined and stopped) so as to correspond to the lottery result related to the game round. Specifically, control is performed so that the symbol is fixed and stopped in the third variable display area ME3. In this process, the driving control of the speaker section 29 and the lamp section 26 is performed to produce an effect corresponding to the definite stop. After that, the fluctuation end processing is terminated.

Here, a supplementary description will be given of the variation start process in the second normal game state process. In the variation start processing, first, the variation command received this time is read, and information on the presence or absence of reach occurrence and information on the variation display time are specified from the command. Further, as already explained, when the command for variation is transmitted from the main controller 162, the type command is also transmitted. The type command received together with the command for variation received this time is read, and from the command, the information of the game result such as the information of the probability variable jackpot result, the information of the normal jackpot result or the information of the losing result is specified. Then, from the above-specified information, information on whether or not the jackpot is won, information on the type of jackpot in the case of winning the jackpot, information on the presence or absence of reach generation when the jackpot is not won, and information on the variable display time are grasped, and the grasped information is stored in the register of the MPU 652. - 特許庁Next, based on the grasped information, it is determined whether or not the game result of the game cycle to be started this time is the game result corresponding to the big win result. In the case of a jackpot result, that is, in the case of a probability variable jackpot result or a normal jackpot result, a jackpot effect setting process is executed.

In the effect setting process for big win, the stop result of the symbol for big win is determined (stop result determination process is performed). In the stop result determination processing, in the case of the probability variable jackpot result, the stop result in which the combination of the same specific pattern (main pattern with an odd number) is established on one effective line is determined as the stop result of the main game round. In addition, in the case of a normal jackpot result, a stop result in which the same non-specific pattern (main pattern with an even number) is combined on one effective line is determined as the stop result of this game.

The type of the main symbol to be stop-displayed and the effective line are randomly determined by a lottery or the like when a big win is achieved. Each valid line and address information are stored in the final stop line table stored in various table areas of the ROM 653, and the final stop line determined by the above process is stored as address information in the final stop line address storage area provided in the RAM 654. Also, at this time, a process of storing the determined stop result information in the stop result address storage area is executed. It should be noted that the stop result address information determined by various stop result determination processes is stored in the stop result address storage area of the RAM 654 also in the following description.

Also, in the effect setting process for the big win, the variable display mode of the symbol for the big win is determined (performs the variable display mode determination process (effect pattern determination process)). When a jackpot result is obtained, the result is notified through reach display. In the variable display mode determination processing for the ready-to-win display, a variable display pattern table for the ready-to-win display stored in various table areas of the ROM 653 is acquired, and the effect pattern of the normal ready-to-win display or the super ready-to-win display corresponding to the game result in the variable display time and the type command of the command for the change received this time is determined. In addition, a process of storing the address information of the determined variable display mode in the pattern address storage area of the RAM 654 is executed. Also in the variable display mode determination process described below, the corresponding variable display pattern table is acquired from the variable display pattern table storage area of the ROM 653 to determine the effect pattern corresponding to the variable display time and the game result. Then, the address information of the effect pattern determined by the effect pattern determination process is stored in the pattern address storage area of the RAM654.

When it is determined that the result is not a big win, it is grasped whether or not reach will occur in the current game round. When ready-to-win occurs, effect setting processing for ready-to-win occurs is executed. In the effect setting process for generating ready-to-win, the outline of the effect and the combination of symbols to be finally stopped are determined. Since the former is the same as the above processing, the description is used. Since this processing corresponds to the loss reach, the stop symbols are determined so as not to result in a combination of symbols corresponding to the big hit result. That is, a stop result in which a combination of off-reach symbols is established on one effective line is determined as the current stop result. In this case, the types of combination of out reach symbols and effective lines are randomly determined by lottery or the like. In this determination, the result of stopping on the effective line is determined so that the same pattern combination is not established on any effective line and the pattern of the middle pattern row same as the pattern forming the reach line is finally stopped at a stop position shifted forward or backward with respect to the reach line. After that, a process of storing the determined stop result information in the stop result address storage area is executed.

If it is determined that the ready-to-win is not generated, the combination of the outline of the performance for the normal failure and the final stop of the symbol, etc., are determined. Since this processing corresponds to a complete loss, the stop symbols are determined so as not to form a symbol combination corresponding to the result of a big win.

After that, the display control (variation display control) of the symbol display device 500F (the third variation display area ME3) is performed in order to execute the effect in the current game round. As a result, variable display of patterns is started in the third variable display area ME3, driving control of the speaker section 29 and the lamp section 26 is started based on the performance pattern determined by the above processes, and the performance for the game cycle is started.

Next, the first normal game state processing of step S2502 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(First normal game state processing)
In the first normal game state processing, first, in step S2601, it is determined whether or not the special effect is being performed. Although the details will be described later, the special effect is a effect that is executed based on passing through the effect gate 855F or winning the lower operation opening 859F in the first normal game state. If a negative determination is made in step S2601, the process proceeds to step S2602.

In step S2602, it is determined whether or not a prize has been awarded to the lower operation opening 859F. When an affirmative determination is made in step S2602, after executing special effect start processing in step S2606, the first normal game state processing is terminated. In the special performance start processing, a special performance start command is output to the display control device 910F to start the special performance, BGM corresponding to the special performance is output from the speaker part 29, and the lamp part 26 is lighted in a mode corresponding to the special performance.

Returning to the description of step S2602, when it is determined that the winning to the lower operation opening 859F has not occurred, the process proceeds to step S2603. In step S2603, it is determined whether or not the special effect is being restricted. Although the details will be described later, in the present embodiment, after the end of the special effect, the special effect triggered by passing through the effect gate 855F is restricted until a certain period of time elapses.

If the special effect is being regulated, the first normal game state processing is terminated, and if the special effect is not being regulated, it is determined whether or not the game ball has passed through the performance gate 855F in step S2604. In this embodiment, the effect gate 855F is provided with a ball detection sensor 866F capable of detecting a game ball passing through the effect gate 855F (see FIG. 82). The ball detection sensor 866F is connected to the notification/production control device 140, and the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140 determines whether or not the game ball has passed through the production gate 855F based on the detection signal (detection information) from the ball detection sensor 866F.

If a negative determination is made in step S2604, the first normal game state processing is terminated as it is. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2604, the process proceeds to step S2605. In step S2605, special effect timer setting processing is executed. Specifically, the special performance execution time is set to the special performance timer counter provided in the various counter areas 675 of the RAM 654 . The value of the special effect timer counter is decremented by "1" each time the variable display control process (more specifically, the variable display control process for the third variable display area) is executed.

After executing the setting process of step S2605, after executing the special effect start process in step S2606, the first normal game state process is terminated. As described above, in the special effect start processing, a special effect start command is output to the display control device 910F, BGM corresponding to the special effect is output from the speaker unit 29, and the lamp unit 26 is caused to emit light in a manner corresponding to the special effect. The special effect start command output to the display control device 910F includes information indicating whether the current special effect is triggered by passing through the effect gate 855F or winning the lower operation opening 859F. The display control device 910F starts the display corresponding to the special effect based on the special effect start command.

As for the special performance that is triggered by the passage of the performance gate 855F, the execution time of the special performance is defined based on the required time required for the game ball that has passed the performance gate 855F to enter the lower operation port 859F. A supplementary description of the required time will be given below with reference to FIG. FIG. 87 is a schematic diagram showing a center route.

Regarding the center route, the game ball passing through the production gate 855F is formed so that the required time required to enter the lower operation port 859F through the upper crew 856F→lower crew 857F is 3 to 6 seconds. That is, it is configured so that the maximum required time is 6 sec, although there is some variation due to the dwell time of the game ball in the upper rune 856F and the dwell time of the game ball in the lower rune 857F. The execution time of the special effect, which is set when the special effect is started when the player passes through the effect gate 855F, is set to a time longer than the maximum time of 6 seconds (more specifically, 7 seconds). In other words, when the game ball passing through the performance gate 855F enters the lower operation port 859F, the special performance started with the passage of the performance gate 855F as a trigger can be continued until the lower operation port 859F is won.

Returning to the description of the first normal game state processing in FIG. 86, when the affirmative determination is made in the above step S2601, that is, when the special effect is being performed, the process proceeds to step S2607. In step S2607, it is determined whether or not the special effect is in the first phase. The special effect shown in the present embodiment is composed of three phases at maximum, and shifts in order of the first phase→second phase→third phase as the effect progresses. Although the details will be described later, the special effect that starts when the player passes through the effect gate 855F basically consists of the first phase, and the special effect that starts when the player wins the prize at the lower operation port 859F basically consists of the first phase to the second phase. Image data and the like for performance used in the first phase are common regardless of the trigger, and it is difficult to specify (determine) whether the trigger for starting the performance is passing through the performance gate 855F or winning a prize at the lower operation opening 859F.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2607, the process advances to step S2608. In step S2608, it is determined whether or not it is time to shift to the second phase. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the shift timing to the second phase set based on the prize winning to the lower working port 859F during the special performance or the shift timing to the second phase set at the start of the special performance started based on the prize winning to the lower working port 859F. If a negative determination is made in step S2608, the process advances to step S2609. In step S2609, it is determined whether or not the value of the special effect timer counter has returned to the initial value of "0". If a negative determination is made in step S2609, that is, if the special effect (first phase) triggered by passage through the effect gate 855F is in progress, the process proceeds to step S2610. In step S2610, it is determined whether or not a prize has been awarded to the lower operation opening 859F. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2610, the process proceeds to step S2611.

In step S2611, preparation processing for shifting to the second phase is executed. When a prize is awarded to the lower operating port 859F during the special performance (first phase) started by passing the performance gate 855F, the special performance is shifted from the first phase to the second phase based on the winning. In the transition preparation process to the second phase, the game result and the variable display time of the game round to be started this time are specified from the command for variation transmitted from the main controller 162 . Then, based on the specified information, the timing to shift to the second phase is determined, and the value of the special effect timer counter is updated so as to be the same time as the variable display time. Here, the transition timing to the second phase is adjusted so that the position of the character image of the girl does not deviate between the two phases so that the player recognizes that the first phase and the second phase are continuous.

If a negative determination is made in step S2610, that is, if no prize is awarded to the lower operation opening 859F during the special effect (first phase) started with the passage of the effect gate 855F, the process proceeds to step S2612. In step S2612, it is determined whether or not the game ball has reached the lower rune 857F, that is, whether or not the winning to the lower operation opening 859F immediately after is confirmed. Specifically, the entering ball unit 850F is provided with a position detection sensor 868F (see FIG. 82) for detecting the position (waiting position/lowering position) of the lower crew 857F, and this position detection sensor 868F is connected to the notification/production control device 140. The MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140 identifies the position of the lower crew 857F based on the detection signal (detection information) from the position detection sensor 868F. As described above, when the game ball reaches the lower rune 857F, the lower rune 857F moves (drops) from the standby position to the drop position due to the weight of the game ball. In this embodiment, when the lower crew 857F moves to the descent position, it is determined that the game ball has reached the lower crew 857F.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2612, the process proceeds to step S2613. In step S2613, extension processing of the special effect timer counter is executed. As shown in FIG. 87, the time required for the game ball that has reached the lower rune 857F to enter the lower operation opening 859F is 0.5 to 2.5 sec. That is, it is configured so that the required time is 2.5 sec at maximum, although there is some variation in the staying time of the game ball in the lower rune 857F. In this extension process, the special effect corresponding to the first phase is extended for a time longer than the maximum time of 2.5 seconds (more specifically, 3 seconds). This prevents the end of the special effect corresponding to the first phase just before the winning of the lower operation opening 859F.

In subsequent step S2614, background change processing for the display screen 500aF is executed. This changes the background from "daytime" to "nighttime". In this embodiment, the background is normally "daytime", and the "daytime" background may or may not shift to the second phase. On the other hand, when the background is "night", the transition to the second phase is confirmed. In other words, the "night" background is differentiated so that it is more advantageous to the player than the "day" background.

After executing the background change processing in step S2614, or when a negative determination is made in step S2612, after executing the first phase progression processing in step S2615, the first normal game state processing is terminated. By executing the first phase progression process, the display content on the display screen 500aF, the BGM and sound effects output from the speaker section 29, and the light emission mode of the lamp section 26 change as the game progresses. Although the details will be described later, when the special effect is started based on the winning of the lower operation port 859F, the background may be changed from the “daytime” background to the “night” background at a predetermined timing in the first phase.

Returning to the description of step S2609, when the determination is affirmative at step S2609, that is, when the value of the special effect timer counter becomes "0", special effect end processing is executed at step S2616. In the special effect end processing, a special effect end command is output to the display control device 910F, the BGM corresponding to the special effect being output from the speaker unit 29 is stopped, and the light emitting display corresponding to the special effect in the lamp unit 26 is ended. The display control device 910F terminates the special effect being executed on the display screen 500aF based on the special effect end command.

Returning to the description of step S2608, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2608, that is, if it is time to shift to the second phase, a second phase shift process is executed in step S2617. In the second phase transition processing, a second phase transition command is output to the display control device 910F, the BGM and sound effects output from the speaker unit 29 are switched to those corresponding to the second phase, and the light emission mode of the lamp unit 26 is switched to those corresponding to the second phase. The second phase transition command output to the display control device 910F includes information indicating the game result and information indicating the execution time of the second phase. When the display control device 910F receives the second phase shift command, it specifies the flow of the effect in the second phase from the information indicating the game result in the second phase and the information indicating the execution time of the second phase, and switches the display on the pattern display device 500F (third variable display area ME3) to that corresponding to the second phase.

Returning to the description of step S2607, when a negative determination is made in the step S2607, that is, when the special effect corresponding to the second phase or the special effect corresponding to the third phase is being performed, the second/third phase processing is executed in step S2618, and then the first normal game state processing is terminated. Here, the second/third phase processing will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.

(Second/third phase processing)
In the second/third phase processing, first, in step S2701, it is determined whether or not it is time to end the special effect. Specifically, the determination is made based on whether or not the value of the special effect timer counter is "0". If an affirmative determination is made in step S2710, the process proceeds to step S2702. As already explained, the special effects corresponding to the second/third phases are shifted on the assumption that the lower operation opening 859F is won. In step S2702, it is determined whether or not the result of the winning lottery based on the prize winning that triggered the special effect is a losing result. If the result is a big hit, a negative determination is made in step S2702, and special effect end processing is executed in step S2707.

In the special effect end processing, a special effect end command is output to the display control device 910F, the BGM corresponding to the special effect being output from the speaker unit 29 is stopped, and the light emitting display corresponding to the special effect in the lamp unit 26 is ended. The display control device 910F terminates the special effect being executed on the display screen 500aF based on the special effect end command.

After that, in step S2708, after executing special effect regulation processing, the processing for the second/third phase ends. After the special performance regulation processing is executed, passage through the performance gate 855F is invalidated until a predetermined time (in this embodiment, the same length of time as the fixed display time: 1 sec) elapses, and even if the game ball passes through the performance gate 855F, the special performance is not started with the passage as a trigger. In addition, the object of regulation is limited to the production gate 855F, and the prize winning to the lower operation opening 859F is not limited to this. When a prize is awarded to the lower operation opening 859F during regulation, a special effect is started based on the prize.

Returning to the description of step S2702, if an affirmative determination is made in step S2702, the process proceeds to step S2703. In step S2703, it is determined whether or not the transition to the third phase has been completed. When an affirmative determination is made in step S2703, the process for the second/third phase is terminated after the special effect end processing of step S2707 and the special effect regulation process of step S2708 are executed. If a negative determination is made in step S2703, the process proceeds to step S2704. In step S2704, it is determined whether or not a plurality of subsequent holds are stored. When a negative determination is made in step S2704, after executing special effect end processing in step S2707 and special effect regulation processing in step S2708, the process for the second/third phase is ended. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2704, the process proceeds to step S2705. In step S2705, the variable display time and the lottery result of the subsequent hold are confirmed. After executing the transition processing to the third phase in subsequent step S2706, the second/third phase transition processing ends.

When the subsequent suspension information is stored at the end of the second phase, the process shifts to the third phase based on the fact that a plurality of subsequent suspensions are stored, and the special performance is substantially extended. At this time, when the number of subsequent holds is two and the special performance corresponding to the third phase is continued until the game round related to one hold excluding the final hold is completed, when the number of subsequent holds is three, the special performance corresponding to the third phase is continued until the game rounds related to the two holds excluding the final hold are completed, and when the number of subsequent holds is four, the special performance corresponding to the third phase is continued until the game rounds related to the three holds excluding the final hold are completed. time is determined. When the reservation to be extended includes the one corresponding to the big win result, the special performance corresponding to the third phase is continued until the end of the game cycle related to the big win result.

Here, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 91, regarding the variable display time table corresponding to the lost result referred to when determining the variable display time in the first normal game state, the variable display time is 10 to 20 sec and the fixed display time is 1 sec when the number of holds is "0", the variable display time is 0.5 sec and the fixed display time is 1 sec when the number of holds is "1", and the variable display time is 0.5 sec and the fixed display time is 1 sec when the number of holds is "2". is configured such that the variable display time is 0.5 sec and the fixed display time is 1 sec. Even if the third phase is executed over three game rounds, it will be shorter than the first and second phases.

Returning to the description of step S2701 of the second/third phase processing shown in FIG. 88, if the rank negative determination is made in the step S2701, that is, if it is not the end timing of the special effect, the process proceeds to step S2709. If it is during the second phase, an affirmative determination is made in step S2709, and the process advances to step S2710 to execute processing for proceeding to the second phase. By executing the second phase progression process, the display content on the display screen 500aF, the BGM and sound effects output from the speaker section 29, and the light emission mode of the lamp section 26 change according to the progress of the game. If it is during the third phase, a negative determination is made in step S2709, and the process advances to step S2711 to execute processing for progressing to the third phase. By executing the third phase progression process, the display content on the display screen 500aF, the BGM and sound effects output from the speaker section 29, and the light emission mode of the lamp section 26 are changed in accordance with the progress of the game.

Here, with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 89 and 90, the flow of the special effects will be described.

(Flow of special production)
Under the condition that the special effect is not executed in the first normal game state, as shown in FIG. 89(a), a girl character holding a broom and standing still is displayed in the corner (the corner opposite to the first variable display area ME1) of the display screen 500aF of the pattern display device 500F (hereinafter referred to as standby display).

When the game ball shot to the right route passes through the performance gate 855F or wins the lower operation opening 859F while the special performance is not executed, the special performance is started with the passing or winning. As shown in FIGS. 89(b) and (c), in the special effect (first phase), a moving image of a girl character flying across a broom is displayed. The girl character moves left and right on the display screen 500aF (third variable display area ME3) until the end of the first phase.

Here, when the game ball reaches the lower rune 857F during the special effect (first phase) triggered by the passage of the effect gate 855F, the background displayed on the display screen 500aF changes from the “day” background to the “night” background (see FIG. 89(d)). On the other hand, when the chance-up timing comes in a part of the special effect (first phase) triggered by winning the lower opening 859F, the background displayed on the display screen 500aF changes from the "day" background to the "night" background (see FIG. 89(d)). The "night" background is the background for which the shift to the second phase is decided, and since it is configured to pass through at least the second/third phases when shifting to the special game state, the change to the "night" background increases expectations for the shift to the special game state.

At the transition timing from the first phase to the second phase, a fairy character is added to the display screen 500aF (the third variable display area ME3) as shown in FIG. After that, a chasing production in which the girl chases the fairy is executed. When 10 sec, which is a relatively short time, is set as the variation display time of the game cycle that triggered the transition to the second phase, as shown in FIG. Then, when a plurality of subsequent reservations are not secured by the end of the special effect (corresponding game round), the special effect is terminated as it is, and the standby display shown in FIG. 89(a) is returned.

On the other hand, when 20 sec, which is a relatively long time, is set as the variation display time of the game cycle that triggered the transition to the second phase, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, capturing a fairy functions as a premonition effect for a transformation effect, and after the fairy is successfully captured, a transformation challenge effect for a girl is started (see FIG. 89(h)). When the game round this time corresponds to the result of a big win, after a display indicating that the transformation challenge effect was successful (see FIG. 89(i)), the game shifts to a special game state.

When the current game round corresponds to the result of losing, as shown in FIG. 89(j), a display is made to the effect that the transformation challenge effect has failed. When a plurality of subsequent reservations are not secured by the end of the special effect (corresponding game round), the special effect is terminated as it is and the standby display shown in FIG. 89(a) is returned. On the other hand, when a plurality of subsequent reservations are secured by the end of the special performance (corresponding game round), the special performance is shifted from the second phase to the third phase, and the special performance is continued over the game rounds related to the subsequent reservations. In addition, since the example of the special effect extends over FIGS. 89 and 90, some descriptions (FIGS. 89(j) and 90(j)) are duplicated for convenience of explanation.

As shown in FIG. 90(l), when the game shifts to the third phase, the transformation challenge rendering for the girl is resumed. In addition, when a plurality of subsequent holds are stored in FIG. 89(f), as shown in FIG. 90(q), a transformation challenge presentation is started after a display to the effect that the fairy has been successfully captured.

When the game round related to the subsequent hold corresponds to the result of losing, after the display (see FIG. 90(n)) to the effect that the transformation challenge performance has failed in accordance with the end of the last game round corresponding to the third phase, the game returns to the standby display shown in FIG. 89(a). On the other hand, when the game round related to the subsequent hold corresponds to the result of the big win, after the display indicating that the transformation challenge production has been successful (see FIG. 90(m)) is made at the end of the game round related to the result of the big win, the game shifts to the special game state.

Here, with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 92, supplementary explanation will be given on the movement of the game ball and the flow of the special effect.

When the shooting of the game ball toward the left route is started at the timing of tc0, the launched game ball flows down toward the incoming ball unit 850F. As already explained, it is necessary to flow down the center route in order to generate a prize to the lower operation port 859F. Therefore, basically, the game ball passes through the effect gate 855F before winning the lower operation port 859F. When the game ball passes through the production gate 855F at the timing of tc1, the variable display of the pattern is started in the display part for the lower operation port of the main display unit 87, and the variable display of the pattern is started in the first variable display area ME1 of the pattern display device 500F. In conjunction with this, a special effect (first phase) is started in the third variable display area ME3 of the pattern display device 500F. After that, the function of the effect gate 855F as a trigger for starting the special effect is invalidated until the special effect ends and the above-described regulation is lifted.

Winning to the lower operation opening 859F occurs at the timing of tc2 during execution of the special effect. Regarding the entering ball unit 850F shown in the present embodiment, when one game ball enters the lower operation opening 859F, the subsequent game balls become a chance to enter the lower operation opening 859F continuously. Also in the example shown in FIG. 92, the winning to the lower operation opening 859F occurs continuously at each timing of tc3 to tc6, and the number of pending increases from "0" to the upper limit "4" at once.

The special performance is not immediately shifted to the second phase at the timing tc2 when the first winning to the lower operation port 859F occurs, but the special performance is shifted from the first phase to the second phase at the timing tc7 when the shift preparation time has passed from the timing tc2.

In this embodiment, the special effect can be started based on the winning of the lower operation opening 859F, and the special effect shifts from the first phase to the second phase. The provision of the above-mentioned interval instead of immediately shifting to the second phase based on the prize winning to the lower operation port 859F during the special performance is a device that makes it difficult for the player to have the impression that the shift to the second phase cannot be expected when the first phase becomes long.

At timing tc8 when a preset variable display time has elapsed from timing tc2, the confirmation display related to the first prize has been completed on the display portion for the lower opening of the main display unit 87. FIG. This game round corresponds to a losing result, and a plurality of subsequent holds are stored. Therefore, at the timing of tc8, the special performance executed in the third variable display area ME3 of the pattern display device 500F shifts from the second phase to the third phase, and the special performance (third phase) continues over the subsequent three game rounds. In the third phase, since the game results of three game rounds are notified by one transformation challenge effect, the degree of expectation for a big win result is higher than in the second phase.

According to the fifth embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

When the non-electric accessory 858F of the entering ball unit 850F is in the first guiding state, the game ball distributed to the first branch passage part 865F (corresponding to the "first special flow path") by the upper rune 856F (corresponding to the "distribution means") is guided to the lower operation port 859F by the non-electric accessory 858F. That is, in the first guidance state, the prize-winning path to the lower operation opening 859F is limited to the first branch passage portion 865F. On the other hand, if the non -electric object 858F is in the second guide state, not only the gaming balls distributed to the first branch passage 864F by the upper croon 856F, but also the play ball divided into 865F (equivalent to the "second special route"), and the direct gate 855F without passing the direct gate 855F. The gaming ball that flows is also guided to 859F, a lower operation port 858F. In this way, even the game balls that have fallen out without reaching the upper rune 856F through the performance gate 855F, and the game balls that have become the deviated side by the distribution by the upper rune 856F are provided with a winning opportunity to the lower operation port 859F, thereby suppressing the decrease in the player's attention to the game balls flowing down other than the center route, and contributing to the improvement of the attention to the game.

When one game ball wins in the lower operation opening 859F, the subsequent game balls also easily enter the lower operation opening 859F, and the winning in the lower operation opening 859F continues. In this way, if one winning is used as a priming and the winning is continuous, the frequency of winning to the lower operation port 859F can be biased, so that the game progress can be strengthened by the continuous execution of the game rounds or the non-execution of the game rounds. Thereby, the monotony of the game can be suppressed.

For the game ball divided into the upper route and the lower route by the windmill 94, there is a difference in the movement required time until reaching the acceptable position by the non-electric accessory 858F. As a result, when the preceding game ball and the subsequent game ball both head toward the lower operation opening 859F, it is possible to make it easier for the winning frequency (span) of the game ball to vary. In particular, the required time for the game ball to pass through the side route (lower route→non-electric accessory 858F) is shorter than the required time for the game ball to pass through the center route (upper route→upper crew 856F→non-electric accessory 858F). As a result, when the preceding game ball passes through the center route and the succeeding game ball passes through the side route, the succeeding game ball approaches the preceding game ball, making it easier for consecutive winnings to occur. In particular, it is preferable to increase the attention of the players to lengthen the time required for traveling down the center route, which has a relatively high degree of advantage, and shorten the time required for traveling down the side route, which has a relatively low degree of advantage.

By the game ball flowing down toward the lower operating port 859F is placed on the rolling surface 875F of the lower crew 857F, the lower crew 857F is displaced from the standby position to the descending position. With the displacement to the lowered position, the non-electric accessory 858F switches from the first guide state to the second guide state, thereby facilitating the flow into the lower operation port 859F and continuing the winning of the lower operation port 859F. If it is configured to move from the standby position to the lowered position by the weight of the game ball placed on the rolling surface 875F, the winning frequency can be biased with a simple configuration, so that the control load related to the progress of the game can be suppressed from increasing.

While the preceding game ball is rolling on the rolling surface 875F of the lower crown 857F, the non-electric accessory 858F is maintained in the second guiding state. In this way, by waiting for the arrival of the following game balls while delaying the timing at which the preceding game balls enter the lower operation port 859F, it is possible to visually confirm the state of continuous winning, and the degree of satisfaction of the player can be preferably increased.

The lower rune 857F is configured so that the direction of the rolling surface 875F when arranged at the standby position is the same as the direction of the rolling surface 875F when arranged at the lowered position. According to this configuration, when the lower rune 857F descends by placing the game ball on the lower rune 857F, the disturbance of the behavior of the game ball can be suppressed by avoiding the change in the posture of the lower rune 857F. Suppressing the disturbance of the behavior of the game ball in this way is preferable in terms of improving the degree of attention to the game ball on the lower croon 857F.

The storage upper limit of the reservation information related to the lower operating port 859F is less than the maximum number of game balls that can be positioned on the rolling surface 875F of the lower crew 857F. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an excessive number of winnings for which the jackpot lottery is not performed while increasing the number of consecutive winnings to the lower operation opening 859F. This is preferable in order to prevent the exhilarating feeling from being lowered due to consecutive winnings.

In addition, the lower rune 857F is configured so that the game ball cannot reach the lower rune 857F without passing through the non-electric accessory 858F. In this way, by narrowing down the start timing of the continuous winning to the lower operation opening 859F, it is possible to suppress the continuous winning from starting at an unintended timing. By reducing the chances of missing the start of consecutive winnings in this way, the effect of improving the degree of attention due to consecutive winnings can be favorably exhibited.

A display screen 500aF of a pattern display device 500F executes a performance interlocking with the variable display of the pattern in the display part for the operation port, thereby diversifying the process (display mode) until the result of the big winning lottery is notified, thereby suppressing the monotony of the game. With such a configuration, although it is possible to improve the degree of attention to the game, the following inconvenience may occur due to the fact that the presence or absence of the effect depends on the winning of the lower operation opening 859F. In other words, the lengthening of the period in which the effect is not performed makes it conspicuous that the lower operation opening 859F has not been awarded a prize, and this can be a factor in lowering the player's willingness to play. Here, in the present embodiment, a production gate 855F (corresponding to a “passing portion”) is arranged at a position where the frequency of passage of the game ball is higher than the frequency of winning the lower operation opening 859F, and when the game ball passes through the production gate 855F, a special production is started (preceding start) on the display screen 500aF, and the special production can be ended based on the winning of the lower operation opening 859F. As a result, it is possible to prevent the non-effect period in which no effect is executed on the display screen 500aF from becoming excessively long, thereby suppressing a decrease in the degree of attention to the game. This is preferable for suppressing a decline in motivation to play.

A performance gate 855F that triggers the start of the special performance is arranged upstream of the lower operating port 859F that triggers the end of the special performance. With such an arrangement, the effect of suppressing the extension of the non-rendering period can be favorably exhibited. By arranging the performance gate 855F on the flow path toward the lower operation port 859F and making it possible for the game ball passing through the performance gate 855F to win the lower operation port 859F, one game ball may serve as a trigger for starting and ending a special performance. As a result, it is possible to provide a relationship between the special effect and the movement of the game ball.

When the special effect is started based on the game ball passing through the effect gate 855F, the execution time of the special effect is set. When the execution time elapses without winning the lower operation opening 859F, the special effect is terminated. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the player to have the impression that the special effect is completely unrelated to the winning of the lower operation opening 859F.

As the special performance shifts from the first phase to the second phase, expectations for the transition to the special game state increase. When the execution time elapses without the occurrence of winning to the lower operating port 859F in the special performance triggered by the passage of the performance gate 855F, the shift to the second phase is avoided, and the high expectation display is avoided even though the big win lottery is not performed. By suppressing the player's sense of expectation from being recklessly stirred up in this way, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the player's attention is lowered even though the situation is worthy of attention. This is preferable in favorably exhibiting the effect of improving the degree of attention by the special effect.

In the present embodiment, not only the special effect is executed on the display screen 500aF (specifically, the third variable display area ME3) based on the winning of the lower operation port 859F, but also the special effect may be executed on the display screen 500aF (the third variable display area ME3) based on the game ball passing through the effect gate 855F arranged on the flow path toward the lower operation port 859F. These special effects are configured to be recognized by the player as being the same at least partly including the opening portion of each special effect. Therefore, when the special effect is executed, the possibility of winning the lower operation opening 859F remains, and the degree of attention to the special effect can be preferably improved.

A special effect based on winning a prize to the lower operation port 859F is preferentially executed over a special effect based on passing through the effect gate 855F. Positioning the special performance based on passing through the performance gate 855F as an auxiliary position in this way is preferable in terms of facilitating the progress of the game mainly with the special performance based on the winning to the lower operating port 859F and improving the degree of attention to the special performance.

The execution time of the special effect based on passing through the effect gate 855F is set to be shorter than the special effect based on winning to the lower operation opening 859F. It is preferable to suppress the delay of the special effect, which is substantially unrelated to whether or not the transition to the special game state is possible, in order to exhibit the above-described auxiliary function.

When a prize is awarded to the lower operation opening 859F during the special effect started by passing the effect gate 855F, the special effect is continued. Here, the execution time of the special performance that is triggered by passing the performance gate 855F is longer than the time required for the game ball flowing down the center route to reach the lower operating port 859F from the performance gate 855F. Therefore, the special performance started by passing the performance gate 855F is finished just before the prize is awarded to the lower operating port 859F, and the repetition of the start/end of the special performance, that is, the chance of blanking during the special performance can be reduced.

In the ball entering unit 850F shown in the present embodiment, the visibility of the effect gate 855F is higher than the visibility of the lower operation opening 859F (easier to stand out). Then, since the special effect is started on the display screen 500aF based on the passage of the effect gate 855F, the effect gate 855F appears as if it is an "actuation gate". When the number of wins to the lower operation port 859F per unit time and the number of passes through the performance gate 855F are compared, the latter is higher than the former, so that it is possible to give the player the impression that the number of wins to the 'operation port' is more frequent than in the conventional game machine. In this way, it is possible to improve the player's satisfaction while suppressing a change in the degree of advantage of the game by making it appear as if the "actuation opening" is frequently won.

<Modification 1>
In the fifth embodiment, when the lower rune 857F is pushed down by the game ball and moves to the lowered position, the non-electrical accessory 858F that guides the game ball to the lower rune 857F is switched from the first guide state to the second guide state in which the inflow into the inlet 878F is more likely to occur than in the first guide state, and the non-electrical accessory 858F is maintained in the second guide state until the game ball leaves the lower crown 857. , the frequency of winning a prize to the lower operation port 859F is biased (generates continuous winning). As long as it is possible to generate bias in the winning frequency to the lower operation port 859F, the specific configuration and the operation mode of the operation of the non-electric accessory 858F may be changed arbitrarily. For example, after the non-electric role 858F is switched to the second guide state, regardless of whether or not the game ball is placed on the lower rune 857F, the non-electric role 858F returns to the first guide state when a predetermined period has passed since the switching. By performing such forced switching, it is possible to suppress the continuous winning to the lower operation opening 859F from becoming excessive.

<Modification 2>
In the fifth embodiment, the special effect (first phase) newly started based on the passage of the effect gate 855F and the special effect (first phase) newly started based on the winning of the lower operation port 859F are common at least at the beginning (first phase), and it is configured so that it is difficult to identify by looking at the effect which of the passage of the effect gate 855F and the winning of the lower operation port 859F is the trigger, but it is limited to this. no. The special performance may be varied depending on the start timing.

In addition, when a prize is awarded to the lower operation port 859F during the special performance started based on the passage of the performance gate 855F and the first phase shifts to the second phase, the display is provided with a relationship so that the player recognizes that both phases are a series, but it is not always necessary to provide the relationship between the first phase and the second phase.

It should be noted that the execution area for the effect executed based on winning the lower operation port 859F and the execution area for the effect executed based on passing through the effect gate 855F are both configured to be the third variable display area ME3 of the display screen 500aF, but the execution areas for each effect may be provided separately.

<Modification 3>
In the above-described fifth embodiment, the initial execution time of the special effect started based on passage through the effect gate 855F is defined to be uniform (more specifically, 7 sec), but it is not limited to this. It is sufficient if the initial execution time is longer than the time required for the game ball to move from the effect gate 855F to the lower operation port 859F. For example, a configuration in which a plurality of initial execution time candidates (for example, 7 sec, 8 sec, and 9 sec) are provided and one of these candidates is selected is not denied.

<Modification 4>
In the fifth embodiment, the initial execution time of the special performance started based on the passage of the performance gate 855F is set to be longer than the time required for the game ball to move from the performance gate 855F to the lower operating port 859F, but it is not limited to this. For example, it can be set to be shorter than the time required for the game ball to move from the performance gate 855F to the lower operation opening 859F. As shown in the fifth embodiment, in the configuration in which all the game balls reaching the lower rune 857F enter the lower operation opening 859F, it is sufficient if the execution time is set to be longer than the time required for the game ball to move from the performance gate 855F to the lower rune 857F. Although it is possible to set the initial execution time independently of the various required times, in such a configuration, the effect associated with passing through the effect gate 855F and the effect associated with winning the lower operation port 859F are likely to be separated in terms of time. Therefore, in order to enhance the sense of unity of each performance and improve the degree of attention to the game, it is preferable to have the relationship between the execution time and the required time shown in the fifth embodiment and the like.

<Modification 5>
In the fifth embodiment, when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guided state (open state), not only the game ball that has passed through the first branch passage portion 864F, which is the winning side route in the upper cloon 856F, but also the game ball that has passed through the second branch passage portion 865F, which is the deviating route in the upper cloon 856F, and the game ball that has not passed through the upper cloon 856F can be guided to the lower cloon 857F. However, it is not limited to this. The guidance target when the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guidance state (open state) is the game ball that has passed through the winning side route in the upper crown 856F and the out side route in the upper crown 856F.

<Modification 6>
In the fifth embodiment, after the end of the special effect, the start of the special effect is regulated based on the passage of the effect gate 855F for a certain period of time (regulation period), but the conditions for performing the regulation may be changed as follows. That is, the above regulation may be performed only when the special performance ends without shifting from the first phase to the second phase (when no prize is won in the operation opening during the first phase). In other words, when the special effect shifts from the first phase to the second phase (when a prize is won in the lower operation opening 859F during the first phase), the regulation may not be performed.

Although the regulation period is set to have the same length as the pattern fixed display period in the operation opening display section of the main display unit 87, the regulation period may be changed arbitrarily.

<Modification 7>
In the fifth embodiment, when it is detected that the lower rune 857F has moved to the descending position during execution of the special effect (first phase), that is, when it is grasped that the game ball is placed on the lower rune 857F, the execution time of the first phase is extended so that the game ball is longer than the time required to move from the lower rune 857F to the lower operation port 859F. can be extended.

<Modification 8>
In the fifth embodiment, when a prize is won in the lower operation port 859F during the special performance, the transition to the second phase is delayed instead of immediately shifting to the second phase.

<Modification 9>
A prize ball may be awarded to the player based on the game ball passing through the effect gate 855F.

<Modification 10>
In the fifth embodiment, the effect gate 855F is arranged on the flow path for the game ball to go to the lower operation port 859F. That is, it is also possible to configure that the game balls that have passed through the effect gate 855F are excluded from the prize-winning objects to the lower operation opening 859F.

<Modification 11>
In the fifth embodiment, the lower rune 857F is formed so that the upper limit number of game balls that can be positioned on the lower rune 857F is greater than the number of retentions that can be stored, but the present invention is not limited to this. The lower rune may be formed so that the upper limit number of game balls that can be positioned on the lower rune is smaller than the storable reserved number, or the lower rune may be formed so that the upper limit number of game balls that can be positioned on the lower crewe coincides with the storable reserved number.

<Modification 12>
By increasing the number of game balls positioned on the lower kuroun 857F, it may be configured so that the staying time of the game ball on the lower kuroun 857F is shortened. For example, when the exit portion of the lower crown is arranged not in the center of the lower crown but near the outer circumference, and the number of game balls positioned on the lower crown reaches a specific number, a posture variable mechanism may be provided to change the posture of the lower crown (rolling surface) so that the rolling surface slopes downward toward the exit portion of the lower crown.

<Modification 13>
In the fifth embodiment, the ball detection sensor 866F for the production gate 855F is connected to the notification/production control device.

<Sixth Embodiment>
In the fifth embodiment, the effect gate 855F is used as a trigger for starting a special effect. On the other hand, the effect gate 855F shown in the present embodiment is different from the fifth embodiment in that, in addition to the function as a trigger for starting the special effect, it also has a function as a trigger for changing a part of the display (specifically, the hold display) on the symbol display device 500F (display screen 500aF) when the game ball passes through the effect gate 855F during the special effect. The characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the fifth embodiment.

First, with reference to FIGS. 93 and 94, a configuration relating to hold display in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 93 is a schematic diagram showing the display screen 500aF of the pattern display device 500F, FIG. 94(a) is a flow chart showing the pending display control command processing by the MPU 912F of the display control device 910F, and FIG. 94(b) is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the pending display.

A suspension display area NE is provided at the bottom of the display screen 500aF, more specifically, at the bottom of the third variable display area ME3. In the reservation display area NE, there are a reservation number display area Da for the lower operation opening divided so that the same number of unit reservation display areas Da1 to Da4 as the maximum reservation number when the game ball wins the lower operation opening 859F are arranged in the left and right direction, and a reservation number display area Db for the right operation opening divided so that the same number of unit reservation display areas Db1 to Db4 as the maximum reservation number when the game ball wins the right operation opening 883F are arranged in the left and right direction. is provided. A pending icon MP (image for pending display) is displayed according to the number of pending information stored in the unit pending display areas Da1 to Da4 and Db1 to Db4.

Specifically, the maximum number of reservations when the game ball wins the lower operation opening 859F is 4, and correspondingly, in the reservation number display area Da for the lower operation opening, the first unit reservation display area Da1, the second unit reservation display area Da2, the third unit reservation display area Da3, and the fourth unit reservation display area Da4 are set. In addition, the maximum number of reservations when the game ball wins the right operation opening 883F is 4, and correspondingly, in the reservation number display area Db for the lower operation opening, the first unit reservation display area Db1, the second unit reservation display area Db2, the third unit reservation display area Db3, and the fourth unit reservation display area Db4 are set. For example, when the number of reservations related to the lower operation opening 859F is "1", the reservation icon MP is displayed in the first unit reservation display area Da1, and when the number of reservations related to the lower operation opening 859F is "4", the reservation icon MP is displayed in each of the first unit reservation display area Da1 to the fourth unit reservation display area Da4. In addition, in FIG. 93, the case where the number of reservations at the lower operation opening 859F is three and the number of reservations at the right operation opening 883F is zero is illustrated.

In addition, in the reservation display area NE, an execution target display area Dc is provided in which a reservation icon MP corresponding to a game run to be executed (in execution) is displayed so as to be horizontally aligned with the reservation number display area Da (specifically, the first unit reservation display area Da1). In the present embodiment, the execution target display area Dc is arranged on the left side of the number-of-holds display area Da, but their positional relationship and the like are arbitrary. For example, the execution target display area Dc may be arranged on the right side of the pending number display area Da.

When the game round is finished and the next game round is started, the pending icons MP displayed in the pending number display areas Da and Db (more specifically, the first unit pending display areas Da1 and Db1) are shifted (moved) to the execution target display area Dc. When there are other pending icons MP being displayed in the pending number display areas Da and Db, these pending icons MP are shifted to the unit pending display area near (adjacent to) the execution target display area Dc along with the shift. For convenience of explanation, the side closer to the execution target display area Dc is hereinafter referred to as the "downstream side", and the side opposite to the execution target display area Dc is referred to as the "upstream side".

In the present embodiment, the performance related to the reservation notice suggesting the content of the reservation information stored in the reservation ball storage area 632 of the RAM 606 is executed with a predetermined probability before the game cycle related to the reservation information is started. By executing the performance corresponding to the reservation information not yet targeted for lottery at the timing before the game round related to the reservation information, not only the game for confirming the lottery result of the reservation information corresponding to the game cycle currently in progress, but also the game for confirming or predicting the result when the reservation information to be the lottery target later becomes the lottery object according to the content of the performance is added to diversify the game. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of attention to the game.

This suspension notice is roughly classified into one that is executed in conjunction with the variable display of the above-described symbols in the variable display area ME of the display screen 500aF, and one that is executed in conjunction with a change in the suspension display mode in the suspension display area NE of the display screen 500aF. Of these, the pending notice executed in the pending display area NE uses the pending display on the display screen 500aF. Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 94(a) and the schematic diagram of FIG. 94(b), the configuration that is the premise of the pending notice, and the processing for pending display control executed by the MPU 912F of the display control device 910F (command corresponding processing for pending display control) will be described. The pending display control command handling process is a process that is executed as part of a regular process that is activated at a predetermined cycle (2 msec in this embodiment).

(Command response processing for hold display control)
As shown in FIG. 94(a), in the pending display control command handling process, first, in step S2801, it is determined whether or not a pending command has been received from the main control device 162 via the notification/effect control device 140. When an affirmative determination is made in step S2801, 1 is added to the value of the pending number counter (holding storage number SN) provided in various counter areas of the work RAM 914F in step S2802.

After executing the update processing in step S2802, the process advances to step S2803 to execute pending display addition processing, and terminates this pending display control command handling processing. The pending storage number SN described above corresponds to the pending display area of the video RAM 917F. When setting the display of the pending icon MP in the pending display adding process, the pending display information (specifically, the address of the pending image stored in the pending image data storage area) is set in a unit area corresponding to the pending storage number SN in the pending display area 281. In the unit pending display areas Da1 to Da4 and Db1 to Db4 of the pending number display areas Da and Db on the display screen 500aF, the pending icon MP is additionally displayed according to the data written in each unit area.

For example, as shown in FIG. 94(b1), when the pending icon MP is displayed in the first unit pending display area Da1 and the second unit pending display area Da2, that is, the number of pending memories SN=“2”, when a pending command is received, the number of pending memories SN changes from “2” to “3”, and the pending display information is set in the third unit area of the pending display area. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 94(b2), the pending icon MP is displayed in the third unit pending display area Da3.

Returning to the description of step S2801, if a negative determination is made in step S2801, the process proceeds to step S2804. In step S2804, it is determined whether or not a shift command has been received from the main control device 162 via the notification/production control device 140. If a negative determination is made in step S2804, the command response processing for holding display control ends.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S2804, the process proceeds to step S2805. In step S2805, 1 is subtracted from the value of the pending number counter (holding storage number SN) provided in the pending counter area of the work RAM 914F.

In subsequent step S2806, shift processing is executed, and this pending display control command handling processing ends. In the shift process, the hold display information set in the first unit area of the hold display area is moved to the execution display area, and the hold display information set in the first unit area to the fourth unit area of each hold display area for the lower operation port 859F and the right operation port 883F is sequentially shifted to the lower area side.

Specifically, the reserved display information in the first unit area is moved to the display area for execution, and the reserved display information in each unit area is shifted in such a manner that the second unit area→the first unit area, the third unit area→the second unit area, and the fourth unit area→the third unit area.

For example, as shown in FIG. 94(b1), when the reserved icon MP is displayed in the first unit reserved display area Da1 and the second unit reserved display area Da2, that is, the reserved memory number SN=“2”, when the shift command is received, the reserved memory number SN changes from “2” to “1”. Along with this, the reserved display information in the execution display area 282 is erased, the reserved display information of the first unit area is shifted to the execution display area 282, the reserved display information of the second unit area is shifted to the first unit area, and the reserved display information of the third unit area is shifted to the second unit area. As a result, as shown in FIG. 94(b3), the pending icon MP is displayed in the execution target display area Dc and the first unit pending display area Da1.

Here, in the storage area for image data for suspension, a plurality of types of suspension icons MP with different colors (specifically, four types of white, blue, yellow, and red) are stored as a group of images for suspension, and the addresses are different for each color. When setting the pending display information, the notification/production control device 140 determines which color to display in accordance with the presence or absence of the above-described suspension notice, and this information is incorporated into the pending command by the notification/production control device 140 when the pending command passes through the notification/production control device 140.例文帳に追加In other words, the display control device 910F reads the color-related information from the received pending command, thereby grasping the address corresponding to the color to be set as the pending display information.

Next, the processing related to the suspension notice executed by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162 will be described. As processing related to the pending notice, there is provided a pending notice confirmation process and a pending command setting process, and each of these processes constitutes a part of the timer interrupt process (more specifically, the information acquisition process shown in FIG. 95) executed by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162. That is, the confirming process for the reservation notice and the setting process of the reservation command are configured to be executed based on the winning of the operation ports 859F and 883F. 96 and 97, the suspension notice confirmation process and the suspension command setting process will be described below. Note that the information acquisition processing shown in the present embodiment is the same as the information acquisition processing shown in the first embodiment except for the confirmation processing for the pending notice and the setting processing of the pending command, so the description is omitted.

(Confirmation processing for pending notice)
In the reservation notice confirmation process, in step S3001, the starting reservation storage number N and the common reservation number CRN stored in the reservation number storage area FE of the reservation ball storage area 632 are read, and the information on the reservation number is stored in the register of the MPU602. After that, in steps S3002 to S3006, it is checked whether or not the reservation information acquired by the winning of this time includes the information of winning the jackpot.

Specifically, first, in step S3002, information for judging a big hit among the holding information acquired in step S2904 based on the current winning to the operation ports 859F and 883F, ie, the value of the acquired big win random number counter C1 is grasped.

In subsequent step S3003, it is determined whether or not the mode is the low-probability mode. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the current lottery mode is the low-probability mode by determining whether or not the high-probability mode flag is stored in the various flag storage area 635 of the RAM 604 . In the case of the low probability mode, the process proceeds to step S3004, where the success/failure table for the low probability mode is referenced to specify whether the information for judging the big win (the value of the random number counter C1 for the big win) grasped at step S3002 is included in the information group corresponding to winning the big win. If it is the high probability mode, the process advances to step S3005 to refer to the success/failure table for the high probability mode to specify whether the information for judging the big win (the value of the random number counter C1 for the big win) grasped in step S2902 is included in the information set as winning the big win.

After step S3004 or step S3005, the process proceeds to step S3006, and it is determined whether or not the information for judging the big win (the value of the random number counter C1 for the big win) grasped in step S3002 corresponds to winning the big win. If it corresponds to the jackpot winning, the jackpot information is stored in the register of the MPU 602 in step S3007, and the confirmation processing for this reservation notice is terminated.

In the process of step S3007, the information for judging the type of jackpot among the reserved information acquired in step S2904 based on the winning of this time, that is, the value of the jackpot type counter C2 that has already been acquired is grasped, and the type of jackpot is determined by referring to the distribution table. The information stored in the register of the MPU 602 at step S3007 includes information relating to the type of the jackpot.

On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S3006, the process proceeds to step S3008. In step S3008, out of the pending information acquired in step S2904 based on the current winnings to the operation ports 859F and 883F, the information for out-reach determination, that is, the value of the acquired reach random number counter C3 is grasped.

In the subsequent step S3009, the reach determination table (reach determination information group) stored in the reach determination table storage area (reach determination information group storage means) of the ROM 603 is referenced to determine whether the reach determination information (the value of the reach random number counter C3) grasped in step S3008 is included in the information set as the reach win.

After executing the processing of step S3009, the process advances to step S3010 to determine whether or not the reach determination information (the value of the reach random number counter C3) grasped in step S3008 corresponds to the occurrence of reach. If reach occurrence is supported, the reach occurrence information is stored in the register of the MPU 602 in step S3011, and then this confirmation process ends. On the other hand, if it does not correspond to the occurrence of reach, the confirmation process is terminated as it is.

(Setting process of pending command)
Next, the pending command setting process will be described with reference to FIG.

In the pending command setting process, first, in step S3101, it is determined whether or not the big win information is stored in the register of the MPU 602, thereby determining whether or not the information for determining the big win corresponds to the winning of the big win in the immediately preceding confirmation process for the pending notice (FIG. 96). When big hit information is memorized, it progresses to Step S3102 and sets a big hit correspondence reservation command. The setting of the above commands and the setting of various commands to be described later are performed by storing command information in a command setting area provided in the RAM 604 . The jackpot corresponding hold command includes information about the jackpot type.

On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S3101, that is, if it is determined that the big hit information is not stored in the register of the MPU 602, the process proceeds to step S3103, and it is determined whether the reach occurrence information is stored in the register of the MPU 602. By determining whether the reach occurrence information is stored, it is determined whether or not the reach determination information has been specified as corresponding to the reach occurrence in the immediately preceding suspension notice confirmation process (FIG. 96). If the reach occurrence information is stored, the off-reach corresponding pending command is set in step S3104, and if the reach occurrence information is not stored, the complete missing corresponding pending command is set in step S3105.

When the pending command is set in steps S3102, S3104, and S3105, the variable display time is determined by referring to the value of the variable type counter CS and the like, and information on the variable display time is stored in the pending command. When determining the variable display time, the variable display time table is referred to in the same manner as the variable display time setting process described above. The hold command set in this way is transmitted to the display control device 910F via the notification/production control device 140, and the notification/production control device 140 and the display control device 910F can grasp the variable display mode of the pattern based on the hold command. In addition, as already explained, in the case of a complete miss, the variable display time may change according to the number of reserved information stored when starting the game cycle related to the reserved information. Therefore, when setting the complete-disconnect-response hold command, the variable display time is provisionally set.

After executing the command setting process in any one of steps S3102, S3104, and S3105, in step S3106, the process of setting information on the number of reserved items to the reserved command is executed. Specifically, the information of the set pending command is configured as multi-byte information, and information indicating that the command itself is a pending command and information on the type of pending command are included in some bits of the information, and information on the number of pending commands can be set.

In step S3106, first, the pending number information stored in the register of the MPU 602 in step S3001 in the previous pending notice confirmation process (FIG. 96) is read, and then the read pending number information is stored in the bit for the pending number information in the already set pending command by arithmetic processing such as OR. As a result, the hold command set in any one of steps S3102, S3104, and S3105 includes information for specifying the order of the hold information corresponding to the hold command. After executing the process of step S3106 described in detail above, this pending command setting process ends.

The pending command including the information of the pending number in step S3106 is transmitted to the notification/production control device 140 by the external output processing in the next normal processing. In the notification/production control device 140, by receiving such a hold command, it is specified that the hold information has increased. In addition, the notification/effect control device 140 adds information for a pending notice, which will be described later, to the pending command and transmits it to the display control device 910F. The display control device 910F executes processing such as suspension display and suspension notice based on the received suspension command.

Also, the method of setting the pending command is arbitrary as long as it is possible to specify the presence or absence of jackpot winning, the jackpot type at that time in the case of jackpot winning, the presence or absence of ready-to-win generation in the case of not winning big win, etc., in other words, the variable display mode of the pattern, by the pending command in the display control device 910F. For example, a combination of a jackpot corresponding hold command, a losing reach corresponding hold command, and a complete loss corresponding hold command is individually set corresponding to each number of reservations, and in the setting process of the hold command, it is possible to select one hold command according to the confirmation result in the confirmation process for holding notice (Fig. 96).

Next, the processing related to the pending notice executed by the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140 will be described. The processing related to the pending notice is roughly divided into command response processing for determining a command from the main control device 162 and pending notice effect setting processing for determining the mode of the pending notice.

(Processing for pending commands)
In the pending command handling process, when a pending command transmitted by the main controller 162 is received, a process corresponding to the information contained in the received pending command is executed. Note that the pending command handling process is executed as part of a regular process that is repeatedly activated at a predetermined cycle (for example, a cycle of 2 msec).

In the pending command handling process, first, it is determined whether or not a pending command has been received. The command received by the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140 is temporarily stored in the command storage area 672 of the RA 654 . The command storage area 672 is configured as a ring buffer capable of individually storing a plurality of commands and reading out from previously stored commands, so that even when a plurality of commands are received at the same time, processing corresponding to each command can be favorably executed. When determining whether or not a corresponding pending command has been received, it is determined whether or not a jackpot corresponding pending command has been received in the current reading target area in the command storage area 672 . The configuration for reading such commands is the same as for reading other commands such as the command for starting fluctuation.

When a pending command is received, various information included in the pending command is stored in the pending information storage area. The holding information storage area has a first area Rc1 to a fourth area Rc4 for the lower operating port 859F and a first area Rd1 to a fourth area Rd4 for the right operating port 883F, and each area can store one piece of holding information. The hold information stored in each of the areas Rc1 to Rc4 and Rd1 to Rd4 is sequentially shifted to the lower area side when a shift command is received from the main controller 162, that is, when a game round is started. Specifically, the data in the first areas Rc1 and Rd1 are cleared, and the data in each area is shifted in such a manner that the second areas Rc2 and Rd2→the first areas Rc1 and Rd1, the third areas Rc3 and Rd3→the second areas Rc2 and Rd2, the fourth areas Rc4 and Rd4→the third areas Rc3 and Rd3. In the pending information storage area of the notification/production control device 140, similar to the pending ball storage area 632 (specifically, the pending area RE) of the main control device 162, the pending information is stored chronologically according to the destination of the ball. Specifically, the information indicating the winning destination and the information indicating the number of reservations included in the command received this time are specified, and the above various information is stored in the area corresponding to the information of the specified winning destination and the number of reservations among the first areas Rc1, Rd1 to the fourth areas Rc4, Rd4.

When the aforementioned pending command is received, a pending command reception flag is set in the various flag storage area 676 of the RAM 654, and when a shift command is received, the shift command reception flag is set in the various flag storage area 676. Each of these flags serves as a trigger for setting processing for a pending advance notice effect, which will be described below, and is erased when the setting processing for the pending advance notice effect is completed.

In the MPU 652 of the notification/effect control device 140, setting processing for the pending notice effect is performed based on the information stored in the pending information storage area. Here, setting processing for the pending notice effect will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 98 . Note that the pending notice effect setting process is a process that is executed as part of a regular process that is repeatedly activated at a predetermined cycle (for example, a cycle of 2 msec).

(Setting processing for pending notice effect)
In the pending notice effect setting process, first, it is determined whether or not the pending notice effect is regulated. Specifically, in step S3201, it is determined whether or not the suspension notice effect regulation flag is set in the various flag storage areas of the RAM 654. If an affirmative determination is made in step S3201, the setting processing for this pending notice effect is terminated. If a negative determination is made in step S3201, the process proceeds to step S3202.

In step S3202, it is determined whether or not a hold command has been received from main controller 162. FIG. Specifically, it is determined whether or not a pending command reception flag is set in the various flag storage area 676 of the RAM 654 . If an affirmative determination is made in step S3202, lottery processing is executed when a hold command is received in step S3203.

In the holding command reception lottery process, the holding notice lottery target is limited to the holding information newly added this time. That is, out of the first area Rc1 to the fourth area Rc4 and the first area Rd1 to the fourth area Rd4 provided in the holding information storage area of the RAM 654, the holding notice lottery is performed based on the information stored in the area corresponding to the holding command received this time. This lottery is carried out based on the lottery table corresponding to it and the value of the lottery counter for reservation notice provided in the lottery counter area 674, by grasping from the stored information whether the game round related to the reservation information is a jackpot, whether the ready-to-win display is performed or not, and the pattern when the ready-to-win display is performed.

In the present embodiment, special effects A to C are provided as the special effects, and differences are provided so that the degree of expectation for a big win increases in the order of special effect A<special effect B<special effect C. In a lottery table storage area of a ROM 653, a lottery table for a big hit, a lottery table for a win special performance A, a lottery table for a win special performance B, a lottery table for a win special performance C, and a lottery table for complete loss are stored as a lottery table for receiving a reserve command. These various tables are set so that the winning probability of the pending notice is higher in the order of lottery table for big hit > lottery table for special performance C > lottery table for special performance B > lottery table for special performance A > lottery table for complete failure. More specifically, any one of a lottery table for big win, a lottery table for special performance A, a lottery table for special performance B, a lottery table for special performance C, and a lottery table for complete loss is referred to for a game cycle serving as a trigger for starting a special performance or a shift to the second phase, and a lottery table for big win or a lottery table for complete loss is referred to for a game cycle in which a special performance corresponding to the third phase is executed.

In the first normal game state corresponding to the low-frequency support mode and the low-probability mode, the former of the reservation information related to the lower operation port 859F and the reservation information related to the right operation port 883F is subject to the reservation notice, and the second normal game state corresponding to the high-frequency support mode and the high probability mode.

Returning to the description of step S3202, if a negative determination is made in step S3202, that is, if it is determined that the hold command has not been received, the process proceeds to step S3204. In step S3204, it is determined whether a shift command has been received from main controller 162 or not. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the shift command reception flag is set in the various flag storage area 676 of the RAM 654 . If an affirmative determination is made in step S3204, lottery processing upon receipt of a shift command is executed in step S3205.

In the lottery process at the time of shift command reception, lottery targets for the suspension notice are all of the suspension information remaining after the shift. That is, based on all the information stored in the first area Rc1 to the fourth area Rc4 and the first area Rd1 to the fourth area Rd4 provided in the pending information storage area 667 of the RAM 654, lottery for the possibility of holding notice is performed. This lottery is individually performed for each piece of information stored. The lottery order (priority order) is defined to be the newest order (fourth areas Rc4, Rd4 → third areas Rc3, Rd3 → second areas Rc2, Rd2 → first areas Rc1, Rd1). For example, when the common reservation number CRN is "2", a lottery is first performed based on the information stored in the second areas Rc2, Rd2, and when the lottery is not won, the lottery is performed based on the information stored in the first areas Rc1, Rd1.

As for the lottery method, as in the case of receiving a hold command, whether or not the game round related to the hold information is a jackpot from the stored information, whether or not the ready-to-win display is performed, and when the ready-to-win display is performed, the pattern is grasped, and the lottery table corresponding thereto and the value of the lottery counter for holding notice provided in the lottery counter area 674 are used.

In a lottery table storage area of a ROM 653, a lottery table for a big hit, a lottery table for a win special performance A, a lottery table for a win special performance B, a lottery table for a win special performance C, and a lottery table for a complete loss are stored as a lottery table for receiving a shift command. These various tables are set so that the winning probability of the pending notice is higher in the order of lottery table for big hit > lottery table for special performance C > lottery table for special performance B > lottery table for special performance A > lottery table for complete failure. More specifically, any one of a lottery table for big win, a lottery table for special performance A, a lottery table for special performance B, a lottery table for special performance C, and a lottery table for complete loss is referred to for a game cycle serving as a trigger for starting a special performance or a shift to the second phase, and a lottery table for big win or a lottery table for complete loss is referred to for a game cycle in which a special performance corresponding to the third phase is executed.

However, the lottery table group for receiving the shift command is set so that the probability of winning with a pending notice is low when compared with the group of lottery tables for receiving the hold command. For example, when the lottery tables for big wins are compared, the winning probability when referring to the lottery table for receiving the shift command is set lower than the winning probability when referring to the lottery table for when receiving the hold command.

However, when the value of the common pending number CRN (holding number) is less than a predetermined number ("4" in this embodiment), the overall winning expectation is lower than when the holding command is received, but when the common holding number CRN value (holding number) is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the overall winning expectation is set to be higher than when the holding command is received.

In the first normal game state corresponding to the low-frequency support mode and the low-probability mode, the former of the hold information related to the lower operation port 859F and the hold information related to the right operation port 883F is subject to the reservation notice, and in the second normal game state corresponding to the high-frequency support mode and the high-probability mode, the latter of the hold information related to the lower operation port 859F and the hold information related to the right operation port 883F is restricted to be the target of the hold notice (target of the lottery process when receiving the shift command).

After executing the lottery process in step S3203 or step S3205, the process proceeds to step S3206. In step S3206, it is determined whether or not the condition for execution of the pending advance notice effect has been established in those lottery processes. When a negative determination is made in step S3206, that is, when non-winning is made in steps S3203 and S3205, this setting processing for reservation notice effect is terminated as it is. On the other hand, when an affirmative determination is made in step S3206, determination processing of a pending notice performance pattern is executed in subsequent step S3207, and after storing the current pending notice performance pattern in subsequent step S3208, this setting processing for pending notice performance is terminated.

When it is determined that the holding notice performance is performed, the holding information is excluded from the lottery object of the holding notice performance until the game round related to the corresponding holding information is executed based on the information stored in step S3208. Then, the stored information is erased when the relevant pending information moves to the execution area.

Here, with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 99 and 100, the types of pending notice effects (specifically, the notice effects executed in the pending display area NE) will be described.

(Type of suspension notice effect)
All of the suspension notice effects are common in that they are configured to suggest the degree of expectation of a big win result by changing the display mode of the suspension icon MP displayed in the suspension display area NE. Four colors of white, blue, yellow, and red are set for the display mode (color) of the pending icon MP. Among these colors, white is the basic color, and when the suspension notice effect is executed, the suspension icon MP becomes other colors (blue, yellow, red).

The colors of the pending icon MP are set so that the degree of expectation for a big win result is higher in the order of white<blue<yellow<red. Specifically, when the pending notice is executed with the holding icon MP corresponding to the game round resulting in a big hit, the possibility of selection in the order of white<blue<yellow<red is high.

This pending notice effect is roughly classified into a step-up non-corresponding notice effect A and a step-up corresponding notice effect B according to the display mode of the reserve icon MP (whether there is a step-up or not) (see FIG. 99(b)).

As shown in FIG. 100(a), in the notice effect A, after the color of the pending icon MP is changed, the color of the pending icon is maintained until the corresponding game cycle (until the game moves to the execution target display area Dc). On the other hand, in the notice effect B, as shown in FIG. 100(b), the color of the pending icon MP changes multiple times as the game progresses. For example, even if the color to be finally changed is red, it is first changed to a lower-order color (blue or yellow) with a lower degree of expectation than red, and then stepped up (promoted) to a higher-order color with a higher degree of expectation at the timing when the reservation icon MP shifts. By using these two types of pending notice effects together, even if the color has a low degree of expectation, there is a possibility that the color will change to a color with a high degree of expectation by the time the corresponding game cycle is reached. This suppresses an early decrease in the degree of attention to the pending advance notice effect.

The color of the pending icon MP may be changed not only in the pending number display areas Da and Db, but also when moving to the execution target display area Dc. For example, when the yellow pending icon MP in the pending number display areas Da, Db moves to the execution target display area Dc, the pending icon MP is changed to red, or the pending icon MP that was white in the pending number display areas Da, Db When the pending icon MP moves to the execution target display area Dc, it is possible to change the pending icon MP to another color (blue, yellow, red).

Here, in the first normal game state, not only at the time of winning to the lower operation opening 859F or at the time of shift, but also when the game ball passes through the effect gate 855F during the special effect, the above-mentioned holding notice may be executed. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 98, the suspension notice triggered by passage through the production gate 855F will be described.

Returning to the description of step S3204, if a negative determination is made in step S3204, that is, if neither the hold command nor the shift command has been received from main controller 162, the process proceeds to step S3209. In step S3209, it is determined whether or not the special effect corresponding to the second phase is being executed. If a negative determination is made in step S3209, the setting processing for this pending notice effect is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S3209, the process proceeds to step S3210.

In step S3210, it is determined whether or not the game ball has passed through the production gate 855F based on the detection signal (detection information) from the ball detection sensor 866F attached to the production gate 855F. If a negative determination is made in step S3210, the setting process for the advance notice effect is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S3210, the process proceeds to step S3211. In step S3211, the primary lottery process at the time of passage through the effect gate is executed.

In the primary lottery processing at the time of passage through the performance gate, the primary lottery table provided in the lottery table storage area 661 of the ROM 653 and the value of the lottery counter for holding notice provided in the lottery counter area 674 of the RAM 654 are referred to perform the primary lottery based on the passage of the performance gate 855F. If the primary lottery is not won, the setting process for holding notice effect is terminated as it is, and if the lottery is won, the lottery process at step S3203 when receiving the holding command is executed. In other words, the same lottery (secondary lottery) as in the case where a prize is awarded to the lower operation opening 859F is performed.

The holding information that is a candidate for the holding notice in this lottery becomes the holding information that triggered the start of the special performance corresponding to the second phase that is currently in progress. Since it is currently in progress, there is no time to do the step-up mentioned above. Therefore, when the pending notice effect pattern is determined in step S3207, the notice effect B corresponding to the step-up is excluded from the candidates.

When a prize is awarded to the lower operation port 859F, a pending icon MP is additionally displayed based on the prize. When the game ball passes through the production gate 855F located on the flow path (center route) toward the lower operation port 859F while the holding icon MP is displayed, the display mode of the holding icon MP may be changed (the above advance notice production). In such a configuration, by continuing to launch the game ball toward the left route even during execution of the special effect, it is possible to change the display mode of passing through the effect gate 855F→holding icon MP. In other words, it is possible to encourage the player who expects the change in the display mode of the hold icon MP to continue shooting the game ball even during the special effect. This is preferable in order to improve the degree of attention to the game during the special effect.

As shown in the fifth embodiment, the special performance started by passing the performance gate 855F as a trigger is continued by winning the lower operation port 859F. In order to exhibit the performance continuation function, it is important to encourage the shooting of the game balls during the special performance. In this respect, if it becomes possible to prompt the player to continue shooting the game balls even during the special effect as shown in the present embodiment, the above effect continuation function can be favorably exhibited.

By using a common display mode (color and step-up pattern) in the case where the display mode of the pending icon MP is changed irrespective of the passage of the effect gate 855F and the case where the display mode of the pending icon MP is changed based on the passage through the effect gate 855F, the above-described function of suppressing monotony can be exerted while suppressing excessive complication of the change in the display mode.

When the display mode of the pending icon MP is changed based on the passage of the production gate 855F, by determining whether or not to change the display mode with reference to the pending information related to the corresponding pending icon MP, the change in the display mode and the special information (result of transition determination) can be correlated. This is preferable to reduce staleness of pending changes.

<Modification 1>
In the sixth embodiment, when the game ball passes through the production gate 855F during the special production (second phase), the lottery table for holding change and the random number (the value of the lottery counter for holding notice) referred to when winning the lower operation opening 859F are used to draw a lottery for holding change. It is also possible to have a configuration in which a holding change lottery is performed by referring to the value of a lottery counter for holding notice.

In addition, in performing a lottery for pending change based on passing through the effect gate 855F, it is not always necessary to use an existing lottery table or random numbers. A lottery table and random numbers for change of hold executed based on passage through the production gate 855F may be provided separately from the lottery table for change of hold referred to when winning a prize to the lower operation port 859F or when shifting.

<Modification 2>
In the sixth embodiment described above, lottery is performed as to whether or not to execute the reservation notice based on the passage of the game ball through the performance gate 855F during the special game state corresponding to the second phase, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of or in addition to this, it is possible to make a lottery as to whether or not to execute the reservation notice based on the fact that the game ball has passed through the effect gate 855F during the special effect corresponding to the third phase. Similarly, it is also possible to make a lottery as to whether or not to execute the reservation notice based on the fact that the game ball has passed through the effect gate 855F during the special effect corresponding to the first phase.

<Modification 3>
In the sixth embodiment described above, each time a game ball passes through the performance gate 855F during the special performance (second phase), a holding change lottery is performed. In such a configuration, it is preferable to inform the player of information indicating the remaining number of passages (relationship between the number of passages of the effect gate 855F and the predetermined number) until the lottery is executed.

<Modification 4>
In the sixth embodiment, when the game ball passes through the performance gate 855F and the holding change lottery is performed, the holding change is executed immediately after winning the lottery, but a grace period may be provided until the holding change is performed after the lottery. For example, during this grace period, it is possible to perform an indication effect suggesting whether or not a change in hold will occur as a step prior to informing the player of the lottery result of the change in hold based on passage through the effect gate 855F. In other words, it is also possible to have a configuration in which a predictive performance is started based on the passage of the game ball through the performance gate 855F, and the pending change is executed when the predictive performance is compatible with the pending change when the predictive performance is finished.

In such a configuration, there is a possibility that the subsequent game balls pass through the performance gate 855F during the predictive performance, but the subsequent game balls that have passed the performance gate 855F during the predictive performance may be excluded from the lottery objects of the hold change, or may be included in the lottery objects. For example, when the subsequent game ball passing through the performance gate 855F wins the pending change during the predictive effect corresponding to the loss, the result of the predictive effect may be rewritten to correspond to the pending change.

<Modification 5>
Under the condition that the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guide state, the player's attention becomes easy to turn to the non-electric accessory 858F and its surroundings (for example, the upper cloon 856F and the lower cloon 857F) because it becomes a chance of continuous winning to the lower operation port 859F. Therefore, when the holding change lottery is won under the situation that the special performance is being executed and the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guidance state (that is, the game ball is on the lower rune 857F or the situation that the continuous winning is likely to occur), the holding change is not executed immediately, but the holding change is reserved (delayed) until the second guidance state is switched to the first guidance state. As a result, it is possible to suitably suppress overlooking of the pending change triggered by passage through the production gate 855F.

<Modification 6>
When the game ball passes through the performance gate 855F under the condition that the notice performance B is set and the color of the pending icon MP has not yet stepped up to the final display mode (in the state of waiting for the step-up timing), the display mode of the pending icon MP may be stepped up with the passing as a trigger. In this way, by changing the display mode within a range that takes into consideration the pattern determined in advance, it is possible to make it difficult for the player to have the impression that the change in the display mode is troublesome.

<Modification 7>
When it is decided during the game round to change the display mode of the reserve icon MP, the display mode is not necessarily changed at that timing, but the change can be reserved until the start of the next game round. According to such a configuration, even if the passage of the effect gate 855F does not immediately change the display mode, the possibility that the display mode will be changed remains until the start of the next game cycle.

<Seventh embodiment>
In the sixth embodiment, the configuration is such that the holding notice is performed when the game ball passes through the effect gate 855F during the special effect. This embodiment is the same as the sixth embodiment in that the display processing is executed based on the passage of the game ball through the performance gate 855F during the special performance to improve the degree of attention to the game, but the specific configuration is different from the sixth embodiment. A characteristic configuration of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 101 and 102. FIG.

The pachinko machine shown in the present embodiment is provided with a setting change function so that a manager or the like of the gaming hall can change the table referred to in the jackpot lottery. Specifically, a low-probability mode success/failure table and a high-probability mode success/failure table corresponding to "setting 1", a low-probability mode success/failure table and a high-probability mode success/failure table corresponding to "setting 2", and a low-probability mode success/failure table and a high-probability mode success/failure table corresponding to "setting 3" are provided as the success/failure tables.

As shown in FIG. 101(a), the probability of a big win is 1/150 under the gaming state in which the low-probability mode win-fail table corresponding to "setting 1" is referred to in the lottery, the probability of big win is 1/120 under the gaming state in which the win-fail table for the low-probability mode corresponding to "setting 2" is referred to in the lottery, and the jackpot probability is 1/100 under the gaming state in which the win-fail table for the low-probability mode corresponding to "setting 3" is referred to in the lottery. It has become.

In addition, the probability of big win is about 1/32 under the game state in which the success table for high probability mode corresponding to "setting 1" is referred to in the lottery, the probability of big win is 1/30 in the game state in which the success table for high probability mode corresponding to "setting 2" is referred in the lottery, and the probability of big win is about 1/28 in the game state in which the success table for high probability mode corresponding to "setting 3" is referred to in the lottery.

In this way, the difference is provided in the order of ``Setting 1'' < ``Setting 2'' < ``Setting 3'' so as to be advantageous to the player, and it is assumed that the player who wants to proceed with the game with even a slight advantage expects that ``Setting 3'' is used.

The winning probability to the operating ports 859F, 883F, etc. is manufactured so as to fall within a range preset by the game machine maker, and when the winning probability falls within the range, the game hall is more advantageous than the player in "setting 1", the player is more advantageous than the game hall in "setting 2", and the player is more advantageous than "setting 2" in "setting 3". In the following description, "setting 3" is also referred to as "high setting" for convenience.

It is also possible to reverse the advantageous/disadvantageous relationship in the high-probability mode from the advantageous/disadvantageous relationship in the low-probability mode. That is, it is possible to set the probability of a big win in the order of "setting 3"<"setting 2"<"setting 1". In this case, "setting 1" corresponds to the "high setting" described above.

The set values described in detail above can be arbitrarily changed by a setting change operation by the manager of the game hall or the like. In a game machine having such a setting change function, the degree of advantage changes depending on the set value, so playing a game while guessing the set value is one of the pleasures. The pachinko machine shown in the present embodiment is configured to prompt the player to make the above guess by suggesting the current set value to the player (setting suggestion) when the condition for suggesting the set value is satisfied. One of the setting suggestions includes a setting suggestion executed based on the game ball passing through the effect gate 855F during the special effect. Hereinafter, with reference to the flow chart of Drawing 101 (b), processing concerning production gate 855F among various processing for setting suggestion performed as a part of regular processing by MPU652 of information / production control device 140 is explained.

(Setting suggestion processing)
In the setting suggestion processing, first, in step S3301, it is determined whether or not a special effect corresponding to the second phase is being performed. If a negative determination is made in step S3301, this setting suggestion processing ends. If an affirmative determination is made in step S3301, the process proceeds to step S3302.

In step S3302, it is determined whether or not the game ball has passed through the production gate 855F based on the detection signal (detection information) from the ball detection sensor 866F attached to the production gate 855F. If a negative determination is made in step S3302, this setting suggestion processing is terminated. If an affirmative determination is made in step S3302, the process proceeds to step S3303.

In step S3303, setting suggestion lottery processing is executed. Specifically, whether or not to suggest setting is determined based on a setting suggestion table provided in a lottery table storage area of the ROM 653 and a lottery counter value for setting suggestion provided in a lottery counter area 674 of the RAM 654.例文帳に追加As for the table for suggesting setting, differences are provided so that the probability of winning is 1/100000 with setting "1", the probability of winning is 1/3000 with setting "2", and the probability of winning is 1/1000 with setting "3" (see FIG. 102(a)).

If the lottery in step S3303 results in non-winning, a negative determination is made in step S3304, and this setting suggestion processing ends. If the lottery in step S3303 is won, an affirmative determination is made in step S3304 and the process proceeds to step S3305. In step S3305, setting suggestion effect execution processing is performed.

In the effect execution process for setting suggestion, a sound effect corresponding to the setting suggestion is output from the speaker unit 29, and a setting suggestion start command is output to the display control device 910F. The MPU 912F of the display control device 910F performs a process of adding an effect to the character image displayed on the display screen 500aF (third variable display area ME3) of the pattern display device 500F based on the reception of the setting suggestion start command.

When both the girl character and the fairy character are displayed, the effect is added to the fairy character whose display time is relatively short (see FIG. 102(b1)→FIG. 102(b2)). On the other hand, when only the former of the girl character and the fairy character is displayed, the effect is added to the girl character. The effects added to the fairy character are continued until the display of the character ends, and the effects added to the girl character are continued until the current special presentation ends.

Even if the game ball newly passes through the effect gate 855F during execution of the setting suggestion, the setting suggestion is not performed based on the passage. As described above, when the setting suggestion is won in the first part of the second phase, the effect is added to the fairy character whose suggestion time is limited. Therefore, the display of the effect may end before the end of the special effect. In such a case, the setting suggestion may be executed a plurality of times during one special effect based on the fact that a new setting suggestion condition has been established (passing through the effect gate 855F→winning the lottery). By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the chances of setting suggestions from being reduced.

The current set value may be suggested when the game ball passes through the effect gate 855F during the special effect based on the winning to the lower operation port 859F. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to encourage the player aiming to determine the setting value to shoot the game ball even during the special effect.

As shown in the fifth embodiment, the special performance started by passing the performance gate 855F as a trigger is continued by winning the lower operation port 859F. In order to exhibit the performance continuation function, it is important to encourage the shooting of the game balls during the special performance. In this respect, if it becomes possible to prompt the player to continue shooting the game balls even during the special effect as shown in the present embodiment, the above effect continuation function can be favorably exhibited.

<Modification 1>
In the above-described seventh embodiment, when the lottery based on the passage of the performance gate 855F is won during the special performance, a part of the special performance is changed to correspond to the setting suggestion. For example, a special effect may be executed in the third variable display area ME3 on the display screen 500aF, and a setting suggestion display may be performed in areas other than the third variable display area ME3 on the display screen 500aF,
<Modification 2>
In the above-described seventh embodiment, the lottery for setting suggestion is performed based on the game ball passing through the performance gate 855F during the special performance corresponding to the second phase, but alternatively or in addition to this, it is also possible to configure the lottery for setting suggestion based on the game ball passing through the performance gate 855F during the special performance corresponding to the first/third phase.

<Modification 3>
In the above-described seventh embodiment, a setting suggestion lottery is performed each time a game ball passes through the performance gate 855F during a special performance. In such a configuration, it is preferable to inform the player of information indicating the remaining number of passages (relationship between the number of passages of the effect gate 855F and the predetermined number) until the lottery is executed.

<Modification 4>
In the above-described seventh embodiment, the execution time for adding an effect to a fairy character is set to be shorter than the shortest execution time of the special performance (second phase) in the setting suggestion executed when the performance gate 855F is passed. In such a configuration, a setting suggestion is started during a special performance, a setting suggestion ends during the special performance, and a setting suggestion can occur multiple times during one special performance. However, it is not essential to have a configuration in which setting suggestions can be started multiple times during one special effect. For example, when the fairy character is hidden, the effect may be inherited by the girl character, and the setting suggestions may be continued until the end of the special effect.

<Modification 5>
In the above-described seventh embodiment, the actual execution time of setting suggestion varies depending on the passage timing of effect gate 855F (the timing of winning the lottery for setting suggestion), but it is also possible to change this so that the execution time is constant regardless of the timing. For example, if the execution time (fixed time) of the setting suggestion can be secured, a setting suggestion lottery may be performed, and if the setting suggestion execution time (fixed time) cannot be secured, the setting suggestion lottery may not be performed. More specifically, the setting suggestion start timing in the special performance corresponding to the second phase is defined in advance, and if the setting suggestion lottery is won before the start timing, the setting suggestion is not started immediately, but the setting suggestion is reserved (delayed) so that the setting suggestion is started at the start timing.

<Modification 6>
In the above-described seventh embodiment, the configuration is such that the setting suggestion display is generated for all of "setting 1" to "setting 3," but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the display is not generated for some setting values. For example, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the above display does not occur in "setting 1", and a configuration in which "setting 1" is denied when the display occurs.

<Modification 7>
Under the condition that the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guide state, the player's attention becomes easy to turn to the non-electric accessory 858F and its surroundings (for example, the upper cloon 856F and the lower cloon 857F) because it becomes a chance of continuous winning to the lower operation port 859F. Therefore, when the setting suggestion lottery is won under the condition that the non-electric accessory 858F is in the second guidance state during the execution of the special performance (that is, the game ball is placed on the lower rune 857 or the condition that the continuous winning is likely to occur), the setting suggestion is not started immediately, but the setting suggestion is delayed until the second guidance state is switched to the first guidance state. As a result, it is possible to suitably suppress overlooking of setting suggestions triggered by passing through the production gate 855F.

<Eighth embodiment>
As shown in the first embodiment and the like, in the structure in which the game peg 93 arranged in the game area PE forms the flow-down path of the game ball, if the direction of the game peg 93 is changed for some reason (during cleaning, etc.), there is a concern that the winning probability to various ball entry portions such as the general winning opening 81 will change or ball clogging will easily occur. One of the features of the present embodiment is that it is possible to confirm later whether or not the direction of the game nail is normal in order to avoid such inconvenience. Hereinafter, the characteristic configuration (configuration related to confirmation of the game nail) in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 103, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. FIG. 103 is a front view of the game board unit 80 in the eighth embodiment.

A substantially annular check sheet CS is arranged in front of the game board unit 80 so as to cover the game area PE. The check sheet CS has transparency, and game parts such as the game nail 93 arranged in the game area PE can be visually recognized from the front of the game machine through the check sheet CS. In FIG. 103, for the sake of convenience, game parts such as the game nail 93 located behind the check sheet CS are indicated by solid lines instead of dashed lines.

The check sheet CS is divided into four rectangular sheet materials CS1 to CS4, and these sheet materials CS1 to CS4 are arranged so as to surround the display surface of the variable display unit 500. FIG. As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 104, each of the sheet materials CS1 to CS4 is provided with a pattern imitating the head of the game nail 93 (hereinafter referred to as reference pattern IF), and by comparing the reference pattern IF and the head of the game nail 93 with the sheet materials CS1 to CS4 arranged at a predetermined reference position, it is possible to confirm whether the game nail 93 is oriented properly.

As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 105, in this embodiment, the front door frame 14G is provided with an instruction means for instructing the mounting reference positions of the sheet materials CS1 to CS4 with respect to the pachinko machine 10. FIG. Specifically, a reference line TL indicating the mounting reference position of the check sheet CS can be displayed on the rear side glass panel 23G of the glass unit 22G mounted on the front door frame 14. After disposing the sheet materials CS1 to CS4 in accordance with the reference line TL, the sheet materials CS1 to CS4 are attached to the rear side glass panel 23G using a fixing means such as tape, thereby completing the attachment of the check sheet CS to the pachinko machine 10. Here, referring to FIG. 106, the instruction means will be described. FIG. 106(a) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the front door frame 14G, and FIG. 106(b) is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration relating to positioning of the check sheet CS. The rear glass panel 23G covers the entire game area PE and is parallel to the front surface of the game board unit 80G (game area forming body), similarly to the glass panel 23 shown in the first embodiment.

The front door frame 14G is provided with a light emitting portion 901G that supplies light to the end surface of the rear glass panel 23G. The light-emitting part 901G has a light-emitting board on which a large number of LEDs are mounted, and the light-emitting board is connected to the notification/effect control device 140 . Further, the notification/effect control device 140 is connected to the effect operation button 35 for effect provided on the front side of the front door frame 14G. When the effect operation button 35 is operated in accordance with an operation instruction or the like during a game run, the variable display unit 500 is triggered to execute an operation corresponding effect.

The MPU 652 of the notification/effect control device 140 performs light emission control so that the light emitting portion 901G is turned on when the effect operation button 35 is operated with the front door frame 14 opened. The rear glass panel 23G has a function as a light guide plate configured such that the light from the light emitting portion 901G passes through the interior while being repeatedly reflected on both plate surfaces, and light emitting portions 902G and 903G for emitting light are provided on each plate surface. The light emitting portions 902G and 903G are formed with a large number of fine recesses recessed from the plate surface, and the light from the light emitting portion 901G changes direction at the light emitting portions 902G and 903G and is emitted to the outside of the rear glass panel 23G. The light emitted from the light emitting portions 902G and 903G is diffused by the light emitting portions 902G and 903G, so that the light emitting portions 902G and 903G appear to emit light.

The light emitting portions 902G and 903G are roughly divided into a rear light emitting portion 902G formed on the rear surface of the rear glass panel 23G and emitting light from the light emitting portion 901G to the rear of the game machine, and a front light emitting portion 903G formed on the front surface of the rear glass panel 23G and emitting light from the light emitting portion 901G to the front of the game machine. As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 107, the front side light emitting portion 903G emits light to display a decoration pattern CF imitating a girl character on the rear side glass panel 23G. This decorative pattern CF is displayed only while the light emitting portion 901G is lit, and is hidden when the light emitting portion 901G is turned off. When shifting to the ready-to-win display in game performance or step-up occurs after shifting to the ready-to-win display, the lighting of the light emitting part 901G and the display of the decoration pattern CF indicate a high possibility of a big win.

As shown in FIG. 105, the reference line TL indicating the mounting reference position of the check sheet CS is displayed on the rear glass panel 23G by emitting light from the rear light emitting portion 902G. This reference line TL is displayed only while the light-emitting portion 901G is lit, and is not displayed when the light-emitting portion 901G is turned off.

Here, when the glass unit 22G is viewed from the front side of the front door frame 14G as shown in FIG. 107, the light from the front side light emitting portion 903G easily reaches the eyes, whereas the light from the rear side light emitting portion 902G hardly reaches the eyes. In other words, even when both the decorative pattern CF and the reference line TL are displayed on the rear glass panel 23G, the reference line TL is prevented from obstructing the visual recognition of the decorative pattern CF when the front door frame 14G is arranged at the closed position and viewed from the front side. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 105, when the glass unit 22G is viewed from the rear side of the front door frame 14G, the light from the front light emitting portion 903G hardly reaches the eyes, whereas the light from the rear light emitting portion 902G easily reaches the eyes. In other words, even when both the decorative pattern CF and the reference line TL are displayed on the rear side glass panel 23G, the decorative pattern CF is prevented from obstructing the visual recognition of the reference line TL when the front door frame 14G is arranged at the open position and viewed from the rear side. As a result, the presentation function by the front side light emitting portion 903G and the instruction function by the rear side light emitting portion 902G can preferably coexist on the rear side glass panel 23G. The flow of confirmation work for the game nail 93 will be described below.

(Confirmation work of game nail 93)
When confirming the game nail 93, after opening the front door frame 14G, the performance operation button 35 of the front door frame 14G is operated. As a result, the light-emitting portion 901G lights up, and the decorative pattern CF and the reference line TL are displayed on the rear glass panel 23G. By viewing the front door frame 14G from the rear side, the reference line TL can be visually recognized, while the decorative pattern CF is out of sight. In other words, it is possible to prevent the decorative pattern CF from interfering with the arrangement of the check sheets CS.

After the check sheet CS is arranged along the reference line TL, the check sheet CS is fixed to the rear surface of the rear glass panel 23G using fixing means such as tape. This completes the attachment of the check sheet CS. After that, by closing the front door frame 14G, the light emitting portion 901G is turned off. As a result, the reference line TL and the decorative pattern CF are hidden. After that, by comparing the reference pattern IF of the check sheet CS with the head of the game nail 93 of the game board unit 80, it can be specified whether or not the game nail 93 is oriented properly.

After confirming the game nail 93, the front door frame 14G is opened again and the check sheet CS is collected. After that, the confirmation work of the game nail 93 is completed by closing the front door frame 14G.

As described in detail above, by positioning the check sheet CS in accordance with the reference line TL displayed on the front door frame 14G, it is possible to accurately confirm whether or not the heads of the game nails 93 are in proper positions (whether or not the game nails have undergone any change such as deformation) by comparing the heads of the game nails 93 with the patterns indicating their positions.

Light is supplied to the edge of the glass panel 23G covering the game area PE, and the light is emitted from the rear light emitting portion 902G to display the reference line TL. In this way, by imparting a light guiding function to the cover glass panel 23G of the game area PE and displaying the mounting reference position instruction at a position as close as possible to the confirmation target, confirmation accuracy can be improved. In such a configuration in which the mounting reference position is displayed near the object to be confirmed, there is a concern that the light emitting display will interfere with confirmation work, game performance, etc., but the mounting reference position can be displayed/hidden by switching ON/OFF of the light emitting means, so such concerns can be dispelled.

The rear light emitting portion 902G is composed of a large number of recesses formed so as to be recessed forward from the rear plate surface of the rear glass panel 23G. With such a configuration, it is possible to preferably prevent the unevenness of the rear light emitting portion 902G from being caught on the check sheet CS and the check sheet CS from being bent due to being lifted from the rear glass panel 23G.

If the rear glass panel 23G is provided with a front side light emitting part 903G and a rear side light emitting part 902G, and the light from the light emitting part 901G is emitted forward and backward from the respective light emitting parts 902G, 903G, even if the light is emitted from the rear side light emitting part 902G when the light emitting effect of emitting light from the front side light emitting part 903G is executed during a game, the light is prevented from going to the player and the rear side glass panel 2 is prevented. It is possible to prevent the decorative pattern CF drawn in 3G from becoming difficult to see. As a result, the function of indicating the mounting reference position described above and the effect function of the luminous display can be preferably combined in one glass panel.

<Modification 1>
In the eighth embodiment, the light emitted from the light emitting portion 901G is emitted to the rear side of the glass unit 22G through the glass unit 22G (specifically, the rear glass panel 23G), and the glass unit 22G is configured so that the mounting reference position (reference line TL) of the check sheet CS for the game nail 93 can be visually recognized when the glass unit 22G is viewed from the rear side of the front door frame 14G. This may be changed so that light from the light emitting part 901G is emitted to the front side of the glass unit 22G through the glass unit 22G so that the mounting reference position (reference line TL) of the check sheet CS for the game nail 93 can be visually recognized when the glass unit 22G is viewed from the front side. In the case of such a change, a light-emitting portion for the front side glass panel and a light-emitting portion for the rear side glass panel are provided, and one of the two layers of glass panels is provided with the function of displaying the decorative pattern CF for display effect, and the other is provided with the function of displaying the mounting reference position (reference line) of the check sheet CS. In order to improve the positional accuracy of the check sheet CS, it is preferable to display the reference line on the front surface of the front glass panel when the light for displaying the reference line is emitted to the front side.

<Modification 2>
In the eighth embodiment, the light from the light emitting portion 901G is emitted to the front side and the back side of the glass unit 22G, and the function of displaying the decorative pattern CF for display effect and the function of displaying the mounting reference position (reference line TL) of the check sheet CS are added to the rear glass panel 23G. However, it is also possible to transfer these functions to the front glass panel. Also, each function may be provided separately to the front glass panel and the rear glass panel.

<Modification 3>
In the eighth embodiment, the glass unit 22G facing the game area PE from the front of the game machine has the function of displaying the mounting reference position (reference line TL) for the check sheet CS, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a transparent cover covering the game area PE from the front is provided between the front surface of the game board unit and the glass unit, the cover may be provided with a function of displaying the mounting reference position for the check sheet CS. In addition, the cover may be of an openable type or a detachable type, and may be provided with the same functions as the rear glass panel 23G shown in the eighth embodiment (the function of displaying the decorative pattern CF and the function of displaying the reference line TL).

<Modification 4>
In the pachinko machine 10 shown in the above eighth embodiment, the case where the check sheet CS for confirming the game nail 93 is not equipped with the fixing means for attaching to the pachinko machine 10 and is attached to the glass unit 22G using a fixing means such as a tape prepared separately from the game machine has been exemplified, but it is not limited to this. The pachinko machine 10 may be configured to have attachment means for the check sheet CS. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a rotating arm is provided on the frame portion of the front door frame, and the check sheet CS is held (nipped) by sandwiching the check sheet CS between the arm and the glass panel. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the check sheet CS is attached to the glass panel by electrostatic adsorption or the like.

<Modification 5>
The panel material for displaying the reference line TL does not necessarily have to be made of glass. At least, it is sufficient that the panel material has transparency so that game parts such as game nails can be visually recognized through the panel material and the panel material can function as a light guide plate, and the panel material can be made of resin such as acrylic.

<Modification 6>
Although the glass panel 23G of the glass unit 22G shown in the eighth embodiment is of a multi-layer type, the glass panel may be of a single-layer type.

<Modification 7>
In the eighth embodiment, the glass unit 22G (rear glass panel 23G) is configured to display a rectangular reference line TL (mounting reference position) aligned with the outer periphery (outer edge) of the check sheet CS. For example, in a configuration in which a reference point for positioning is provided on the check sheet CS, a configuration may be adopted in which a target (for example, a pattern imitating dots or "+") indicating the position of the reference point is displayed on the glass unit.

<Modification 8>
In the above-described eighth embodiment, the check sheet CS formed by combining the split-type small sheet materials CS1 to CS4 has been exemplified, but one large check sheet may be used. Further, when combining a plurality of sheet materials CS1 to CS4, it is not always necessary to unify the outer shape of each sheet material CS1 to CS4.

<Modification 9>
In the eighth embodiment, the effect operation button 35 is provided as an operation means capable of switching between lighting and extinguishing of the light-emitting portion 901G, and the display of the reference line TL is switched ON/OFF by operating the effect operation button 35. However, in view of the fact that the front door frame 14G is opened when the check sheet CS is attached, the light-emitting portion 901G is turned on by opening the front door frame 14G, and the light from the light-emitting portion 901G is emitted to the glass unit 22. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which data is supplied to G (a configuration in which the reference line TL is displayed). In this case, for example, when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the front door frame 14 was opened, or when the front door frame 14 is closed, the light emitting portion 901G may be turned off.

<Ninth Embodiment>
In the eighth embodiment, the check sheet CS for confirming the game nail is attached to the front door frame 14G, but in the present embodiment, the check sheet CS is attached to the inner frame (more specifically, the game board unit 80H). 108 and 109, the attachment structure of the check sheet CS in this embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the eighth embodiment. FIG. 108(a) is a partial enlarged view of the game board unit 80H showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the left route, FIG. 108(b) is a partial sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 108(a), and FIG.

(Mounting structure of sheet material CS2)
First, referring to FIG. 108(a), the mounting structure of the sheet material CS2 for the left route will be described. The game board unit 80H is provided with a rail cover projection 951H provided on the rail cover 107H for the guide rail 100 as a holding means for the sheet material CS2, a decoration block projection 961H provided on the decoration block 960H provided in the lower part of the game area PE and formed with the general winning opening 81, and a center frame projection 971H provided on the center frame 95H.

Each of the rail cover projecting portion 951H, the decorative block projecting portion 961H, and the center frame projecting portion 971H has seat surfaces 952H, 962H, and 972H facing the front side of the gaming machine, and standing portions 953H, 963H, and 973H that stand up in front of the gaming machine from the seat surfaces 952H, 962H, and 972H (see, for example, FIG. 108(b)). The seat surfaces 952H, 962H, and 972H are positioned on one imaginary plane parallel to the front surface of the game board unit 80H, and are formed so as to be the same distance from the front surface of the game board unit 80H. When the sheet material CS2 is placed in surface contact with the seat surfaces 952H, 962H and 972H, the sheet material CS2 and the front surface of the game board unit 80H are parallel.

The rising portion 953H of the rail cover projecting portion 951H contacts the edge of the sheet material CS2 from the left side, and the leftward displacement of the sheet material CS2 is restricted by the rising portion 953H. The upright portion 963H of the decorative block projecting portion 961H contacts the edge of the sheet material CS2 from below and right, and the upright portion 963H restricts the downward and rightward displacement of the sheet material CS2. The upright portion 973H of the center frame projecting portion 971H abuts the edge of the sheet material CS2 from above, and the upward displacement of the sheet material CS2 is restricted by the upright portion 973H. These projecting portions 951H, 961H, and 971H define the attachment position of the sheet material CS2 and prevent it from coming off the game board unit 80H.

A frame portion of the front door frame 14H is provided with a facing portion that faces the seat surface 952H with a small gap therebetween by arranging the front door frame 14H in the closed position. When the front door frame 14H is arranged at the closed position in a state where the sheet material CS2 is arranged on the game board unit 80H, the sheet material CS2 is sandwiched between the seat surface 952H and the facing part, and the sheet material CS2 is prevented from coming off from the game board unit 80H.

(Mounting structure of sheet material CS1)
Next, referring to FIG. 109, a mounting structure for the sheet material CS1 will be described. The game board unit 80H is provided with a center frame protrusion 971H (used together with the sheet material CS2) arranged on the center frame 95H as a holding means for the sheet material CS1, a center frame protrusion 981H similarly arranged on the center frame 95H, and an outer rail protrusion 991H attached to the guide rail 100 (specifically, the outer rail 102).

Each of the center frame protrusions 971H, 981H and the outer rail protrusions 991H has a seat surface 972H, 982H, 992H facing the front side of the game machine, and standing parts 973H, 983H, 993H standing in front of the game machine from the seat surfaces 972H, 982H, 992H. The seat surfaces 972H, 982H, and 992H are positioned on one imaginary plane parallel to the front surface of the game board unit 80H, and are formed at the same distance from the front surface of the game board unit 80H. When the sheet material CS1 is placed in surface contact with the seat surfaces 972H, 982H and 992H, the sheet material CS1 and the front surface of the game board unit 80H are parallel.

The upright portion 983H of the center frame projecting portion 981H contacts the edge of the sheet material CS1 from the right side, and the rightward displacement of the sheet material CS1 is restricted by the upright portion 983H. The upright portion 973H of the center frame projecting portion 971H contacts the edge portion of the sheet material CS1 from below, and the downward displacement of the sheet material CS1 is restricted by the upright portion 973H. The upright portion 993H of the outer rail projecting portion 991H abuts the edge of the sheet material CS1 from above, and the upward displacement of the sheet material CS1 is restricted by the upright portion 993H. These projecting portions 971H, 981H, and 991H define the attachment position of the sheet material CS1 and prevent it from coming off the game board unit 80H.

A frame portion of the front door frame 14H is provided with a facing portion that faces the seat surface 982H with a slight gap therebetween when the front door frame 14H is arranged at the closed position. When the front door frame 14H is arranged at the closed position in a state where the sheet material CS1 is arranged on the game board unit 80H, the sheet material CS1 is sandwiched between the seat surface 982H and the facing part, and the sheet material CS1 is prevented from coming off from the game board unit 80H.

<Modification 1>
In the ninth embodiment, the game board unit 80H is provided with the function of defining the position of the check sheet CS for confirming the game nail 93 and the function of holding the check sheet CS. As for the game board unit, it is sufficient if it has at least the function of holding the check sheet CS, and the function of specifying the position is not essential.

<Modification 2>
In the ninth embodiment, the center frame 95H, the guide rail 100, and the game area partitioning member 99 partition the game area PE, and the check sheet holders are provided on both the central side (inner side) and the outer side of the game ball flow path in the game area PE. It is not always necessary to arrange the holding part on both the central side and the outer side, and it is possible to arrange it only on either the central side or the outer side.

<Modification 3>
In the above-described ninth embodiment, protrusions constituting holding means for the check sheet are provided both on the central side (inner side) and on the outer side of the play area PE sandwiching the flow-down path of the game ball. By arranging the protruding portions to face each other across a predetermined game nail in the flow-down path, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the confirmation of the predetermined game nail. As for game nails, there are those that have a relatively strong influence on the movement of the game ball and those that have a relatively weak influence on the movement of the game ball. By using a game nail having a relatively strong influence as the predetermined game nail, the accuracy improvement effect can be preferably exhibited.

<Modification 4>
In consideration of variations in assembly of the game parts in the game board unit 80H, it is preferable that one game part is provided with a plurality (two) of holding parts for the check sheet CS, the position of the check sheet is defined by these holding parts, and the check sheet is further held by another game part provided apart from the game part. As a result, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of the holding portion and suitably suppress disturbance of the posture of the check sheet.

<Modification 5>
In the ninth embodiment described above, the protrusions 951H, 961H, 971H, 981H, and 991H projecting from the center frame 95H and the rail cover 107H support the outer edges of the check sheet CS, but the structure for holding the check sheet CS is not limited to this. For example, the check sheet CS may be positioned and held by inserting projections (pins) protruding from the center frame 95H or the rail cover 107H into reference holes formed in the check sheet CS.

<Modification 6>
In the above-described ninth embodiment, the check sheet CS composed of a combination of the split-type small sheet materials CS1 to CS4 has been exemplified, but one large check sheet may be used. Further, when combining a plurality of sheet materials CS1 to CS4, it is not always necessary to unify the outer shape of each sheet material CS1 to CS4.

<Modification 7>
In the above-described ninth embodiment, a plurality of protrusions are configured to hold one sheet material, but each of the protrusions may have the function of holding a sheet material. For example, a movable member that can be displaced between a clamping position for clamping the sheet material between itself and the seat surface and a release position for releasing the clamping may be disposed at the tip of each protrusion.

<Other embodiments>
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the contents described in each of the above-described embodiments, and may be carried out, for example, as follows. Incidentally, each of the following configurations may be applied individually to each of the above-described embodiments, or may be applied to each of the above-described embodiments by combining a part or all of them. Moreover, it is also possible to arbitrarily combine all or part of the various configurations shown in the above embodiments. In this case, it is preferable that the technical significance (effects exhibited) of each configuration to be combined is ensured. Each of the following configurations may be applied individually to a new configuration made up of a combination of the embodiments, or a part or all of them may be combined and applied.

(1) In each of the embodiments described above, the light guide portions 532 and 732 are rotatable, but the present invention is not limited to this. The operation mode of the light guide section is arbitrary, and for example, it may be of a sliding type. In the case of a sliding type, it is preferable that the sliding direction is the same as the arrangement direction of the light emitting portions 553 and 753 (pattern arrangement direction).

(2) In each of the above embodiments, the design scroll direction (vertical direction) in the first display unit and the pattern scroll direction (vertical direction) in the second display unit are aligned, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to configure such that the direction of scrolling the patterns in the first display unit and the direction of scrolling the patterns in the second display unit intersect.

(3) The processing direction of the light emitting portions 553 and 753 shown in the above embodiments is arbitrary. For example, unevenness may be formed as the “light emitting portion” by edging, laser processing, molding, or printing.

(4) In each of the above-described embodiments, the light emitting portions 553 and 753 are formed by forming fine irregularities on the surfaces of the light guiding portions 532 and 732, but the specific configuration for emitting light in the light guiding portions is arbitrary. For example, the light guide may include a medium having a refractive index different from that of the base of the light guide so that the light reaching the medium is emitted from the light guide.

(5) In each of the embodiments described above, the display surface of the first display unit and the display surface of the second display unit are parallel, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient if an operation gap is ensured for each display unit to operate, and the display surface of the first display unit and the display surface of the second display unit may face different directions.

(6) In each of the above-described embodiments, the movement of the light guide section 532 is made inconspicuous by operating the light guide section 532 under the condition that the light supply from the side light 528 to the light guide section 532 is stopped. is not necessarily

(7) In the above embodiments, the boundary portions BP1 of the light guide panels 555 to 557 extend in the same direction as the rotation center axis CL of the rotor 525, but this is not the only option. It is also possible to adopt a configuration extending in a direction intersecting with the direction of the rotation center axis CL.

(8) In each of the above embodiments, three drums are used to display the symbol combination corresponding to the lottery result, but the number of drums is arbitrary. For example, it may be one, two, or four or more.

(9) In each of the above-described embodiments, when a lottery based on the pending information is held by the main controller 162, at the same time as the lottery (specifically, immediately after the lottery), the variable display of the pattern in the operating port display section of the main display unit and the variable display of the pattern in the variable display area of the variable display unit 500 are started. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Prior to the lottery, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the variable display of the pattern on the display portion for the operation opening or the variable display of the pattern on the variable display area of the variable display unit 500 is started.

(10) In each of the above embodiments, the lottery for the operation ports 83a and 859H and the lottery for the operation ports 83b and 883H have different advantages. Further, it is also possible to make the lottery related to the operating ports 83a and 859H more advantageous to the player than the lottery related to the operating ports 83b and 883H rather than the lottery related to the operating ports 83a and 859H.

(11) The present invention can also be applied to other types of pachinko machines that are different from the above embodiments, such as a pachinko machine in which an electric accessory is released a predetermined number of times when a game ball enters a specific area of a special device, a pachinko machine that generates a right and a jackpot when a game ball enters a specific area of a special device, a pachinko machine equipped with other accessories, an arranged ball machine, a mackerel ball, and the like.

The present invention can also be applied to non-ball game machines, for example, a slot machine that has a plurality of reels on which a plurality of types of symbols are attached in the circumferential direction, starts rotation of the reels by inserting medals and operates a start lever, stops the reels by operating a stop switch, and gives a player a privilege such as payout of medals when a specific pattern or a combination of specific patterns is established on an effective line visible through a display window after the reels are stopped.

Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a game machine combining a pachinko machine and a slot machine, in which a game machine main body which is openably and closably supported by an outer frame is provided with a storage section and a take-in device, and a start lever is operated after a predetermined number of game balls stored in the storage section are taken in by the take-in device.

<Invention groups extracted from the above embodiments>
Hereinafter, the features of the group of inventions extracted from each of the above-described embodiments will be described, showing effects and the like as necessary. In the following, for ease of understanding, configurations corresponding to the above-described embodiments are appropriately shown in parentheses or the like, but are not limited to the specific configurations shown in parentheses or the like.

<Characteristic group A>
The following feature group A is "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that displays patterns on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a win state, and the variable display of patterns is started.If the lottery is won, a specific pattern combination or the like is displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Feature A1. A gaming machine comprising pattern display means (variable display unit 500 and notification/effect control device 140) that starts variable display of patterns based on the establishment of a predetermined start condition (winning a prize in operation ports 83a and 83b), and stops and displays patterns corresponding to the results of the lottery by lottery means (lottery function in MPU 602 of main control unit 162),
The pattern display means has a light guide body (light guide part 532) in which a plurality of light emitting parts (light emitting parts 553) are formed, and a light emitting part (side light 528) that supplies light to an end surface (end face 554) of the light guide body.

In the pattern display means shown in feature A1, a pattern is displayed by emitting light from the light emitting portion through the light emitting portion formed in the light guide. The pattern can be switched between display and non-display by turning on/off the light emitting section, and the color of the pattern can be changed by changing the color of the emitted light. In this way, constructing the pattern display means by using both the light guide and the light emitting portion is preferable for diversifying the pattern display mode and increasing the attention to the game.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in features A2 to A14 below to this feature.

Feature A2. A gaming machine comprising pattern display means (variable display unit 500 and notification/effect control device 140) for starting variable display of patterns based on the establishment of a predetermined start condition (winning a prize in operation ports 83a and 83b) and stopping and displaying patterns corresponding to the results of the lottery by lottery means (lottery function in MPU 602 of main control unit 162),
The pattern display means includes:
a light emitting unit (side light 528);
a light guide body (light guide portion 532) having a light emitting portion (light emitting portion 553) formed so that the pattern is displayed by emitting the light supplied from the light emitting portion from the light emitting portion;
A game machine characterized by comprising a changing means (annunciation/effect control device 140) for changing the pattern displayed on the light guide by operating at least one of the light guide and the light emitting unit to change a position where light is emitted from the light emitting unit to the light guide.

In the picture display means shown in feature A2, a picture is displayed by emitting light from the light emitting section through the light emitting section formed on the light guide. Then, by operating at least one of the light guide and the light emitting section to change the light irradiation location on the light guide, the pattern displayed on the light guide is changed. With such a configuration, the display of the pattern can be made novel, which can contribute to the improvement of the degree of attention to the game.

Feature A3. The light emitting portion is arranged to face an end face (end face 554) of the light guide,
The gaming machine according to feature A2, wherein the changing means is configured to change the irradiation position of the light from the light-emitting portion onto the end face.

By irradiating the end surface of the light guide with the light from the light emitting part, it is possible to prevent the light source from being conspicuous when visually confirming the pattern.

Feature A4. The gaming machine according to feature A2 or feature A3, wherein the pattern displayed on the light guide is invisible or difficult to see in a non-supply state (light-off state) in which light is not supplied from the light-emitting unit to the light guide compared to a supply state (lit state) in which light is supplied from the light-emitting unit to the light guide.

According to feature A4, the pattern becomes invisible or difficult to see (hereinafter also referred to as non-display) by changing from the supply state to the non-supply state. In this way, by making it possible to switch between display and non-display of patterns, it is possible to limit the information provided to the player by the pattern display means according to the game situation. In addition, it can contribute to diversification of the display mode when the pattern is displayed in a variable manner.

Feature A5. The gaming machine according to feature A4, wherein the changing means is configured to operate at least one of the light guide and the light emitting unit in the supply state to change the irradiation position of the light on the light guide.

If at least one of the light guide body and the light emitting unit is operated in the supply state of supplying light when the pattern is changed, the pattern can appear to move in the direction of the operation.

Feature A6. The pattern display means has a holding portion (base body 524) that operably holds the light guide,
The gaming machine according to any one of features A2 to A5, wherein the changing means is configured to operate the light guide body to change the irradiation position of the light on the light guide body.

If the light guide body itself is moved instead of the light emitting part (light source), it is possible to preferably avoid the limitation of the pattern change mode due to the length of the wiring or the like. In addition, since the position of the light-emitting part can be fixed, the pattern displayed at the same position can be exchanged, and even when the pattern is variably displayed, the parts to be noticed by the player can be unified. This is a preferable configuration for suppressing overlooking of the pattern display and reducing the player's fatigue.

Feature A7. The game machine according to feature A6, wherein the operating direction of the light guide is set so as to intersect with the light irradiation direction of the light emitting unit.

It is possible to suppress the change in the distance between the light irradiation target (end face) and the light emitting section in the light guide as the light guide moves. This is preferable in order to prevent insufficient supply of light to the light emitting section due to, for example, diffusion of the light from the light emitting section before it is applied to the end face.

Feature A8. The light emitting parts are arranged side by side in the direction of movement of the light guide,
The light emitting unit includes a first light emitting unit and a second light emitting unit arranged side by side in the direction of movement of the light guide,
The gaming machine according to feature A6 or feature A7, wherein the pattern display means is capable of changing the number of displayed patterns by individually controlling light emission of the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit.

By making it possible to increase/decrease the number of patterns displayed by using the first light emitting part and the second light emitting part which are individually controllable according to the game situation, etc., the expressiveness of the pattern display means can be dramatically improved.

In addition, the configuration shown in this feature is "the light emitting section is arranged in the operating direction of the light guide, and the light emitting section includes a first light emitting section and a second light emitting section arranged side by side in the operating direction of the light guide, and the pattern display means is capable of changing the number of patterns displayed at the predetermined display position in the operating direction by individually controlling light emission of the first light emitting section and the second light emitting section. The game machine according to feature A6 or feature A7. ” is also possible.

Feature A9. The game machine according to any one of features A4 to A8, wherein the pattern display means has means for stopping the supply of light from the light emitting section during operation of the light guide.

In the conventional game machine, for example, it is possible to make the pattern virtually unidentifiable by variably displaying the pattern at high speed. However, such movement hinders improvement in the durability of the pattern display means. In particular, since the light guide is heavier than paper or the like, it is feared that such inconveniences will become more pronounced.

Here, in the configuration shown in this feature, the pattern displayed on the light guide can suddenly disappear by stopping the supply of light from the light emitting section. In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the appearance is greatly changed (the identifiability is changed) by light emission control of the light emitting portion, it is possible to appropriately suppress deterioration in durability caused by the diversification of display modes.

For example, it is preferable to use both a display mode in which the pattern change process is clearly indicated and a display mode in which the pattern change process is not indicated. With such a configuration, it is possible to favorably diversify the modes of variable display of patterns.

Feature A10. The light emitting unit is a first light emitting unit, and light from the first light emitting unit is emitted from the light emitting unit positioned at a predetermined display position, so that the pattern is displayed at the predetermined display position.
The light emitting portion has an uneven shape,
The gaming machine according to any one of features A6 to A8, wherein the pattern display means has a second light emitting section (backlight 582 of the background display device 529) capable of irradiating light from behind the gaming machine to a portion of the light guide positioned at the predetermined display position.

When the light emitting part is composed of minute irregularities, it is difficult to completely disable the visual identification of the position and shape of the light emitting part because the ambient light such as the illumination of the game hall is diffused by the light emitting part. In other words, there is a possibility that the shape and position of the light emitting portion can be grasped by looking carefully. Therefore, as shown in this feature, if a configuration is adopted in which light is emitted from the second light-emitting portion to the light guide, the light from the second light-emitting portion distracts ambient light and the like, making it difficult to grasp the shape and position of the light emitting portion. This is preferable in terms of enhancing the impact when the pattern suddenly appears by switching the supply state/non-supply state of the first light emitting unit.

Feature A11. The gaming machine according to feature A10, wherein the changing means includes means for operating the light guide in a situation in which the supply of light to the light guide by the first light emitting unit is stopped and the light guide is irradiated with light by the second light emitting unit.

When the light guide is operated, it cannot be denied that the light guide may be identified as being in operation by using the light emitting portion as a mark by looking closely. This is a factor that reduces the impact when the light guide is operated while the first light emitting unit is in the non-supply state and the pattern is suddenly changed. Therefore, when changing the pattern, as shown in this feature, if the light guide is operated under the condition that the supply of light to the light guide by the first light emitting unit is stopped and the light guide is irradiated with light by the second light emitting unit, the ambient light can be distracted by the light from the second light emitting unit. As a result, it is difficult to know that the light guide is in operation, and the occurrence of the above inconvenience can be suppressed.

Feature A12. The gaming machine according to feature A10 or feature A11, wherein the second light emitting section is configured to be capable of irradiating light to both a portion of the light guide body where the light emitting portion is formed and a portion where the light emitting portion is not formed when the light emitting portion is positioned at the predetermined display position.

According to the characteristic A12, the light from the second light emitting portion is irradiated to the light emitting portion positioned at the predetermined display position and its peripheral portion, so that the effect of making it difficult to identify the shape of the light emitting portion and the operation status of the light guide can be preferably exhibited.

Feature A13. The light guide has transparency, and is configured so that the game device (background display device 529) located on the back side thereof can be seen from the front of the game machine through the portion where the pattern is displayed,
The gaming machine according to any one of features A2 to A12, wherein the pattern is invisible in a non-supply state (light-off state) in which light is not supplied from the light-emitting unit to the light guide, or difficult to be seen in comparison with a supply state (light-on state) in which light is supplied from the light-emitting unit.

According to the feature A13, the pattern becomes invisible or difficult to see by changing from the supply state to the non-supply state. This makes it possible to change the visibility of the game device positioned behind the light guide through the light guide. For example, when a game is progressed mainly by the performance in the game machine, by switching to the non-supply state to make the pattern invisible or difficult to see, the pattern can be preferably avoided from hindering the visual recognition of the game machine.

Feature A14. The pattern display means includes:
a display device (second display unit) visible from the front of the gaming machine through the light guide;
Display control means for performing variable display of the pattern on the display device (function for executing light emission and drive control of the second display unit by the MPU 652 of the notification / effect control device 140),
A first pattern displayed on the light guide and a second pattern displayed on the display device are provided as the patterns,
The first pattern displayed on the light guide is invisible in a non-supply state (extinguishing state) in which light is not supplied from the light emitting unit to the light guide, or becomes more difficult to see than in a supply state (lighting state) in which light is supplied from the light emitting unit to the light guide,
The gaming machine according to any one of features A2 to A13, wherein the display control means performs variable display of the second pattern on the display device in the non-supply state, but does not perform variable display of the second pattern on the display device in the supply state.

According to the characteristic A14, it is possible to prevent the visibility from being lowered in the situation where one of the variable display of the pattern by the light guide and the variable display of the pattern by the display device is focused.

<Characteristic group B>
The following characteristic group B is "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that displays patterns on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a winning state, and the variable display of patterns is started. If the lottery is won, a specific pattern combination or the like is displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Feature B1. A gaming machine equipped with pattern display means (variable display unit 500 and notification/effect control device 140) that variably displays patterns as the game progresses,
The pattern display means includes:
a light guide portion (light guide portion 532) having an annular or substantially annular shape centered on a predetermined central axis (rotational central axis CL), provided rotatably about the predetermined central axis, and arranged such that a part of the outer peripheral surface (outer surface portion 551) faces the front of the gaming machine;
a light emitting portion (side light 528) that supplies light to an end face (end face 554) facing in the same direction as the predetermined center axis in the light guide portion;
A plurality of light emitting portions (light emitting portions 553) are arranged on the outer peripheral surface in the rotation direction of the light guide portion,
The light guide section is configured to display the pattern by emitting the light supplied from the light emitting section to the outside of the light guide section from the light emitting section,
A game machine according to claim 1, wherein the light guide portion rotates about the predetermined central axis, thereby changing a supply location of the light from the light emitting portion on the end face of the light guide portion.

According to feature B1, by rotating the ring-shaped or substantially ring-shaped light guide section, the light supply location in the light guide section (end surface) is changed. As a result, the pattern is variably displayed on the light guiding portion. Since the light guide section has a ring or substantially ring shape, the variable display of the pattern can be continued without reversing the rotation direction of the light guide section. In other words, it is possible to prevent the light guide from becoming excessively large in order to perform dynamic display using the light guide and enhance the power of expression. This is a preferable configuration for improving the degree of attention of the player.

In addition, the configuration shown in this feature is defined as "information acquisition means (function for acquiring pending information by MPU 602 of main control unit 162) for acquiring special information (holding information) when a predetermined acquisition condition (winning at operation openings 83a and 83) is established, lottery means (lottery function in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) for performing a lottery based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means (lottery function in MPU 602 of main control unit 162), and notification means (main display unit 87) for notifying the lottery result by the lottery means. ), and pattern display means (a variable display unit 500 and a notification/effect control device 140) for variably displaying a pattern in accordance with the progress of a game. and a light emitting portion (side light 528) that supplies light to an end face (end face 554) of the light guide portion facing the central axis direction. A plurality of light emitting portions (light emitting portions 553) are arranged on the outer peripheral surface in the direction of rotation of the light guide portion. It is also possible to provide a gaming machine characterized in that a supply position to which light is supplied from the light emitting unit is changed on the end face of the light guide unit by rotating about the central axis.

Feature B2. The gaming machine according to feature B1, wherein the light emitting portion to which light is to be emitted among the plurality of light emitting portions is switched by changing the supply location.

As shown in this feature, if a configuration is adopted in which the light emitting portion to be the light emitting target is switched, the pattern displayed at the predetermined display position can be changed (replaced). In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the displayed patterns are replaced, it is possible to greatly change the appearance of the display by the pattern display means.

Feature B3. The gaming machine according to feature B1 or feature B2, wherein the light guide section has an annular shape, and the end face is positioned on a plane perpendicular to the predetermined central axis.

According to feature B3, the distance from the light emitting section to the end face of the light guide section is constant at any rotational position. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the position and orientation of the light emitting section according to the change of the light supply location. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the configuration related to the light supply in the pattern display means.

Feature B4. The game machine according to feature B3, wherein the light emitting unit is configured such that the light emitting direction is the same as the predetermined central axis.

In the configuration shown in feature B4, the light irradiation direction and the arrangement direction of the light emitting portions intersect. In other words, when a plurality of light emitting parts are used together, it is avoided that the light emitting parts are arranged in the light irradiation direction. Therefore, when the pattern to be displayed is switched according to the rotation position, the supply of light to the pattern not to be displayed is suppressed, and the inconvenience that the pattern which should not be displayed faintly emits light can be suitably avoided.

Feature B5. The light guide section is formed so that areas where the light emitting section is provided and areas where the light emitting section is not provided are alternately formed in a rotation direction of the light guide section,
The game machine according to feature B4, wherein the end face of the light guide section is provided with a regulation section that regulates passage of light in a portion corresponding to the non-arrangement area.

As shown in feature B5, by alternately arranging the arrangement area and the non-arrangement area and providing the regulation portion in the portion corresponding to the non-arrangement area, it is possible to suppress the light supply path from crossing over the non-arrangement area. Thereby, the effect shown in characteristic B4 can be exhibited more preferably.

Feature B6. A rotating body (rotating body 525) is configured by the light guide section and a frame (frame 531) to which the light guide section is fixed,
an end portion of the light guide portion on the side where the end face is formed extends laterally from the frame,
An insertion portion (insertion portion 561) through which the end portion of the light guide portion is inserted,
The game machine according to any one of features B3 to B5, wherein the light-emitting section is disposed in a portion of the insertion section that faces the end face.

As shown in feature B3 and the like, in the configuration in which the light guide portion has an annular shape, the following effects can be expected by providing an insertion portion through which the portion (end portion) of the light guide portion extending from the frame is inserted, and arranging the light emitting portion in this insertion portion. In other words, even if the movement of the light guide part becomes unstable, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the light guide part at a portion (insertion part) close to the light irradiation position. As a result, the light supply function can be exhibited stably.

By making the insertion part colored and opaque to hide the light-emitting part, the appearance of the pattern display means can be preferably improved.

Feature B7. The game machine according to feature B6, wherein the pattern display means has a base body (base body 524) that rotatably holds the rotating body, and the insertion portion is provided in the base body.

According to the configuration shown in this feature, by providing the insertion portion in the base body holding the rotating body, the gap between the base body and the light guide section can be minimized. This is preferable for suppressing strong interference between the insertion portion and the light guide portion and for suppressing light leakage from the insertion portion.

Feature B8. The gaming machine according to feature B6 or feature B7, wherein the insertion part faces the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the light guide part with a gap therebetween.

In the configuration in which the positional relationship between the light emitting portion and the light guide portion is changed, if the light guide portion and the insertion portion come into contact with each other and the light guide portion is damaged, light leakage or the like is likely to occur at that portion. This becomes a factor that reduces the efficiency of light supply to the light emitting portion. Therefore, as shown in this feature, by forming a gap between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the light guide portion to avoid contact between the insertion portion and the light guide portion, the occurrence of such inconveniences can be preferably suppressed.

Feature B9. The gaming machine according to feature B8, wherein the insertion portion is open to the base side in the rotation direction of the light guide portion, and is expanded toward the open portion so that the gap becomes larger.

For the light guide section described above, for example, by dividing it into a plurality of pieces in the rotation direction, it is possible to contribute to simplification of manufacturing and reduction of manufacturing cost. However, in such a configuration, it is assumed that the behavior of the light guide section will be disturbed if the edge of each piece is caught in the open section (entrance section) of the insertion section. Therefore, as shown in the present feature, the gap is formed so as to increase toward the open portion, and by suppressing the edge from being caught by the insertion portion, the occurrence of the above inconvenience can be suitably suppressed.

Feature B10. The gaming machine according to feature B9, wherein the open portion of the insertion portion has a component facing the rear of the gaming machine.

In the configuration in which the open portion (entrance portion) is expanded as shown in feature B9, light tends to leak from this portion. Therefore, by directing the open portion toward the rear side of the gaming machine, even if light leaks, it can be made less noticeable.

It is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the feature group A to feature B1 to feature B10 detailed above.

<Characteristic group C>
The following characteristic group C is "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that variably displays a pattern on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in a game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a winning state, and the variable display of the pattern is started.If the lottery is won, a specific pattern combination or the like is displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Feature C1. A gaming machine comprising pattern display means (variable display unit 500) for variably displaying patterns as the game progresses,
The pattern display means includes:
a light guide portion (light guide portion 532) having light transmittance and having a first light emitting portion (e.g., a light emitting portion 553 corresponding to a “6” symbol) and a second light emitting portion (e.g., a light emitting portion 553 corresponding to a “7” symbol) formed therein, and capable of switching between a first state in which the first light emitting portion is positioned at a predetermined display position (effective line) and a second state in which the second light emitting portion is positioned at the predetermined display position;
a drive unit (motor 526) that drives the light guide unit;
Drive control means (drive control function in MPU 652 of notification/production control device 140) for switching the light guide portion between the first state and the second state by performing drive control of the drive portion;
a light-emitting portion (side light 528) that supplies light to the end surface of the light guide portion;
It has a light emission control means (light emission control function in MPU 652 of notification / effect control device 140) that performs light emission control of the light emitting unit,
The pattern includes a first pattern (e.g., "6" pattern) displayed when the light supplied from the light emitting unit in the first state is emitted from the first light emitting unit, and a second pattern (e.g., "7" pattern) displayed when the light supplied from the light emitting unit in the second state is emitted from the second light emitting unit,
The light emission control means has a supply stop means for stopping the supply of light from the light emitting unit when switching from the first state to the second state,
The drive control means is configured to use at least part of a period during which the supply stop means stops the supply of light when switching from the first state to the second state as a drive period for driving the driving section.

According to the feature C1, when switching from the first state to the second state, the light guide section operates using a period during which light supply by the light emitting section is stopped (extinction period). With such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the player to notice the movement of the drive unit, and to make it appear as if the picture displayed at the predetermined display position has suddenly changed. Such a novel display can contribute to increasing attention to the game.

Feature C2. The gaming machine according to feature C1, wherein the supply stopping means has means for stopping the supply of light from the light emitting part before the light guide part starts operating or at the same time when the light guiding part starts operating when switching from the first state to the second state.

According to the feature C2, when the pattern displayed at the predetermined display position is replaced, the start of movement of the light guide portion is less noticeable. Thereby, the effect shown in the characteristic C1 can be exhibited favorably.

It should be noted that the configuration shown in this feature can be "the gaming machine according to feature C1, characterized in that the drive control means has means for starting the driving part of the driving part after the supply of the light is stopped by the supply stopping means at the time of switching from the first state to the second state."

Feature C3. The gaming machine according to feature C1, wherein the supply stop means has means for stopping the supply of light from the light emitting unit after the light guide unit starts operating when switching from the first state to the second state.

According to the feature C3, when the moving pattern suddenly disappears and the display of the pattern is resumed, it can be made to appear to be replaced by another pattern. By providing such a change for eyesight, it is possible to suitably suppress the monotony of the pattern display.

Feature C4. The gaming machine according to any one of features C1 to C3, wherein the light emission control means has means for restarting the supply of the light after the operation of the light guide section is stopped when switching from the first state to the second state.

When the supply of light is started after the replacement of the light emitting parts is completed, a different pattern (the replaced pattern) suddenly appears at a predetermined display position, thereby enhancing the visual impact.

Feature C5. The gaming machine according to feature C4, wherein a standby period from when the operation of the light guide section is stopped until the light supply is restarted is shorter than the operation period during which the light guide section operates when switching from the first state to the second state.

As shown in the feature C4, in the configuration in which the supply of light is restarted after the operation of the light guide part is stopped, the standby period until the restart is lengthened, thereby increasing the possibility that the next displayed pattern is visually identified by the player. This is because the external shape or the like of the light emitting portion can be identified when the light emitting portion is irradiated with ambient light or the like from a game hall or the like and the user squints. Therefore, as shown in this feature, the occurrence of such inconvenience can be suppressed by shortening the standby period when replacing patterns.

Feature C6. The gaming machine according to any one of features C1 to C3, wherein the light emission control means includes means for starting supply of the light prior to switching to the second state when the light guide section is switched from the first state to the second state.

For example, when frame-by-frame display of a pattern is performed at a predetermined display position, the display period of the pattern at the predetermined display position becomes shorter as the operating speed of the light guide section (for example, scroll speed or fluctuation speed) increases. There is a concern that this makes it difficult to visually identify the pattern. Therefore, by adopting a configuration in which light is supplied first, as shown in this feature, such a problem can be suppressed. This is preferable in terms of increasing the operating speed of the light guide section and enhancing the responsiveness of pattern switching and the like.

Feature C7. The drive control means is
first control means for operating the light guide section at a first speed to switch from the first state to the second state;
a second control means for switching from the first state to the second state by operating the light guide section at a second speed faster than the first speed;
The gaming machine according to any one of features C1 to C3, wherein the light emission control means comprises means for starting supply of the light prior to switching to the second state when the second control means switches from the first state to the second state.

For example, when frame-by-frame display of a pattern is performed at a predetermined display position, the display period of the pattern at the predetermined display position becomes shorter as the operating speed of the light guide section (for example, scroll speed or fluctuation speed) increases. There is a concern that this makes it difficult to visually identify the pattern. Therefore, as shown in this feature, when the light guide section operates at the latter of the relatively slow first speed and the relatively fast second speed, if the light supply is restarted first, such a problem can be suppressed.

Feature C8. A first period and a second period shorter than the first period are provided as a stop display period for stopping and displaying the pattern at the predetermined display position,
The gaming machine according to any one of features C1 to C3, wherein the light emission control means comprises means for starting the supply of the light prior to switching to the second state when the second period is set as the stop display period of the pattern in the second state when switching from the first state to the second state.

If the stop display period of a pattern at a predetermined display position is shortened, it becomes difficult to visually identify the pattern. Therefore, in such a case (when a relatively short second period is set), by adopting a configuration in which the supply of light is resumed prior to switching to the second state, the occurrence of the above-described inconvenience can be suitably suppressed.

Feature C9. The gaming machine according to any one of features C1 to C8, wherein the drive control means is configured not to stop the light guide part in the course of the switching when the light emission control means stops supplying light when switching from the first state to the second state.

When the patterns shown in the feature C1 and the like are exchanged, there is a concern that the process can be visually identified and the impact will be reduced. In particular, even if the light emitting portion is made invisible by making the light guiding portion transparent, the light emitting portion can be identified when the light guiding portion is stopped. Therefore, when switching from the first state to the second state, by adopting a configuration in which the light guide portion is not stopped halfway during the process, the occurrence of the above inconvenience can be suitably suppressed.

Feature C10. The gaming machine according to any one of features C1 to C9, wherein the light emission control means includes supply continuation means for continuing the supply of light from the light emitting unit when switching from the first state to the second state.

The combination of the configuration shown in the feature C10 and the configuration shown in the feature C1 or the like, that is, the combination of the configuration showing the pattern switching process and the configuration not showing it, can strengthen the impact when the displayed patterns are suddenly replaced.

It is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to B to features C1 to C10 detailed above.

<Characteristic group D>
The following characteristic group D is: "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that displays patterns in a variable manner on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a winning state, and the variable display of patterns is started.If the lottery is won, a specific pattern combination or the like is displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Feature D1. A gaming machine comprising a pattern display means (variable display unit 500) for variably displaying a pattern based on the establishment of a predetermined start condition (winning to operation ports 83a and 83b),
The pattern display means includes:
a rotatably held base body (base body 524);
a plurality of transparent light guide plates (light guide panels 555 to 557) arranged side by side in the rotation direction of the base body;
a light-emitting portion (side light 528) that supplies light to an end face of the light guide plate that faces in a direction intersecting the rotating direction;
A gaming machine, wherein the light guide plates are attached to the base body in a state in which the light guide plates are not fixed to each other.

By constructing the pattern display means (specifically, the light guide unit) with a plurality of light guide plates arranged side by side in the rotation direction as shown in feature D1, the shape of the pattern display means can be, for example, substantially annular. Such a configuration can contribute to the facilitation of manufacturing of the pattern display means and the reduction of the manufacturing cost, as compared with the case where one light guide plate is formed in a ring shape, for example. Here, when a plurality of light guide plates arranged side by side are coupled to each other, distortion may occur due to manufacturing variations or the like. In the configuration in which light is supplied to the end surface of the light guide plate, there is concern that the pattern display function may not be exhibited satisfactorily due to variations in the positional relationship between the light emitting portion and the end surface due to the influence of such distortion. In this regard, as shown in this feature, by mounting a plurality of light guides on the base body in a non-fixed state, the occurrence of the above inconvenience can be suppressed. This is preferable in terms of suppressing deterioration in appearance when performing variable display of patterns using the light guide plate, and improving the degree of attention of the player.

Feature D2. The gaming machine according to feature D1, wherein the light guide plate is fixed to the base body at an intermediate portion of the light guide plate in the rotation direction, and both ends in the rotation direction are free ends.

When a plurality of light guide plates are combined to form one light guide unit as shown in feature D1, the appearance of the light guide unit is degraded due to conspicuous boundaries between the light guide plates. This is not preferable in terms of increasing the attention of the player. In addition, in the configuration in which the light guide plate is fixed to the base member as shown in feature D1, the portion of the light guide plate fixed to the base member may differ in appearance from the non-fixed portion. Here, in the configuration shown in this feature, the end portions on both sides in the rotation direction of each light guide are free ends, and the fixed portion is kept away from the boundary portion between the light guides. As a result, it is possible to prevent the player's line of sight from being guided to the boundary part when the player's field of view is fixed, and to prevent deterioration in appearance caused by forming one light guide unit by combining a plurality of light guide bodies.

Feature D3. The gaming machine according to feature D1 or feature D2, wherein the plurality of light guide plates adjacent to each other in the rotation direction are arranged such that the end surfaces of the light guide plates facing the rotation direction face each other with a gap therebetween.

As shown in feature D3, by arranging the adjacent light guide plates so that the end faces in the rotation direction face each other with a gap, it is possible to prevent the light guide plates from coming into contact with each other due to manufacturing errors or the like of the light guide plates. This is preferable for suppressing the occurrence of distortion and the like shown in feature D1.

In addition, arranging the light guide plates so that they are not doubled inside and outside is advantageous in suppressing an increase in the weight of the unit and in suppressing a decrease in responsiveness when operating the pattern display means.

Feature D4. The light emitting unit is configured to irradiate light in a predetermined direction,
The gaming machine according to any one of features D1 to D3, wherein the end faces on both sides in the rotation direction of the light guide plate extend in the predetermined direction.

When the light guide unit is composed of a plurality of light guide plates as shown in feature D1, etc., it is preferable to make the boundary between the light guide plates as inconspicuous as possible. Here, as shown in this feature, by aligning the irradiation direction of light with the extending direction of the boundary portion (end face), it is possible to suppress the boundary portion from emitting light. This is preferable for improving the appearance of the pattern display means.

Feature D5. The pattern display means displays the pattern by emitting the light from the light emitting portion through the light emitting portion formed in the light guide plate, and is configured such that areas in which the light emitting portion is provided and areas in which the light emitting portion is not provided alternate in the rotation direction of the base body.
a boundary portion between the light guide plates is located in the non-arrangement area;
The light emitting unit is configured to irradiate light in a rotation center axis direction of the base body,
The gaming machine according to any one of features D1 to D4, wherein the end faces on both sides in the rotation direction of the light guide plate extend in the rotation center axis direction.

When the light guide unit is composed of a plurality of light guide plates as shown in feature D1, etc., it is preferable to make the boundary between the light guide plates as inconspicuous as possible. Here, as shown in this feature, by aligning the irradiation direction of light with the extending direction of the boundary portion (end face), it is possible to suppress the boundary portion from emitting light. This is preferable for improving the appearance of the pattern display means.

Further, the boundary part is located in a pattern non-arrangement area (blank area), but since this boundary part extends in the rotation center axis direction, it is possible to suppress the pattern non-arrangement area from becoming excessively large in consideration of the boundary part.

Feature D6. The pattern display means displays the pattern by emitting the light from the light emitting portion through the light emitting portion formed in the light guide plate, and is configured such that areas in which the light emitting portion is provided and areas in which the light emitting portion is not provided alternate in the rotation direction of the base body.
The gaming machine according to any one of features D1 to D5, wherein a boundary portion between the light guide plates is located in the non-arrangement area.

As shown in feature D6, if the boundary between the light guide plates is configured to be located in a pattern-free region (blank region), it is possible to prevent the boundary from being conspicuous due to leakage of light from the boundary and the reduction in light supply efficiency.

Feature D7. The gaming machine according to any one of features D1 to D6, wherein each of the light guide plates is formed to have a curved surface shape with the same thickness, and the outer surfaces of the light guide plates form one annular virtual surface centered on the rotation center axis of the base body.

According to feature D7, it is possible to replace the light guide body to which light is supplied in accordance with the rotational position of the light guide unit, thereby suppressing complication of the structure of the pattern display means.

Feature D8. The gaming machine according to any one of features D1 to D7, wherein the end faces of the light guide plate that face the center of rotation of the base body and to which the light from the light emitting unit is supplied are positioned on the same plane.

According to the characteristic D8, it is possible to suppress the difference in the distance relationship between the light emitting portion and the end surface (light irradiation portion) for each light guide, and contribute to the improvement of the light supply efficiency.

Feature D9. The pattern display means stops and displays a pattern at a predetermined display position (effective lines L1 to L5) based on the result of the lottery by the lottery means (lottery function in the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162),
The gaming machine according to any one of features D1 to D8, wherein the number of light emitting portions formed in each of the plurality of light guide plates is configured to be greater than the upper limit of the number of patterns displayed at the predetermined display positions.

If the number of light guides (the number of divisions) is excessively increased, the chances of the boundary portion of the light guide stopping at the predetermined display position increase. There is a concern that this will be a factor in degrading the appearance of the pattern display means. Therefore, as shown in this feature, if the number of divisions is defined so that the number of patterns arranged on each light guide is larger than the upper limit number of patterns stopped at a predetermined display position, the chances of the boundary portion stopping at a predetermined display position can be reduced. This makes it possible to alleviate the adverse effects of using a plurality of light guides together.

It is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to C to features D1 to D9 detailed above.

<Characteristic group E>
The following feature group E is "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that displays patterns on the display screen in a variable manner. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a winning state, and the variable display of patterns is started. If the lottery is won, a specific pattern combination or the like is displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Feature E1. a game board (game board unit 80) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
First special information acquisition means (a function of executing information acquisition processing based on a ball entering the upper working opening 83a by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for acquiring first special information (for example, holding information related to the upper working opening 83a) when a ball enters the first starting ball entering section (for example, the upper working opening 83a) provided in the game area;
a first acquired information storage means (reservation area Ra for the upper opening of the RAM 604) capable of storing the first special information acquired by the first special information acquisition means;
A first lottery means (a function of executing a lottery process based on a ball entering the upper working opening 83a by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) that sequentially performs a first lottery process (a lottery such as a jackpot) based on the first special information stored in the first acquired information storage means;
Second special information acquisition means (a function of executing information acquisition processing based on a ball entering the lower working opening 83b by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for acquiring second special information (holding information related to the lower working opening 83b) when a ball is entered into the second start ball entering portion (for example, the lower working opening 83b) provided in the game area;
a second acquisition information storage means (reservation area Rb for the lower opening of the RAM 604) capable of storing the second special information acquired by the second special information acquisition means;
A second lottery means (a function of executing a lottery process based on a ball entering the lower working opening 83b by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) that sequentially performs a second lottery process (a lottery for a big win or the like) based on the second special information stored in the second acquired information storage means;
A pattern display means (variable display unit 500Z) having a first display portion (for example, the rotating body 525Z of the first display unit) and a second display portion (for example, the rotating body 725Z of the second display unit), and capable of variably displaying a pattern on each of the first display portion and the second display portion;
When the first lottery process is performed by the first lottery means, a first display control means for displaying a pattern corresponding to the result of the first lottery process on the first display unit (for example, a function of executing a game round control process related to the upper operation opening 83a by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162);
a second display control means (for example, a function of executing a game turn control process related to the lower operation opening 83b by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for displaying a pattern corresponding to the result of the second lottery process on the second display unit when the second lottery process is performed by the second lottery means;
The gaming machine, wherein the first display section is transparent, and the second display section is visible through the first display section.

According to feature E1, the result of the lottery based on the ball entering the first starting ball entering section is displayed on the first display section, and the result of the lottery based on the ball entering the second starting ball entering section is displayed on the second display section. In this way, by separately providing the first display part for the first starting ball-entering part and the second display part for the second starting ball-entering part, the player can quickly grasp on which starting ball-entering part the game is progressing based on which the ball is entered. However, when a display unit is provided for each starting ball entry portion in this way, there is a concern that the places to be noted are scattered, which increases the burden on the player and increases the possibility of overlooking the lottery result. In this respect, as shown in this feature, since the second display section is configured to be visible through the first display section, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of the line of sight when focusing on the first display section and when focusing on the second display section. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of the above-described various inconveniences caused by the individual display for each starting ball-entering portion, while strengthening the originality. As a result, the effect of increasing the degree of attention to the game can be favorably enhanced.

Feature E2. The gaming machine according to feature E1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit are arranged such that the display surface (outer surface) of the first display unit and the display surface (outer surface) of the second display unit are parallel.

According to the feature E2, it is possible to suppress a large difference in visibility between the pattern display on the first display unit and the pattern display on the second display unit.

Feature E3. The first display control means has means for stop-displaying the pattern combination corresponding to the lottery result of the first lottery means after variably displaying the patterns on the first display unit,
The second display control means has means for stop-displaying the pattern combination corresponding to the lottery result of the second lottery means after variably displaying the patterns on the second display unit,
The gaming machine according to feature E1 or feature E2, wherein the variable display area in which the pattern is variably displayed on the first display section and the variable display area in which the pattern is variably displayed on the second display section overlap front to back when viewed from the front of the gaming machine.

As shown in this feature, if the pattern variable display area in the first display part and the pattern variable display area in the second display part are overlapped back and forth, when the pattern variable display is performed on the other display part while the player is paying attention to one of the display parts, it is possible to preferably reduce the chances that the variable display is overlooked without making the effect flashy or giving an unnecessary accent.

Feature E4. The first display control means has means for stop-displaying the pattern combination corresponding to the lottery result of the first lottery means on the first effective line after variably displaying the patterns on the first display unit,
The second display control means has means for stop-displaying the pattern combination corresponding to the result of the lottery by the second lottery means on the second effective line after variably displaying the patterns on the second display unit,
The gaming machine according to any one of features E1 to E3, characterized in that a stop display area in which the pattern combination is stop-displayed on the first effective line and a stop display area in which the pattern combination is stop-displayed on the second effective line overlap front to back when viewed from the front of the game machine.

As shown in this feature, by stacking the stop display areas in which the picture combination corresponding to the lottery result is stop-displayed in the front and back of the first display part and the second display part, it is possible to easily identify which picture combination corresponds to the current lottery result.

In addition, in the configuration in which the lottery result is notified by the combination of symbols stopped and displayed on the activated line, the activated line in the first display section and the activated line in the second display section may overlap in front and back when viewed from the front of the gaming machine.

Feature E5. The gaming machine according to feature E3 or feature E4, wherein the pattern group displayed on the first display section and the pattern group displayed on the second display section are different in appearance.

As shown in feature E3 and feature E4, in the configuration in which the stationary display area and the variable display area are superimposed in front and behind, by making the groups of patterns displayed on each display section different in appearance, it is possible to improve the ability to distinguish which display section displays the pattern.

In particular, as shown in the feature E4, in the structure in which the effective lines are aligned in the front and rear, it is possible to preferably avoid that the pattern in the first display part and the pattern in the second display part are mixed, so that, for example, although the pattern combination corresponding to the result of winning is stopped in each display part, it seems as if the pattern combination corresponding to the result of the big win is stopped and displayed.

Feature E6. As display control modes of the first display unit and the second display unit by the first display control means and the second display control means, a first control mode for variably displaying a pattern on the first display unit and restricting variable display of the pattern on the second display unit, and a second control mode for variably displaying the pattern on the second display unit and restricting variable display of the pattern on the first display unit,
The gaming machine according to any one of features E1 to E5, characterized in that, in the first control mode and the second control mode, the pattern on the display unit subject to the restriction is not displayed during the period when the variable display is restricted.

According to feature E6, by hiding the pattern on the second display unit in the first control mode and by hiding the pattern on the first display unit in the second control mode, confusion between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit can be preferably suppressed.

Feature E7. The first display control means has a first special display means for displaying a pattern corresponding to the result of the winning in a stopped state on the first display unit when a lottery by the first lottery means is won during the second control mode,
The gaming machine according to feature E6, wherein the second display control means comprises a second special display means for displaying a pattern corresponding to the result of the winning in a stopped state on the second display section when a lottery by the second lottery means is won during the first control mode.

In a configuration in which the lottery by each lottery means is performed in parallel, there is a possibility of winning the lottery by the second lottery means during the first control mode or winning the lottery by the first lottery means during the second control mode. In such a case, it is possible to use a display section other than the display section on the winning side to notify the result of winning, but this may confuse the player. On the other hand, if the pattern is variably displayed in the process until the lottery result is displayed, the variably displayed pattern is overlapped on both display portions, resulting in an excessive amount of information to be provided to the player. In this regard, as shown in this feature, when a lottery is won by the first lottery means during the second control mode, the pattern corresponding to the winning result is displayed in the stopped state on the first display part, and when the lottery by the second lottery means is won during the first control mode, the pattern corresponding to the winning result is displayed in the stopped state on the second display part.

Feature E8. The first display section has a first light guide section (light guide section 532Z) having a plurality of transparent light emitting sections arranged in a predetermined direction, a first light emitting section (side light 528Z) for supplying light to the first light guide section, and a first driving section (motor 526Z) for operating the first light guide section in the predetermined direction. It is configured to display the pattern,
The first display control means has a drive control means (a drive control function in the MPU 652 of the notification/production control device 140) that drives and controls the drive part, and the first light guide part is operated by the drive control means. The gaming machine according to any one of features E1 to E7, characterized in that it is configured to perform variable display of a pattern.

As shown in this feature, if the first display section is composed of a movable first light guide section, a light emitting section, and a driving section, the pattern on the first display section can be switched between display and non-display as necessary. Thereby, coexistence with the second display portion located behind can be preferably realized.

Feature E9. The first light emitting unit is configured to irradiate light in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first display unit and the second display unit are arranged side by side,
The gaming machine according to feature E8, wherein light from the first light emitting section is supplied to an end surface of the first light guide section.

According to feature E9, the light from the first light emitting section is emitted in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first display section and the second display section are arranged side by side, and is supplied to the end face of the first light guide section. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the pattern display from becoming difficult to understand due to, for example, the light from the first light emitting section being irradiated to the second display section side.

Feature E10. The first display control means has light emission control means (light emission control function in MPU 652 of notification / effect control device 140) that controls light emission of the first light emitting unit,
The gaming machine according to feature E8 or feature E9, wherein the light emission control means and the drive control means have a special control means for operating the first light guide part while the first light emission part is in a light-off state when the second display control means is displaying a pattern on the second display part.

According to the configuration shown in this feature, even if the first light guide part is operated when the pattern is displayed on the second display part, the pattern on the first display part remains hidden, so that the player can be prevented from being puzzled by the operation of the first light guide part.

Feature E11. The gaming machine according to feature E10, wherein the special control means is configured to turn on the first light emitting section after the operation of the first light guide section is stopped.

According to the configuration shown in this feature, even when the pattern is displayed on the second display unit, the result of the lottery for the first starting ball-entering unit can be notified by turning on the first light emitting unit after operating the first light guide unit in the off state. With such a configuration, it is possible to preferably prevent the pattern display on the second display unit from becoming difficult to understand in the process of notifying the lottery results.

Feature E12. The first light guide section has an annular or substantially annular shape, and is rotatably held about the central axis of the first light guide section,
The gaming machine according to any one of features E8 to E11, wherein the second display section is arranged inside the first light guide section.

As shown in this feature, if the first light guide portion is formed in an annular shape or a ring shape and rotated about its central axis, the distance between the first display portion and the second display portion can be reduced while ensuring the variable display function of the pattern in the first display portion.

Feature E13. The second display section has a transparent second light guide section (light guide section 732Z) in which a plurality of light emitting sections are formed so as to be aligned in the predetermined direction, a second light emitting section (side light 728Z) that supplies light to the second light guide section, and a second driving section (motor 726Z) that operates the second light guide section in the predetermined direction. The pattern is configured to be displayed,
The second light guide section has an annular or substantially annular shape, and is held so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the first light guide section,
The second display control means has a drive control means (drive control function in the MPU 652 of the notification / effect control device 140) that drives and controls the drive unit, and the second light guide unit is operated by the drive control means.
The gaming machine according to any one of features E8 to E12, wherein the first light emitting section emits light in the direction of the central axis of the first light guide section, and the second light emitting section emits light in the direction of the central axis of the second light guiding section.

According to the configuration shown in this feature, it is possible to suppress the supply of light from the first light emitting unit to the second light guide unit and the supply of light from the second light emitting unit to the first light guide unit while bringing the first display unit (first light guide unit) and the second display unit (second light guide unit) closer to each other.

Feature E14. a game board (game board unit 80) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
First special information acquisition means (a function of executing information acquisition processing based on a ball entering the upper working opening 83a by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for acquiring first special information (for example, holding information related to the upper working opening 83a) when a ball enters the first starting ball entering section (for example, the upper working opening 83a) provided in the game area;
a first acquired information storage means (reservation area Ra for the upper opening of the RAM 604) capable of storing the first special information acquired by the first special information acquisition means;
A first lottery means (a function of executing a lottery process based on a ball entering the upper working opening 83a by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) that sequentially performs a first lottery process (a lottery such as a jackpot) based on the first special information stored in the first acquired information storage means;
Second special information acquisition means (a function of executing information acquisition processing based on a ball entering the lower working opening 83b by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for acquiring second special information (holding information related to the lower working opening 83b) when a ball is entered into the second start ball entering portion (for example, the lower working opening 83b) provided in the game area;
a second acquisition information storage means (reservation area Rb for the lower opening of the RAM 604) capable of storing the second special information acquired by the second special information acquisition means;
A second lottery means (a function of executing a lottery process based on a ball entering the lower working opening 83b by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) that sequentially performs a second lottery process (a lottery for a big win or the like) based on the second special information stored in the second acquired information storage means;
A picture display means (for example, a variable display unit 500Z) having a first display section (for example, a first display unit) and a second display section (for example, a second display unit), and capable of variably displaying a picture on each of the first display section and the second display section;
Before the first lottery process is performed by the first lottery means or based on the first lottery process being performed by the first lottery means, the first display unit starts the variable display of the pattern, displays the stop result corresponding to the result of the first lottery process, and ends the variable display of the pattern as one game round, and the pattern display is performed in accordance with the first special information stored in the first acquired information storage means for each game round. A first game turn control means (for example, a function of executing a game turn control process related to the upper operation opening 83a by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) capable of controlling the means;
Prior to performing the second lottery process by the second lottery means or based on the fact that the second lottery process is performed by the second lottery means, the second display unit starts the variable display of patterns, displays a stop result corresponding to the result of the second lottery process, and ends the variable display of the patterns as one game cycle, and the pattern display is performed in accordance with the second special information stored in the second acquired information storage means for each game cycle. A second game round control means capable of controlling the means (for example, a function of executing a game round control process related to the lower operation opening 83b by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162),
The gaming machine is characterized in that the first display section and the second display section are arranged side by side such that the first display section is on the front side and the second display section is on the back side, and the second display section is visible from the front of the gaming machine through the first display section.

According to feature E14, the result of the lottery based on the ball entering the first starting ball entering section is displayed on the first display section, and the result of the lottery based on the ball entering the second starting ball entering section is displayed on the second display section. In this way, by separately providing the first display part for the first starting ball-entering part and the second display part for the second starting ball-entering part, the player can quickly grasp on which starting ball-entering part the game is progressing based on which the ball is entered. However, when a display unit is provided for each starting ball entry portion in this way, there is a concern that the places to be noted are scattered, which increases the burden on the player and increases the possibility of overlooking the lottery result. In this respect, as shown in this feature, since the second display section is configured to be visible through the first display section, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of the line of sight when focusing on the first display section and when focusing on the second display section. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of the above-described various inconveniences caused by the individual display for each starting ball-entering portion, while strengthening the originality. As a result, the effect of increasing the degree of attention to the game can be favorably enhanced.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply each of the technical ideas shown in the features E2 to E13 to the feature E14.

Further, it is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to D to features E1 to E14 described in detail above.

<Feature group F>
The following feature group F is "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines have a game board on which a game ball flows down. A game ball is shot toward the game area based on the player's shooting operation, and when the shot game ball enters a ball entry section provided in the game area, a privilege such as a payout of the game ball is given to the player based on this. In this way, the award of the privilege depends on the movement of the game ball. In some gaming machines, by arranging game parts such as nails and windmills in the game area, the flow path of the game ball is dispersed and the movement of the game ball is diversified, thereby increasing the attention to the movement of the game ball and, in turn, to the game (for example, see Patent Document 1). It was made with a problem to be solved.

Feature F1. a game board (game board unit 80) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
A game machine (game mechanism 800) provided at a position visible from the front of the game machine,
The game device has a rolling surface (stage portion 831) on which a game ball flowing down the game area can roll, and a movable portion (movable body 821) that can be displaced to a first position and a second position.
A game machine, wherein a period during which a game ball stays on the rolling surface is different according to a rolling mode of the game ball.

According to the feature F1, the movable part is displaced from the first position to the second position when the game ball is placed on the rolling surface, and the movable part returns from the second position to the first position when the game ball leaves the rolling surface. Here, a difference occurs in the stay period of staying on the rolling surface according to the rolling manner of the game ball on the rolling surface (for example, the rolling direction and rolling speed of the game ball). That is, the period during which the movable portion is positioned at the second position depends on the stay period. By suppressing the motion of the gaming machine from becoming monotonous in this manner, it is possible to contribute to an increase in the degree of attention paid to the game.

In addition, the configuration shown in this feature is defined as "a game machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and a game device (game mechanism 800) provided at a position visible from the front of the game machine, wherein the game machine comprises a rolling surface (stage part 831) on which game balls flowing down the game area can roll, and a movable part (movable body 821) that can be displaced to a first position and a second position. A gaming machine characterized in that the movable portion is displaced from the first position to the second position when a game ball is placed on the rolling surface, and the movable portion is displaced from the second position to the first position when the game ball leaves the rolling surface.

Feature F2. The stage portion on which the rolling surface is formed is held so as to be able to move up and down,
The gaming machine according to feature F1, wherein the movable portion is displaced from the first position to the second position by lowering the stage portion from the standby position to the lowered position against the biasing force, and the movable portion is displaced from the second position to the first position by returning the stage portion from the lowered position to the standby position by the biasing force.

According to the feature F2, the movable portion is displaced to the first position/second position in conjunction with the up-and-down motion of the stage portion on which the rolling surface is formed. Here, by setting the movement direction of the stage portion up and down, it is possible to suppress the behavior of the game ball from changing due to the movement of the stage portion. This is preferable for alleviating bias in the waiting period in which the game ball waits on the rolling surface.

Feature F3. The gaming machine according to feature F2, wherein the stage portion is configured to move from the standby position to the lowered position by the weight of the game ball resting on the rolling surface.

As shown in this feature, if the weight of the game ball positioned on the rolling surface is used, an electrical configuration such as a sensor for detecting the game ball on the rolling surface and an actuator for displacing the movable portion based on the detection result of the sensor becomes unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the complication of the configuration resulting therefrom while improving the degree of attention to the game. This is preferable for promoting the use of the configuration shown in feature F1 and the like.

Feature F4. The gaming machine according to feature F3, wherein the gaming machine has a link portion (link member 840) that connects the stage portion and the movable portion and is rotatably held at an intermediate position between the stage portion and the movable portion, and is configured such that the stage portion and the movable portion are alternately displaced in a vertical direction.

As shown in the feature F3, in the structure in which the weight of the game ball is used to raise and lower the stage portion, the driving force depends on the weight of the game ball. As shown in this feature, the stage portion is arranged on one end of the rotatably held link portion, and the movable portion is arranged on the other end side. This is preferable in terms of increasing the certainty of the operation of the gaming machine on the premise that the driving force is small.

Feature F5. The game machine according to feature F4, wherein the rotation center portion of the link portion is arranged so as to be biased toward the movable portion of the stage portion and the movable portion.

As shown in this feature, if the center of rotation is positioned closer to the movable part, it is possible to increase the weight of the movable part that is permissible when displacing the movable part using the weight of the game ball. This is preferable for increasing the degree of freedom in designing the gaming machine.

Feature F6. The gaming machine according to any one of features F3 to F5, wherein the stage section is formed so that a plurality of game balls can roll simultaneously on the rolling surface.

As described above, in the configuration that uses the weight of the game ball as power for displacing the movable portion, the displacement speed (response) can be changed according to the number of game balls that can be positioned on the rolling surface. Such a configuration in which the responsiveness changes according to the number of game balls can contribute to further diversification of the period during which the movable portion is maintained at the second position.

Feature F7. The rolling surface is formed with an exit portion (central opening 832) that is open upward and through which game balls can pass,
The stage portion is formed with a discharge passage (discharge passage 833) through which game balls that have passed through the exit portion pass,
The game machine according to any one of features F3 to F6, wherein the discharge passage is a vertical passage extending vertically from the outlet portion.

In a configuration in which a discharge passage is formed in the stage portion, as shown in this feature, by making the discharge passage a vertical passage, delay in returning the stage portion to the standby position due to being pushed by a game ball passing through the discharge passage can be avoided. This can contribute to improvement in responsiveness when the movable portion is displaced to the first position/second position.

Feature F8. The rolling surface is formed with an exit portion (central opening 832) that is open upward and through which game balls can pass,
The gaming machine according to any one of features F3 to F7, wherein the outlet portion is sized such that a plurality of game balls cannot pass through at the same time.

According to the feature F8, when a plurality of game balls roll on the rolling surface, the game balls are successively released from the rolling surface, thereby avoiding sudden release. Therefore, it is possible to diversify the period (for example, action period) during which the movable portion waits at the second position according to the number of game balls positioned on the rolling surface.

Feature F9. The gaming machine according to any one of features F3 to F8, wherein the movement path of the game ball on the rolling surface includes a plurality of movement paths having different lengths of stay of the game ball on the rolling surface.

According to the configuration shown in this feature, a difference occurs in the stay period of the game ball on the rolling surface depending on which movement path the game ball that has reached the rolling surface passes through. With such a configuration, the player can estimate the staying period to some extent by paying attention to the movement path of the game ball. In this way, allowing the player to guess, albeit slightly, is preferable in order to increase the degree of attention to the game.

Feature F10. The gaming machine according to feature F9, wherein the rolling surface is formed so as to allow the game ball to move from one moving path to another moving path among the plurality of moving paths.

Further diversification of the stay period can be easily realized by allowing the movement of the game ball between movement paths.

Feature F11. The gaming machine according to any one of features F2 to F10, further comprising a guide portion (communication path 88bD) that guides the game ball to the rolling surface, wherein the guide portion has a plurality of flow paths with different moving speeds of the game ball moving to the rolling surface.

As shown in this feature, if the movement speed of the game ball when moving to the rolling surface is made different, the difference in the staying period of the game ball on the rolling surface can be increased.

It is also possible to apply the technical idea shown in this feature to the feature F1.

Feature F12. The stage portion on which the rolling surface is formed is a first stage portion,
The gaming machine according to any one of Features F2 to F11, wherein the gaming machine has a second stage portion (stage portion 811) provided with a plurality of ball-entering portions including predetermined ball-entering portions (ball-entering ports 812 and 813), and is configured such that a ball is more difficult to enter into the predetermined ball-entering portion when the movable portion is placed at the second position than when the movable portion is placed at the first position.

According to the feature F12, it is difficult to enter the ball into the predetermined ball entry part by arranging the movable part at the second position, but this period depends on the period in which the game ball stays on the rolling surface. By diversifying the period during which it is difficult to enter a ball into a predetermined ball-entering section in this way, it is possible to favorably encourage the player to pay attention to the movement of the game ball on the first stage section and the second stage section.

Feature F13. The first stage portion is configured to move from the standby position to the lowered position by the weight of the game ball resting on the rolling surface,
The game device has a link portion (link member 840) that connects the first stage portion and the movable portion and is rotatably held at an intermediate position between the first stage portion and the movable portion, and is configured such that the first stage portion and the movable portion are alternately displaced in the vertical direction,
The movable portion has a stage surface forming portion (upper surfaces 823a and 824a of the columnar portions 823 and 824) that forms a part of the stage surface of the second stage portion when placed at the second position,
The gaming machine according to feature F12, wherein the stage surface forming portion is formed so that the area of the stage surface forming portion is smaller than the area of the rolling surface of the first stage portion.

In a configuration in which the weight of the game ball is used to lower the first stage part and the movable part is raised in conjunction therewith, the movable part sinks downward when the game ball is placed on the movable part (stage surface forming part). Although this is preferable in terms of diversifying the movements of the game machine, there is a concern that such movements occur frequently and the state changes minutely, which increases the fatigue of the player watching the game machine. Therefore, as shown in this feature, by making the area of the stage surface forming portion smaller than the area of the rolling surface of the first stage portion and reducing the chance that the number of game balls on the stage surface forming portion exceeds the number of game balls on the rolling surface, it is possible to suppress the above-mentioned small state changes and realize a configuration that is practically preferable.

Feature F14. The first stage portion is configured to move from the standby position to the lowered position by the weight of the game ball resting on the rolling surface,
The game device has a link portion (link member 840) that connects the first stage portion and the movable portion and is rotatably held at an intermediate position between the first stage portion and the movable portion, and is configured such that the first stage portion and the movable portion are alternately displaced in the vertical direction,
The movable unit has a aisle formation part (823A, 824A, 824A, 823A, 824a of the columnar portion 823, 824), which forms the bottom of the aisle where the gaming ball flows into the prescribed ball in the first place in the first place, and the corresponding to the transway part is prescribed in the above -mentioned second -position. A gaming machine according to F12 or feature F13, which is characterized by being configured to be protruding from the entrance part.

As shown in this feature, the passage forming portion of the movable portion forms the discharge passage (bottom portion) in the second stage portion, and if this passage forming portion projects upward from the predetermined ball entering portion, it is possible to suppress the game ball heading for the predetermined ball entering portion from being placed on the movable portion. As a result, it is possible to preferably avoid shortening the period during which it is difficult for a game ball that has reached the second stage to enter a predetermined ball entry section.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to E to the features F1 to F14 described in detail above.

<Characteristic group G>
The following feature group G is: "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines have a game board on which a game ball flows down. A game ball is shot toward the game area based on the player's shooting operation, and when the shot game ball enters a ball entry section provided in the game area, a privilege such as a payout of the game ball is given to the player based on this. In this way, the award of the privilege depends on the movement of the game ball. In some gaming machines, by arranging game parts such as nails and windmills in the game area, the flow path of the game ball is dispersed and the movement of the game ball is diversified, thereby increasing the attention to the movement of the game ball and, in turn, to the game (for example, see Patent Document 1). It was made with a problem to be solved.

Feature G1. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed,
Distributing means (upper rune 856F) for distributing game balls flowing down the game area to the first flow path (first branch passage portion 864F) and the second flow path (second branch passage portion 865F),
A gaming machine characterized by comprising a guide means (non-electrical accessory 858F) switchable between a first state (first guide state) for guiding a game ball flowing down the first flow path to a ball-entering portion (lower operating port 859F) and a second state (second guiding state) for guiding a game ball flowing down the first flow path and the second flow path to the ball-entering portion.

According to the feature G1, when the guide means is in the first state, the game ball distributed to the first flow path by the distribution means is guided to the ball entry portion by the guide means. That is, in the first state, the ball-entering path to the ball-entering portion is limited to the first channel. On the other hand, when the guide means is in the second state, not only the game balls distributed to the first flow path by the distribution means but also the game balls distributed to the second flow path are guided to the ball entry part by the guide means. That is, in the second state, there is room for the game ball distributed to the second flow path to enter the ball entering portion, and the frequency of ball entering the ball entering portion is higher than in the first state. In this way, by providing a game ball which is seemingly out of play by the sorting means with an opportunity to enter, the game ball sorted to the second flow path can be prevented from lowering the attention of the player, and can contribute to the improvement of the attention to the game.

Feature G2. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed,
Distributing means (upper crew 856F) for distributing game balls flowing down the second predetermined flow path among the first predetermined flow path (side route) and second predetermined flow path (center route) formed in the game area to the first special flow path (first branch passage portion 864F) and second special flow path (second branch passage portion 865F),
A gaming machine comprising guide means (non-motorized accessory 858F) that can be switched between a first state (first guide state) for guiding a game ball flowing down the first special channel to a ball entry portion (lower operating port 859F) and a second state (second guide state) for guiding a game ball flowing down the first special channel, the second special channel, and the first predetermined channel to the ball entry portion.

According to the feature G2, when the guide means is in the first state, the game ball distributed to the first special flow path by the distribution means is guided to the ball entry portion by the guide means. That is, in the first state, the ball-entering path to the ball-entering portion is limited to the first special channel. On the other hand, when the guide means is in the second state, not only the game balls distributed to the first special flow path by the distribution means but also the game balls distributed to the second special flow path are guided to the ball entry part by the guide means. That is, in the second state, there is room for the game ball distributed to the second special channel to enter the ball entry portion, and the frequency of ball entry into the ball entry portion is higher than in the first state. In this way, the game balls that seem to have been lost by the sorting means are provided with an opportunity to enter the game balls, so that the game balls sorted to the second special channel can be suppressed from lowering the player's attention and contribute to the improvement of the attention to the game.

Feature G3. a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entry portion (operation openings 83a, 83b) provided in the game area (a function of acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (an actuation port display portion of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn operation is performed, with the end of the game turn operation being the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the start of the game turn operation, and
Distributing means (upper crew 856F) for distributing game balls flowing down the second predetermined flow path among the first predetermined flow path (side route) and the second predetermined flow path (center route) formed in the game area to the first special flow path (first branch passage portion 864F) and second special flow path (second branch passage portion 865F),
A gaming machine characterized by comprising guide means (non-motorized accessory 858F) that can be switched between a first state (first guide state) for guiding a game ball flowing down the first special channel to the starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) and a second state (second guide state) for guiding the game ball flowing down the first special channel, the second special channel, and the first predetermined channel to the start ball entry portion.

According to the feature G3, when the guiding means is in the first state, the game ball distributed to the first special flow path by the distributing means is guided to the starting ball entering portion by the guiding means. That is, in the first state, the ball-entering path to the starting ball-entering portion is limited to the first special channel. On the other hand, when the guide means is in the second state, not only the game balls distributed to the first special flow path by the distribution means but also the game balls distributed to the second special flow path and further the game balls flowing down the first predetermined flow path (game balls that did not reach the distribution means) are guided to the starting ball entry part by the guide means. In this way, even the game balls that have not reached the sorting means and become thicker and are not sorted by the sorting means are given the opportunity to enter the starting ball entry part, thereby suppressing the decrease in the player's attention to the game balls flowing down other than the first special flow path and contributing to the improvement of the attention to the game.

According to such a configuration, since the occurrence frequency to the starting ball entry part can be biased, the game progress can be enhanced by performing the game-playing motion continuously or by not performing the game-playing motion. Thereby, the monotony of the game can be suppressed.

Feature G4. The gaming machine according to feature G3, wherein the first predetermined flow path and the second predetermined flow path are formed such that a required period required for a game ball flowing down the first predetermined flow path to move from a branch position of the first predetermined flow path and the second predetermined flow path to the guide means is different from a required period required for the game ball flowing down the second predetermined flow path to move from the branch position to the guiding means.

According to the feature G4, the game balls divided into the first predetermined flow path and the second predetermined flow path have different predetermined periods until they reach the guiding means. As a result, when the preceding game ball and the subsequent game ball both head toward the starting ball entering portion, it is possible to make it easier for the ball entering span of the game ball to vary. As a result, the effect shown in feature G3 can be favorably exhibited.

Feature G5. The gaming machine according to Characteristic G3, wherein the first predetermined flow path is formed so that the time required for a game ball flowing down the first predetermined flow path to move from the branch position of the first predetermined flow path and the second predetermined flow path to the distribution means is shorter than the time required for the game ball flowing down the second predetermined flow path to move from the branch position to the distribution means.

According to the feature G5, the required period for the game ball to pass through the second predetermined flow path→the guiding means is shorter than the required period for the game ball to pass through the first predetermined path→the sorting means→the guiding means. As a result, when the preceding game ball passes through the previous route and the succeeding game ball passes through the latter route, the succeeding game ball approaches the preceding game ball, and continuous ball entry is likely to occur. As a result, the effect shown in feature G3 can be favorably exhibited. In particular, lengthening the required period for flowing down the first predetermined flow path side with a relatively high degree of advantage and shortening the required period for flowing down the second predetermined flow path side with a relatively low degree of advantage is preferable in terms of improving the degree of attention of players.

Feature G6. The gaming machine according to feature G4 or feature G5, wherein the sorting means comprises a parking portion capable of parking game balls, and an inlet portion of the first special channel and an inlet portion of the second special channel into which the game balls parked in the parking portion can flow.

As shown in the feature G6, if the game ball can be stopped by the sorting means, the period difference shown in the feature G5 can be preferably ensured.

Feature G7. The gaming machine according to any one of features G3 to G6, wherein the allocating means is configured to distribute more game balls to the second special channel than to the first special channel.

According to feature G7, it is possible to make a significant difference in the frequency of ball entry between the case where no ball is entered into the starting ball entry portion and the case where the ball is continuously entered into the starting ball entry portion.

Feature G8. The gaming machine according to any one of features G3 to G7, wherein the guiding means is configured to switch to the guiding state when a game ball guided to the starting ball-entering section by the guiding means reaches a predetermined position between the guiding means and the starting ball-entering section.

According to the feature G8, when one game ball enters the starting ball entering part, the following game balls also enter the starting ball entering part easily and enter the starting ball entering part continuously. In this way, if one ball is used as a priming and the ball is continuously entered, the technical ideas shown in the above feature G1 and the like can be suitably embodied.

It should be noted that each technical idea shown in features G3 to G8 may be applied to features G1 to G2.

It is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to F to features G1 to G8.

<Characteristic group H>
The following feature group H is: "Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, have a game board on which a game ball flows down. A game ball is shot toward the game area based on the player's shooting operation, and when the shot game ball enters a ball entry part provided in the game area, a privilege such as a payout of the game ball is given to the player based on this. In this way, the award of the privilege depends on the movement of the game ball. In some gaming machines, by arranging game parts such as nails and windmills in the game area, the flow path of the game ball is dispersed and the movement of the game ball is diversified, thereby increasing the attention to the movement of the game ball and, in turn, to the game (for example, see Patent Document 1). It was made with a problem to be solved.

Feature H1. a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area (a function of acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means (function for executing winning/failure determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g. winning information);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (an actuation port display portion of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn operation is performed, with the end of the game turn operation being the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the game turn operation is started,
In the game area, a special flow path (center route) formed so that the game ball that has passed through a predetermined position (non-electric accessory 858F) in the game area flows into the start ball entry portion is provided.
A game machine characterized by comprising guide means (a non-electric accessory 858F and a lower rune 857F) for guiding other game balls that follow the game ball to the starting ball entry part when the game ball that has passed the predetermined position is positioned in the special channel.

According to the feature H1, the game ball that has passed through the predetermined position in the game area enters the starting ball entering section through the special flow path. Here, when the game ball heading for the starting ball entering part is positioned in the special channel, other game balls (subsequent game balls) are guided to the starting ball entering part, and continuous ball entering to the starting ball entering part is likely to occur. With such a configuration, it is possible to generate a bias in the frequency of ball entering the starting ball entering portion, and it is possible to generate a bias in the frequency of the game turning operation based on the ball entering the starting ball entering portion. As a result, monotonous progress of the game can be suppressed, and the degree of attention to the game can be improved.

Feature H2. The guiding means are
A stage portion (lower crown 857F) forming the special flow path and having a rolling surface on which the game ball can roll,
a holding portion (base body 851F) that holds the stage portion so that it can be raised and lowered between the standby position and the lowered position;
a biasing portion that biases the stage portion to the standby position;
A movable body (non-electric accessory 858F) disposed at the predetermined position and capable of switching between a first state and a second state in which the game ball is guided so as to make it easier for the game ball to flow into the special channel than in the first state;
a link mechanism that connects the stage portion and the movable body,
The gaming machine according to feature H1, wherein the guide means is configured such that the movable body is switched from the first state to the second state when a game ball is placed on the rolling surface of the stage portion and the movable body is lowered from the standby position to the lowered position against the urging force of the stage portion.

According to the characteristic H2, the stage portion is displaced from the standby position to the lowered position by the game ball passing through the predetermined position being placed on the stage portion (rolling surface). As the movable body switches from the first state to the second state as it is displaced to the lowered position, it becomes easier for the ball to flow into the special channel, and the ball continues to enter the starting ball entering portion. With such a configuration, the technical idea shown in feature H1 can be suitably embodied.

Feature H3. The gaming machine according to feature H2, wherein the stage portion is configured to move from the standby position to the lowered position by the weight of the game ball resting on the rolling surface.

As shown in feature H2, the weight of the game ball may be used to link the stage portion and the movable body. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the control load related to the progress of the game when the ball-entering frequency is biased.

Feature H4. The stage section is configured to return from the lowered position to the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing section when a game ball resting on the rolling surface is separated from the rolling surface,
The gaming machine according to feature H3, wherein the movable body switches from the second state to the first state as the stage section returns from the standby position to the lowered position.

According to feature H4, the movable body is maintained in the second state while the preceding game ball is rolling on the rolling surface. In this way, by waiting for the arrival of the succeeding game balls while delaying the timing at which the preceding game balls enter the start ball entry part, the player can have a margin to visually confirm the state of continuous ball entry, and the degree of satisfaction of the player can be preferably increased.

Feature H5. The stage portion is configured to return from the lowered position to the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing portion when a game ball resting on the rolling surface leaves the rolling surface,
The gaming machine according to feature H3, wherein the movable body switches from the second state to the first state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after switching from the first state to the second state.

According to feature H5, the movement of the stage section and the movement of the movable body are not completely interlocked, and the movable body returns to the first state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after being in the second state. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the game balls flowing down the game area from being landed on the stage one after another and the movable body being maintained in the second state for an excessively long time. In other words, it is possible to prevent the above-described bias in the frequency of entering balls from becoming excessive by setting a certain limit on the continuous entry of game balls.

Feature H6. The gaming machine according to any one of features H3 to H5, wherein the stage unit is configured such that the orientation of the rolling surface when arranged at the standby position and the orientation of the rolling surface when arranged at the lowered position are the same.

When the stage part descends due to the game ball being placed on the stage part, by avoiding the change in the posture of the stage part, the disturbance of the behavior of the game ball can be suppressed. Suppressing the disturbance of the behavior of the game ball in this way is preferable in terms of improving the degree of attention to the game ball on the stage section.

Feature H7. The obtained information storage means can store a plurality of the special information,
The transition determination means is configured to sequentially determine whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g. winning information),
The gaming machine according to any one of features H2 to H6, wherein the number of special information that can be stored by the obtained information storage means is smaller than the maximum number of game balls that can be placed on the rolling surface.

By making the number of special information that can be stored smaller than the number of game balls that can be positioned on the stage part (rolling surface) as shown in this feature, it is possible to suppress the excessive number of balls for which transition determination is not performed while increasing the number of consecutive ball entries. This is preferable in terms of suppressing a decrease in exhilaration due to continuous ball entry.

Feature H8. The gaming machine according to any one of features H3 to H7, wherein the stage section is configured such that a game ball cannot reach the stage section via a path other than the special channel.

As shown in this feature, by narrowing down the trigger for starting continuous ball-entering to the starting ball-entering portion to passing through a predetermined position, it is possible to suppress the continuous ball-entering from starting at an unintended timing. By reducing the chances of missing the start of consecutive ball-entering in this way, the effect of increasing the degree of attention due to consecutive ball-entering can be favorably exhibited.

Feature H9. the predetermined position is a first predetermined position;
Distributing means for distributing game balls that have reached the branch position to the first predetermined position and a second predetermined position different from the first predetermined position (upper crown 856F),
The gaming machine according to any one of features H2 to H8, wherein the movable body guides a game ball that has reached the first predetermined position to the special channel in the first state, but does not guide a game ball that has reached the second predetermined position to the special channel, and guides a game ball that has reached the first predetermined position and the second predetermined position to the special channel in the second state.

According to the feature H9, the movable body is switched to the second state by the game balls distributed to the first predetermined position by the distribution means flowing into the special flow path. As a result, even if the subsequent game balls are sorted to the second predetermined position, they are guided to the special channel by the movable body. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the chance of occurrence of an event in which continuous ball-entering does not occur even though the conditions for starting continuous ball-entering are met.

Feature H10. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) capable of shooting game balls into the game area,
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section provided in the game area (function for acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (an actuation port display portion of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn operation is performed, with the end of the game turn operation being the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the start of the game turn operation, and
As the starting ball entry part, a first start ball entry part (lower operation port 859F) arranged in the first flow path (left route) in the game area, and a second start ball entry part (right operation opening 883F) arranged in a second flow path (right route) different from the first flow path,
Switching means (electric accessory 891F) for switching between a receiving state in which a ball can be entered into the second starting ball-entering portion and a non-accepting state in which it is more difficult or impossible to enter a ball than in the accepting state;
Switching control means for controlling the switching means (function for executing electric support processing in MPU 602 of main control device 162),
As switching control modes of the switching means by the switching control means, a first switching mode (low-frequency support mode) and a second switching mode (high-frequency support mode) in which the switching mode to the acceptance state is more advantageous to the player than the first switching mode are provided.
In the first switching mode, the game ball is shot to the first flow path, which is more advantageous to the player than when the game ball is shot to the second flow path. In the second switching mode, the game ball is shot to the second flow path.
The first flow path has a special flow path formed so that the game ball that has passed through the predetermined position (non-electric accessory 858F) in the first flow path flows into the first start ball entry portion (lower crown 857F constituting the center route),
The game machine is characterized by comprising guide means (non-electric accessory 858F) for guiding other game balls that follow the game ball to the first start ball entry part when the game ball that has passed through the predetermined position is positioned in the special channel.

According to the feature H10, the game ball that has passed through the predetermined position in the game area enters the first start ball entry section through the special flow path. Here, when the game ball heading for the first starting ball entering part is positioned in the special channel, other game balls (subsequent game balls) are guided to the first starting ball entering part, and continuous ball entering to the first starting ball entering part is likely to occur even in the first switching mode. With such a configuration, it is possible to bias the frequency of ball-entering the starting ball-entering portion in the first switching mode, and it is possible to cause bias in the frequency of game-turning operations based on ball-entering the starting ball-entering portion. As a result, monotonous progress of the game can be suppressed, and the degree of attention to the game can be improved.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply the respective technical ideas shown in the group of features A to G to the features H1 to H10 detailed above.

<Characteristic group I>
The following characteristic group I is "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that variably displays a pattern on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a win state, and the variable display of the pattern is started. If the lottery is won, a specific pattern combination, etc. will be displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Features I1. A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area (game area PE),
Information acquiring means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by MPU 602 of main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means (function for executing winning/failure determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g. winning information);
A game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the transition correspondence result (jackpot result) indicating that the result of determination by the transition determination means corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation opening display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement as one game turn when a notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means is obtained after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
An effect execution means (a function of executing a display effect by the notification/effect control device 140 and the display control device 410) capable of executing the effect corresponding to the determination result by the transition determination means in the display section in conjunction with the game rotation operation,
A passage portion (production gate 855F) provided in the game area and through which game balls flowing down the game area pass;
A detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passing portion,
The starting ball entry part and the passage part are arranged in a predetermined flow path (center route constituting a downstream part of the left route) formed in the game area,
The production executing means is
production start means for starting a special production based on the passage of the game ball through the passing portion;
and an effect ending means for ending the special effect started by the effect starting means based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section.

In a game machine of a type that executes an effect interlocked with a game-playing operation on a predetermined display unit, the process (display mode) until notification of the determination result by the transition determining means is diversified, thereby suppressing the monotony of the game. In this type of gaming machine, although it is possible to improve the degree of attention to the game, the following inconvenience may occur due to the fact that the presence or absence of the effect depends on the ball entering the starting ball entering section. In other words, the lengthening of the period in which the performance is not performed makes it conspicuous that no ball is entered into the starting ball-entering section, and this can be a factor in lowering the player's desire to play. Here, in the configuration shown in this feature, the special effect is started (previous start) triggered by the game ball passing through the passing portion, and the special effect ends based on the ball entering the starting ball entering portion. As a result, it is possible to prevent the non-effect period from being excessively long in which the effect is not executed on the predetermined display section, and to suppress the decrease in the degree of attention to the game. This is preferable for suppressing a decline in motivation to play.

In addition, the configuration shown in this feature is "a starting ball entry section (lower operation opening 859F) provided in the game area (game area PE), information acquisition means for acquiring special information (hold information) based on the ball entering the start ball entry section (function for acquiring hold information by MPU 602 of main controller 162), and acquired information storage means capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means (function for storing hold information by MPU 602 of main controller 162). Then, transition determining means (function for executing winning/failure determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g. winning information), and based on the result of determination by the transition determining means being a transition correspondence result (jackpot result) indicating that the result corresponds to the predetermined transition information, the game state is shifted to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) that is more advantageous to the player than the normal game state. state transition means (a function for executing game state transition processing by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162); display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display portion (display screen 500aF); and effect execution means (function for executing display effect by notification/effect control device 140 and display control device 410) capable of executing effect corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means in the display portion in conjunction with the game cycle operation, wherein the game ball is provided in the game area and flows down the game area. and a detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passage portion. The game machine is characterized by having a performance starting means for starting a special performance based on the passing of a game ball and a performance ending means for ending the special performance started by the performance starting means based on the ball entering the starting ball entry part. ” is also possible.

Feature I2. The gaming machine according to feature I1, wherein the passing portion is arranged upstream of the starting ball entering portion in the predetermined flow path, and a game ball that has passed through the passing portion can enter the starting ball entering portion.

According to the feature I2, by arranging the passing part which triggers the start of the special performance on the upstream side of the starting ball entry part which triggers the end of the special performance, the effect of suppressing the extension of the non-performance period can be exhibited favorably.

Feature I3. The gaming machine according to feature I1 or feature I2, wherein the predetermined flow path is a flow path that connects the passing portion and the starting ball-entering portion, and a game ball that has passed through the passing portion can enter the starting ball-entering portion.

According to the feature I3, the game ball flowing down the predetermined flow path can enter the starting ball entering section after passing through the passing section. As a result, one game ball may serve as both the trigger for starting and the trigger for ending the special effect.

Feature I4. The production start means sets an execution period of the special production when starting the special production based on the game ball passing through the passing portion,
The game machine according to any one of features I1 to I3, characterized in that the performance ending means delays the end timing of the special performance so that the special performance continues even after the execution period elapses when a game ball enters the starting ball entering section during the execution period set by the performance starting means.

According to the feature I4, the execution period of the special performance is set when the special performance is started, and the special performance is continued even after the execution period elapses by the occurrence of a ball entering the starting ball entry part during the execution period, and the end timing of the special performance is delayed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the special effect from being abruptly terminated due to the ball entering the starting ball-entering part, and suppress the appearance of the special effect from deteriorating.

Feature I5. The effect ending means is a first ending means,
The game machine according to feature I4, characterized in that the performance execution means has a second end means for ending the special performance after the execution period elapses when a ball does not enter the starting ball-entering section during the special performance started by the performance start means.

As shown in the characteristic I4, when the special effect is started based on the game ball passing through the passing portion, the execution period of the special effect is set. When the execution period elapses without the ball entering the starting ball entering section, the special performance is terminated. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the player to have the impression that the special effect is completely unrelated to the ball entering the starting ball entering section.

Feature I6. The special effect comprises a first part and a second part that is executed in such a way that the player recognizes that the first part is followed by the first part, and
The production start means starts the special production by executing the first part,
The gaming machine according to feature I5, wherein the second ending means is configured to end the special effect without shifting to the second part.

According to the feature I6, the special effect shifts from the first part to the second part, thereby increasing expectations for the transition to the special game state. When the execution period elapses without the ball entering the starting ball entry part in the special performance triggered by the passage of the passing part, the transition to the second part is avoided, and the display with high expectation is not displayed even though the judgment by the transition judging means is not performed. By suppressing the player's sense of expectation from being recklessly stirred up in this way, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the player's attention is lowered even though the situation is worthy of attention. This is preferable in favorably exhibiting the effect of improving the degree of attention by the special effect.

Feature I7. The special effect comprises a first part and a second part that is executed in such a way that the player recognizes that the first part is followed by the first part, and
The production start means is a first start means for starting the special production by executing the first part,
The production executing means is
a first transition means for shifting the special effect from the first part to the second part based on the fact that the special effect is started by the first starting means and a ball is entered into the starting ball entering portion during the special effect;
a second starting means for starting the special effect so that the first part is executed based on the fact that a ball is entered into the starting ball-entering portion in a situation where the special effect is not being executed;
The gaming machine according to any one of features I1 to I6, further comprising a second shift means for shifting the special performance started by the second start means from the first part to the second part.

As shown in feature I7, in the special effect started based on passing through the passing part, the first part is executed first, and if a ball enters the starting ball entering part during the first part, the second part is started. Looking forward to transition. As a result, it is possible to avoid giving the impression to the player that the special effect corresponding to the first part=no ball entering the starting ball entering section. This is preferable in terms of increasing the degree of attention paid to the special effect.

Feature I8. The gaming machine according to feature I7, wherein the first transition means delays the transition timing when shifting the special performance from the first part to the second part based on the occurrence of a ball entering the starting ball entry portion during the special performance started by the first start means, than the timing of the entry of the ball.

According to feature I8, it is possible to make the transition timing difficult or impossible to identify when transitioning to the second part based on the ball entering the starting ball entering portion during the special effect. By making it difficult to specify the transition timing to the second part in this way, the transition to the second part can be expected at any time during the first part, and the above-described effect of improving the degree of attention can be preferably exhibited.

Feature I9. The special effect comprises a first part and a second part that is executed in such a way that the player recognizes that the first part is followed by the first part, and
The production start means is a first start means for starting the special production by executing the first part,
The production executing means is
a first transition means for shifting the special effect from the first part to the second part based on the fact that the special effect is started by the first starting means and a ball is entered into the starting ball entering portion during the special effect;
a second starting means for starting the special effect so that the first part is executed based on the fact that a ball is entered into the starting ball-entering portion in a situation where the special effect is not being executed;
a second shift means for shifting the special effect started by the second start means from the first part to the second part;
Characteristic I5 or Characteristic I6, characterized in that, after the special effect is started by the first starting means, when the game ball reaches a specific position between the passage part and the starting ball entering part in the predetermined flow path and before the timing of ending the special effect by the second ending means, the special effect is delayed at least until the game ball passing through the specific position enters the starting ball entering part. game machine.

According to the feature I9, after the special performance is started by the first starting means, the special performance may be extended by the game ball reaching a specific position in a predetermined flow path before the timing of ending the special performance by the second ending means. With such a configuration, it is possible to preferably exhibit the function of continuing the special performance by the ball entering the starting ball entering portion while minimizing the execution period set with passage through the passing portion.

Feature I10. The game machine according to feature I9, wherein the effect executing means has change means capable of changing the display mode of the special effect from the first mode to the second mode when the special effect is delayed by the delay means and the special effect may end before the ball enters the starting ball-entering section without the delay.

According to the feature I10, when the special performance normally finished before the ball enters the starting ball entry part is continued by the arrival of the game ball at the specific position, the display mode of the special performance is switched from the first mode to the second mode, thereby suggesting or clarifying to that effect. With such a configuration, it is possible to encourage the degree of attention to the starting ball-entering section, and reduce the chance of overlooking the ball-entering the starting ball-entering section. As already explained, when the special performance shifts from the first part to the second part due to the ball entering the starting ball entering part, it becomes clear that the transition timing may deviate from the ball entering the starting ball entering part.

Feature I11. The gaming machine according to any one of features I1 to I10, wherein the performance executing means has means for starting the special performance when a ball is entered into the starting ball entry section under a situation in which the special performance is not being executed, and ending the special performance when a predetermined execution period has elapsed.

If a special performance is executed when a ball enters the starting ball entering part while the special performance is not being executed, and the special performance is started (preceding start) based on the game ball passing through the passing part before entering the starting ball entering part, the effect of suppressing the decrease in the degree of attention to the game can be exhibited favorably.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to H to the feature I1 to feature I11 detailed above.

<Characteristic group J>
The following characteristic group J is: "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that displays patterns on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a win state, and the variable display of the pattern is started.If the lottery is won, a specific combination of patterns, etc. will be displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Feature J1. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) capable of shooting game balls into the game area,
A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area,
Information acquiring means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by MPU 602 of main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means (function for executing winning/failure determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g. winning information);
A game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the transition correspondence result (jackpot result) indicating that the result of determination by the transition determination means corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation opening display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement as one game turn when a notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means is obtained after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
Display control means (notification/production control device 140 and display control device 410) for performing display control of the display unit;
A passage portion (production gate 855F) provided in the game area and through which game balls flowing down the game area pass;
A detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passing portion,
The starting ball entry part and the passage part are arranged in a predetermined flow path (center route constituting a downstream part of the left route) formed in the game area,
The gaming machine is characterized in that the display control means has means for executing a predetermined display process when a game ball passes through the passing portion during the game-playing operation, and not executing the predetermined display processing when the game ball passes through the passing portion under a situation in which the game-playing operation is not being performed.

According to the characteristic J1, when the game ball passes through the passing portion located in the same predetermined flow path as the starting ball entering portion during the game round operation (during the game round), the predetermined display processing is executed (when the game ball passes through the passing portion under the condition that the game round operation is not in progress, the predetermined processing is not executed). With such a configuration, when the game ball continues to be shot toward the start ball entry part even during the game turn operation, the display contents and the like on the display part can be changed according to the passage of the passage part, and the monotony of the display can be suitably suppressed. This prevents the display from becoming monotonous and contributes to increasing attention to the game.

In addition, the configuration shown in this feature is "a starting ball entry section (lower operation opening 859F) provided in the game area (game area PE), information acquisition means for acquiring special information (hold information) based on the ball entering the start ball entry section (function for acquiring hold information by MPU 602 of main controller 162), and acquired information storage means capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means (function for storing hold information by MPU 602 of main controller 162). Then, transition determining means (function for executing winning/failure determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162) for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g. winning information), and based on the result of determination by the transition determining means being a transition correspondence result (jackpot result) indicating that the result corresponds to the predetermined transition information, the game state is shifted to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) that is more advantageous to the player than the normal game state. state transition means (a function for executing game state transition processing by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162); A gaming machine comprising: a passing portion (effect gate 855F) provided in the game area through which game balls flowing down the game area pass; and detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting game balls passing through the passing portion; A game machine comprising display means for executing a predetermined display process when a game ball passes through the passage portion during the game rotation operation, wherein the display means is configured so as not to execute the predetermined display processing when the game ball passes the passage portion in a situation where the game ball is not in the game rotation operation.

Feature J2. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) capable of shooting game balls into the game area,
A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area,
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation port display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement being determined by the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
A gaming machine comprising display control means (notification/production control device 140 and display control device 410) for performing display control of the display means,
A passage portion (production gate 855F) provided in the game area and through which game balls flowing down the game area pass;
A detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passing portion,
The starting ball entry portion and the passage portion are arranged in a predetermined flow path (a center route constituting a downstream portion of the left route) formed in the game area,
The display control means is
A ball-in response display means (a function of executing a process for displaying a pending icon in the notification/production control device 140 and the display control device 410) for executing a ball-in response display (holding display) based on the ball entering the start-up ball in the display unit;
and change means for changing the display mode of the ball-entering correspondence display (for example, the color of the holding icon) based on the passing when the game ball passes through the passing portion during the ball-entering correspondence display (a function of executing processing for changing the color of the holding display icon by the notification / production control device 140 and the display control device 410).

According to feature J2, when a ball is entered into the starting ball entry section, the entry corresponding display is executed based on the entry. When the game ball passes through the passing portion located in the same predetermined flow path as the starting ball entering portion during the entering ball corresponding display, the display mode of the entering ball corresponding display can be changed by the changing means. In such a configuration, when the game ball continues to be shot toward the starting ball-entering portion even during the ball-entering correspondence display, the display mode of the entering-ball correspondence display is changed, so that monotonization of the ball-entering correspondence display can be preferably suppressed. This prevents the display from becoming monotonous and contributes to increasing attention to the game.

Feature J3. The entry correspondence display means has means for changing the display mode of the entry correspondence display to a predetermined display mode in the course of the entry correspondence display,
The gaming machine according to feature J2, wherein the changing means has a lottery means for determining by lottery whether or not to make the change when a game ball passes through the passing portion during the ball-entering correspondence display, and has means for changing the display mode of the ball-entering correspondence display to a predetermined display mode when the lottery by the lottery means determines that the change is to be performed.

As shown in feature J3, by using a common display mode (predetermined display mode) in the case where the display mode of the ball-entering correspondence display is changed regardless of passage through the passage section and the case where the display mode of the ball-entering correspondence display is changed based on passage through the passage section, it is possible to prevent the change in the display mode from becoming excessively complicated, and to exhibit the above-described function of suppressing monotony.

Feature J4. The gaming machine according to feature J3, wherein the lottery means performs the lottery based on whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to the predetermined transition information.

According to feature J4, by determining whether or not to change the display mode with reference to the special information, it is possible to provide a correlation between the change in the display mode by the changing means and the special information (result of shift determination). This is preferable for suppressing obsolescence of changes made by the changing means.

Feature J5. The entry corresponding display means has a special display means for changing the display mode of the entry corresponding display to a predetermined display mode through a plurality of different display modes,
The gaming machine according to feature J3 or feature J4, wherein the changing means includes special changing means for changing the display mode of the entering-a-ball correspondence display before the special display means changes the display mode of the entering-a-ball correspondence display to the predetermined display mode by the special display means, when the game ball passes through the passing portion before the display mode of the entering-a-ball correspondence display becomes the predetermined display mode by the special display means and the lottery means determines that the change is to be performed.

In a configuration in which the display mode of the display corresponding to entering a ball is changed to a predetermined display mode (final display mode) in a predetermined pattern, when a game ball passes through a passage part before being changed to the predetermined display mode by the special display means and it is decided to change by the lottery means, the display mode is changed before the change to the predetermined display mode by the special means. In this way, by changing the display mode within a range that takes into consideration the pattern determined in advance, it is possible to make it difficult for the player to have the impression that the change in the display mode is troublesome.

Feature J6. The gaming machine according to feature J5, characterized in that, when the special display means determines that a game ball passes through the passing section and the lottery means performs the change before the display mode of the display corresponding to entering a ball changes to the predetermined display mode, the special changing means changes the display mode of the display corresponding to entering a ball at a timing earlier than the pattern so as to follow the pattern determined by the special display means.

As shown in the feature J6, by adopting a configuration in which the change of the display mode of the display corresponding to the entry of a ball is accelerated (advanced) when the game ball passes through the passing part during the display corresponding to the entry of the ball, it is possible to suitably suppress the effect of suppressing the monotony and to confuse the player.

Feature J7. The special display means is configured to change the display mode of the display corresponding to entering a ball when a game round is started,
The gaming machine according to feature J6, wherein the special change means has means for withholding the change until the start of the next game round when it is determined during the game round that the change is to be made.

When it is decided during a game round to change the display mode of the display corresponding to entering a ball, the display mode is not necessarily changed at that timing, but the change may be reserved until the start of the next game round. With such a configuration, even if the display mode is not changed immediately after passing through the passing section, the possibility of the display mode being changed remains until the start of the next game cycle. This makes it easier to maintain the above-described degree of attention in a high state.

Feature J8. The entry corresponding display means has special display means for changing the display mode of the entry corresponding display to a predetermined display mode through a plurality of different display modes,
The gaming machine according to any one of features J5 to J7, wherein after the display mode of the display corresponding to entering a ball becomes the predetermined display mode by the special display means, the display corresponding to entering a ball cannot be changed by the special changing means.

In a configuration in which the display mode of the display corresponding to entering the ball is changed to a predetermined display mode according to a pattern determined in advance, the display corresponding to entering the ball is excluded from the objects to be changed by the changing means after the display mode becomes the predetermined display mode. As a result, it is possible to prevent the player's willingness to play from declining, for example, by reverting to a display mode with a relatively low expectation even though the display mode has become a relatively high expectation.

Feature J9. The obtained information storage means can store a plurality of the special information,
The transition determination means is configured to sequentially determine whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information,
The display control means displays a number of pending images (holding icons) corresponding to the number of the special information currently stored in the acquired information storage means in a pending display area provided in the display unit, and sequentially moves the pending images from the pending display area to a determination display area provided in the display unit.
The holding display control means has normal changing means for changing the display mode of the holding image in the process of moving the holding image,
The gaming machine according to any one of features J2 to J7, wherein the changing means is special changing means capable of changing the display mode of the reserved image when the display mode is not changed by the normal changing means.

According to the feature J9, when a ball is entered into the starting ball entry portion, a holding image is displayed based on the entry. When the game ball passes through the passing portion located in the same predetermined flow path as the starting ball entering portion while the pending image is displayed, the display mode of the pending image can be changed by the changing means. That is, when the game ball is continuously shot toward the starting ball entering portion even during the display of the pending image, the change in the display mode of the pending image makes it possible to suitably suppress the display corresponding to the entering ball from becoming monotonous. This prevents the display from becoming monotonous and contributes to increasing attention to the game.

Feature J10. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) capable of shooting game balls into the game area,
A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area,
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation port display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement being determined by the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
Effect executing means (function for executing display effects by the notification/effect control device 140 and the display control device 410) for executing the effect corresponding to the determination result by the transition determining means on the display unit;
A passage portion (production gate 855F) provided in the game area and through which game balls flowing down the game area pass;
A detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passing portion,
The starting ball entry portion and the passage portion are arranged in a predetermined flow path (a center route constituting a downstream portion of the left route) formed in the game area,
The performance executing means has means for changing at least a part of the performance to be executed after the passage timing based on the passage of the game ball through the passing part while the performance is being executed by the performance executing means.

According to the characteristic J10, when a ball is entered into the starting ball entry portion, an effect corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means is executed on the display portion. When the game ball passes through the passing part during this effect, at least part of the effect to be executed after that may be changed. Thus, by adopting a configuration in which the effect can be changed while the shooting of the game ball is continued, it is possible to suppress the monotony of the game and encourage the continuation of the shooting operation of the game ball.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply each of the technical ideas shown in features J2 to J9 to this feature.

Feature J11. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) capable of shooting game balls into the game area,
A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area,
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation port display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement being determined by the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
An effect execution means (function for executing display effect by the notification / effect control device 140 and the display control device 410) for executing the effect corresponding to the determination result by the transition determination means in the display unit,
setting value determination means for setting a plurality of stages of setting values corresponding to the expected value of game ball acquisition, and determining one setting value from among the setting values;
setting value changing means operated to change the setting value determined by the setting value determining means;
A first set value and a second set value, the expected acquisition value of which is greater than the first set value, are provided as the set values,
A passage portion (production gate 855F) provided in the game area and through which game balls flowing down the game area pass;
A detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passing portion,
The starting ball entry portion and the passage portion are arranged in a predetermined flow path (a center route constituting a downstream portion of the left route) formed in the game area,
The game machine, wherein the effect execution means has means for suggesting the set value on the display unit based on the passing of the game ball through the passing part during execution of the effect.

According to the feature J11, when a ball is entered into the starting ball entry portion, an effect corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means is executed on the display portion. A set value may be suggested when the game ball passes through the passing portion during this effect. In this way, if the setting value can be suggested when the shooting of the game ball is continued, it is possible to suppress the monotony of the game and encourage the continuation of the shooting operation of the game ball.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply each of the technical ideas shown in features J2 to J9 to this feature.

It is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to I to features J1 to J11 detailed above.

<Characteristic group K>
The following characteristic group K is: "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that variably displays patterns on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a winning state, and the variable display of patterns is started. If the lottery is won, a specific combination of patterns, etc. will be displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Features K1. A gaming machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) capable of shooting game balls into the game area,
A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area (game area PE),
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation port display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement being determined by the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
Effect executing means (function for executing display effects by the notification/effect control device 140 and the display control device 410) for executing the effect corresponding to the determination result by the transition determining means on the display unit;
A passage portion (production gate 855F) provided in the game area and through which game balls flowing down the game area pass;
A detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passing portion,
The starting ball entering portion and the passing portion are arranged in a predetermined flow path (a center route constituting a downstream portion of the left route) formed in the gaming area, and a game ball that has passed through the passing portion can enter the starting ball entering portion.
The production executing means is
a first starting means for starting a first special effect in a predetermined area of the display unit based on the entry of a game ball into the starting ball entry unit;
a second starting means for starting a second special effect in the predetermined area of the display section based on the passage of the game ball through the passage section;
has
The gaming machine is characterized in that the first special effect and the second special effect are configured such that at least a part including the opening portion of each special effect is recognized as the same by the player.

In a game machine of a type in which determination of transition to a special game state is performed based on the entry of a ball into a starting ball entry part provided in a game area, it is possible to suppress the monotony of a game by executing an effect corresponding to the result of the transition determination on a display part. However, with such a configuration, it is easy to notice a state in which no effect is performed on the display unit due to a continuation of a situation in which no ball is entered into the starting ball entering portion. This may give the player the impression that the ball has not been entered into the starting ball entry section, which may lead to a decrease in the player's desire to play. Here, according to the configuration shown in this feature, not only the first special effect is executed in a predetermined area of the display unit based on the entry of the ball into the starting ball entering part, but also the second special effect may be executed in the predetermined area of the display part based on the game ball passing through the passing part arranged on the flow path (predetermined flow path) toward the starting ball entering part. In this way, if the special performance is executed not only by the ball entering the starting ball entering part but also by passing through the passing part, it is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of the above inconvenience caused by the lengthening of the period in which the performance in the display part is not executed. The first special effect and the second special effect are configured so that at least a part including the opening portion of each special effect is recognized as the same by the player. When the special performance is executed in the prescribed area, the possibility of the ball entering the starting ball entering part remains at least in the common part (beginning part), so that the degree of attention to the special performance executed in the prescribed area can be preferably improved.

Feature K2. The gaming machine according to feature K1, wherein the second starting means is configured to start the second special effect in the predetermined area based on the passage of the game ball through the passing portion under the condition that the first special effect is not being executed in the predetermined area.

According to the characteristic K2, the first special effect based on the ball entering the starting ball entering portion is preferentially executed. Positioning the second special performance based on the passing of the passing part as an auxiliary position in this way is preferable in terms of smoothing the progress of the game centered on the first special performance and improving the degree of attention to the special performance.

Feature K3. The gaming machine according to feature K1 or feature K2, wherein the effect executing means is configured to execute the first special effect out of the first special effect and the second special effect when a ball passes through the passing portion and enters the starting ball entering portion at the same time under a situation in which the special effect is not being executed.

According to the feature K3, when the passage through the passing portion and the ball entering the starting ball entering portion are at the same timing, the special effect based on the ball entering the starting ball entering portion is preferentially executed. Positioning the special effect based on passage through the passing section as a supplementary effect in this way has the technical significance of avoiding an unnecessary transition from the second special effect to the first special effect.

Feature K4. The gaming machine according to any one of features K1 to K3, wherein the execution period of the second special effect is configured to be shorter than the execution period of the first special effect.

It is possible to suppress the delay of the first special performance, which is substantially unrelated to whether or not the transition to the special game state is possible. Thereby, the effect shown in the characteristic K1 can be exhibited favorably.

Feature K5. The gaming machine according to any one of features K1 to K4, wherein the performance executing means has a special performance transition means for shifting from the second special performance to the first special performance without waiting for the execution period of the second special performance to elapse when a game ball enters the starting ball entry portion during execution of the second special performance.

According to the characteristic K5, when a ball is entered into the starting ball entering section during the execution of the second special effect, the process shifts to the first special effect. Shifting from the second special performance substantially unrelated to whether or not the transition to the special game state is permitted to the first special performance related to whether or not the transition to the special game state is permitted is preferable for exhibiting the effect of improving the degree of attention to the game by the special performance.

Feature K6. The game machine according to feature K5, wherein the special performance transition means shifts the second special performance to the first special performance so that the player recognizes that a series of performances are being executed in the predetermined area.

According to the configuration shown in feature K6, it is possible to make it difficult to identify the joint between the first special effect and the second special effect, and the cooperation between the two special effects can be strengthened.

Feature K7. The first special effect has a first part and a second part that is executed after the first part,
The gaming machine according to feature K6, wherein the second special effect is composed of the first part.

According to the feature K7, it is possible to alleviate or eliminate the sense of incongruity when the second special effect is shifted to the first special effect.

It should be noted that the configuration shown in this feature can be "the gaming machine according to feature K6, characterized in that the first special effect comprises at least the first part out of the first part and the second part executed after the first part, and the second special effect comprises the first part."

Feature K8. After the end of the first special effect, the first starting means cannot start the first special effect until a predetermined period of time elapses,
The gaming machine according to any one of features K1 to K7, characterized in that, after the end of the first special effect, the second start means cannot start the second special effect until a period of the same length as the predetermined period elapses.

According to the characteristic K8, by unifying the behavior after the end of the first special effect between the first special effect and the second special effect, it is possible to reduce the sense of incongruity in the second special effect.

Feature K9. The gaming machine according to feature K8, characterized in that after the second special effect is completed, the second starting means cannot start the second special effect until a period of the same length as the predetermined period elapses.

According to the feature K9, when the second special performance→the second special performance continues, by securing the same interval period (predetermined period) as in the case of the first special performance→the first special performance between the second special performances before and after the second special performance, the sense of incongruity about the second special performance can be reduced.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply the respective technical ideas shown in the group of features A to J to the features K1 to K9 detailed above.

<Characteristic group L>
The following characteristic group L is "Some gaming machines such as pachinko machines are equipped with a pattern display device that displays patterns on the display screen. In this type of gaming machine, for example, when a game ball passes through an operation opening provided in the game area, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to generate a specific game state that is advantageous to the player, such as a winning state, and the variable display of patterns is started.If the lottery is won, a specific pattern combination or the like is displayed on the display screen. With regard to the background art that the final stop display is displayed and the game state shifts to a specific game state (for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-074175), the background art states that "In recent years, various ideas have been made to increase the attention to the game. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of increasing the attention to the game in terms of the configuration of the game machine."

Feature L1. A game machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) for shooting game balls into the game area,
A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area,
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
A game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the transition correspondence result (jackpot result) indicating that the result of determination by the transition determination means corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation port display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement being determined by the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
A first effect execution means (a function of executing a display effect by the notification / effect control device 140 and the display control device 410) capable of executing the effect corresponding to the determination result by the transition determination means on the display unit;
A passage portion (production gate 855F) provided in the game area and through which game balls flowing down the game area pass;
A detection means (ball detection sensor 866F) capable of detecting a game ball passing through the passing portion,
The starting ball entering portion and the passing portion are arranged in a predetermined flow path (a center route constituting a downstream portion of the left route) formed in the gaming area, and a game ball that has passed through the passing portion can enter the starting ball entering portion.
The game machine is characterized by comprising a second performance executing means for executing a special performance whose execution period is longer than the period required for the game ball that has passed through the passing part to enter the starting ball entering part, on the basis of the detection of the game ball by the detecting means.

In a game machine of a type in which determination of transition to a special game state is performed based on the entry of a ball into a starting ball entry part provided in a game area, it is possible to suppress the monotony of a game by executing an effect corresponding to the result of the transition determination on a display part. However, with such a configuration, it is easy to notice a state in which no effect is performed on the display unit due to a continuation of a situation in which no ball is entered into the starting ball entering portion. This is likely to give the player the impression that the ball has not been entered into the starting ball entry section, which may lead to a decrease in the player's desire to play the game. Here, according to the configuration shown in this feature, not only the performance is executed on the display unit based on the entry of the ball into the starting ball entry part, but also the special production may be executed on the display part based on passing through the passage part located on the flow path (predetermined flow path) where the game ball is directed to the start ball entry part. In this way, if the special performance is executed not only by the ball entering the starting ball entering part but also by passing through the passage part, it is possible to suitably suppress the above-mentioned inconvenience caused by the lengthening of the period (blank or non-performance period) in which the performance is not executed in the display part. Since the execution period of the special performance is set to be longer than the period required for the game ball that has passed through the passing part to enter the starting ball entering part, the chance of creating a blank between the special performance and the performance started by entering the starting ball entering part can be reduced. As a result, the effect of increasing the degree of attention to the performance on the display section can be exhibited favorably.

Feature L2. The gaming machine according to feature L1, wherein the first effect executing means shifts the effect on the display unit from the special effect to an effect corresponding to the determination result of the transition determining means when a ball is entered into the starting ball entering portion during the special effect.

According to the configuration shown in this feature, when a ball is entered into the starting ball entering portion during the special performance, the special performance is shifted to the performance corresponding to the determination result by the transition determination means. By applying the technical idea shown in feature L1 to such a configuration, it is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of blanks between presentations.

In the case of shifting from the special effect to the effect corresponding to the result of determination by the transition determining means, it is preferable to reduce the gap in appearance at the time of transition so that the player recognizes that both effects are a series.

Feature L3. A game machine according to feature L1 or feature L2, wherein a distribution means (upper rune 856F) for distributing a game ball between a first flow path (first branch passage portion 864F) for entering a game ball into the start ball entry portion and a second flow passage (second branch passage portion 865F) in which entry of a game ball into the start ball entry portion is more difficult or impossible than in the first flow passage is arranged in a section between the passage portion and the start ball entry portion in the predetermined passage. .

In a configuration in which game balls that have passed through the passing portion are distributed to the first flow path/second flow path by the distribution means, the frequency of hitting the starting ball-entering portion tends to be uneven. Therefore, by adopting a configuration in which the special effect is started based on passage through the passing portion, it is possible to suppress the above-mentioned blank from becoming large due to the unevenness in the frequency of ball entry.

Feature L4. The predetermined flow path is formed so that all game balls distributed to the first flow path enter the starting ball entry portion,
The gaming machine according to feature L3, wherein the second performance execution means has extension means for extending the execution period of the special performance when game balls are distributed to the first flow path during the special performance.

In the configuration that the game ball distributed to the first channel is determined to enter the starting ball entry part, if the special performance is extended when the game ball is distributed to the first channel during the special performance, it is possible to suitably reduce the chance of the above-mentioned blank occurring during the performance based on the special performance → the ball entering the start ball entry part. Moreover, if such an extension function is provided, it is possible to shorten the execution period of the predetermined special effect as much as possible, and it is possible to suitably suppress the delay of the special effect.

Feature L5. The gaming machine according to feature L4, wherein the extension means is configured such that the period extended by the extension means is longer than the period required for the game ball to enter the starting ball entry section through the first flow path.

By setting the extension period based on the time required for the ball to enter the starting ball entrance section through the first flow path, it is possible to prevent the extension function shown in feature L4 from being successfully exhibited.

Feature L6. The predetermined flow path is formed so that any game ball that reaches a specific location in the predetermined flow path enters the starting ball entry portion,
The gaming machine according to any one of features L1 to L5, wherein the second performance execution means has extension means for extending the execution period of the special performance based on the fact that the game ball reaches the specific location during the special performance.

If a game ball arriving at a specific part of a predetermined flow path is determined to enter the starting ball entry part and the special performance is extended when the game ball reaches the specific part during the special performance, it is possible to suitably reduce the chances of the above-mentioned blank occurring between the special performance and the performance based on the ball entering the starting ball entry part. Moreover, if such an extension function is provided, it is possible to shorten the execution period of the predetermined special effect as much as possible, and it is possible to suitably suppress the delay of the special effect.

Feature L7. As the special effects, there are provided a first special effect and a second special effect set so that the degree of expectation for shifting to the special game state is higher than the first special effect,
The second effect execution means has means for executing the first special effect based on the game ball passing through the passing portion,
The extension means is configured to perform the extension when a ball enters the starting ball-entering portion during the first special effect based on passage through the passing portion, and to execute the second special effect in the extended period,
The gaming machine according to any one of features L4 to L5, wherein the second effect executing means is capable of shifting from the first special effect to the second special effect even when no ball is entered into the starting ball entering section.

After the start of the special performance, there are cases where the ball enters the starting ball entering section and cases where the starting ball entering section does not occur. Regarding the latter, although there is a possibility of transitioning to the special game state through transition determination, the former cannot be expected to transition to the special game state because the transition determination is not performed. Here, a shift to the second special performance may occur both when the extension occurs and when it does not occur, and the player's attention is directed to the presence or absence of the transition to the second special performance during the special performance. As a result, the effect of increasing the degree of attention to the game described above can be favorably exhibited.

Feature L8. The gaming machine according to any one of features L1 to L7, characterized in that the second effect executing means ends the special effect when the execution period elapses without a ball entering the starting ball entering section during the special effect.

In a configuration in which a game ball that has passed through the passing part is divided into those that enter the starting ball entering part and those that do not enter, an event that the ball does not enter the starting ball entering part during the special performance can occur. In such a case, it is possible to suitably suppress the delay of the special effect by terminating the special effect when the execution period elapses.

Feature L9. The game machine according to any one of features L1 to L8, characterized in that the special performance is not started based on the passage of the game ball even if the game ball passes through the passage part during the performance execution by the first performance execution means.

In a configuration where the performance based on the entry of the ball into the starting ball entrance section is directly linked to the transition determination result, and the special performance based on the passage of the passing section is not directly linked to the transition determination result, as shown in this feature, it is preferable to have a configuration in which the former is given priority over the latter.

Feature L10. The obtained information storage means can store a plurality of the special information,
The transition determination means is configured to sequentially determine whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information,
The gaming machine according to any one of features L1 to L9, wherein the number of game balls passing through the passing portion out of the game balls launched into the predetermined flow path is greater than the number of game balls entering the starting ball entry portion out of the game balls launched into the predetermined flow path.

In a configuration in which the number of game balls passing through the passage part is larger than the number of game balls entering the starting ball, the occurrence of blanks can be suitably suppressed by executing a special performance based on passing through the passage part.

Feature L11. After the effect by the first effect execution means is finished, the effect by the first effect execution means is not started until a predetermined waiting period (fixed display time) elapses,
The gaming machine according to any one of features L1 to L10, wherein the second effect executing means is configured so as to disable the start of the special effect until a period of the same length as the predetermined waiting period elapses after the end of the special effect.

According to the feature L11, by unifying the behavior after the end of the performance between the performance based on the ball entering the starting ball entry section and the special performance based on the passing of the passing section, it is possible to reduce the discomfort of the special performance.

Feature L12. A game machine comprising a game board (game board unit 80F) on which a game area (game area PE) is formed, and game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) for shooting game balls into the game area,
A starting ball entry portion (lower operation port 859F) provided in the game area,
Information acquisition means for acquiring special information (holding information) based on the ball entering the starting ball entering section (function for acquiring holding information by the MPU 602 of the main controller 162);
Acquired information storage means (function for storing pending information in MPU 602 of main control unit 162) capable of storing special information acquired by the information acquisition means;
Transition determination means for determining whether or not the special information stored in the acquired information storage means corresponds to predetermined transition information (e.g., winning information) (function for executing win/fail determination processing, etc. by the MPU 602 of the main control unit 162);
a game state transition means (a function of executing a game state transition process by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for shifting the game state to a special game state (opening/closing execution mode) more advantageous to the player than the normal game state based on the result of determination by the transition determination means indicating that the transition corresponds to the predetermined transition information;
A game turn control means (a function of executing display control by the MPU 602 of the main control device 162) for controlling a predetermined notification means (activation port display section of the main display unit 87) so that the game turn movement is performed, with the end of the game turn movement being determined by the notification result corresponding to the determination result of the shift determination means after the game turn movement is started;
Display means (symbol display device 500F) having a display unit (display screen 500aF);
A first effect execution means (a function of executing a display effect by the notification / effect control device 140 and the display control device 410) capable of executing the effect corresponding to the determination result by the transition determination means on the display unit;
Provided in the game area, a passing portion (production gate 855F) through which the game ball flowing down the game area passes,
The starting ball entering portion and the passing portion are arranged in a predetermined flow path (a center route constituting a downstream portion of the left route) formed in the gaming area, and a game ball that has passed through the passing portion can enter the starting ball entering portion.
A second effect execution means for executing a special effect on the display unit based on the passage of the game ball through the passing part,
The second performance executing means has means for setting a period longer than a period required for the game ball passing through the passage portion to enter the starting ball entry portion as the execution period of the special performance.

In a game machine of a type in which determination of transition to a special game state is performed based on the entry of a ball into a starting ball entry part provided in a game area, it is possible to suppress the monotony of a game by executing an effect corresponding to the result of the transition determination on a display part. However, with such a configuration, it is easy to notice a state in which no effect is performed on the display unit due to a continuation of a situation in which no ball is entered into the starting ball entering portion. This is likely to give the player the impression that the ball has not been entered into the starting ball entry section, which may lead to a decrease in the player's desire to play the game. Here, according to the configuration shown in this feature, not only the performance is executed on the display unit based on the entry of the ball into the starting ball entry part, but also the special production may be executed on the display part based on passing through the passage part located on the flow path (predetermined flow path) where the game ball is directed to the start ball entry part. In this way, if the special performance is executed not only by the ball entering the starting ball entering part but also by passing through the passing part, it is possible to suitably suppress the above inconvenience caused by the lengthening of the period in which the performance in the display part is not executed (blank or non-performance period). Since the execution period of the special performance is set to be longer than the period required for the game ball that has passed through the passage part to enter the starting ball entering part, the chance of creating a blank between the special performance and the performance started by entering the starting ball entering part can be reduced. As a result, the effect of increasing the degree of attention to the performance on the display section can be exhibited favorably.

Note that it is also possible to apply each of the technical ideas shown in features L2 to L11 to feature L12.

Further, it is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to K to the feature L1 to feature L12 detailed above.

<Characteristic group M>
The following feature group M is based on the background technology that ``Some game machines, such as pachinko machines, provide a player with a privilege such as the payout of a game ball when a ball enters a ball entry portion such as a start hole provided in the game area. In the machine, there is a risk that the state of the game nail may change during work such as cleaning the game area, and if the state of the game nail changes, problems such as ball clogging may occur.Here, in confirming whether the state of the game nail has changed, that is, whether it is in a normal state, there is still room for improvement in the configuration related to the confirmation."

Feature M1. A game machine main body (inner frames 13, 13H) having a game board (game board units 80, 80H) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed in which a plurality of game nails (game nails 93) are arranged so as to protrude toward the front side, and a support frame (inner frame base body 50) for supporting the game board;
A door body (front door frame 14, 14G) provided to be openable and closable with respect to the gaming machine main body and covering the gaming area from the front of the gaming machine in a closed position,
The game machine main body or the door is provided with at least one of an instruction means for instructing a mounting position of a check sheet (check sheet CS) formed by a transparent sheet material on which a pattern indicating the position of the head of the game nail is arranged and where the check sheet overlaps the game board when viewed from the front of the game machine, and a holding means for holding the check sheet arranged at the mounting position.

According to the feature M1, by positioning the check sheet according to the instruction means provided on the main body of the game machine or the door, it is possible to accurately confirm whether or not the head of the game nail is in a regular position (whether or not the game nail undergoes a change such as deformation) by comparing the head of the game nail with the pattern indicating its position. Further, if the check sheet is held by the holding means and the operator does not need to hold the check sheet by hand, it is possible to prevent the check sheet from being displaced during confirmation, thereby reducing the confirmation accuracy and workability. Therefore, it is possible to preferably confirm whether the game nail is in a normal state.

The configuration shown in feature M1 is defined as "a game machine main body (inner frames 13, 13H) having a game board (game board unit 80, H) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed in which a plurality of game nails (game nails 93) are arranged so as to protrude toward the front side, and a support frame (inner frame base body 50) for supporting the game board; A door body (front door frames 14, 14G) covering the front of the game machine is provided, and the game machine main body or the door body is provided with at least one of an instruction means capable of instructing a mounting position of a check sheet (check sheet CS) formed by a sheet material having transparency and a pattern indicating the position of the head of the game nail arranged thereon so that the check sheet overlaps the game board when viewed from the front of the game machine, and a holding means capable of holding the check sheet disposed at the mounting position. Characteristic game machine." is also possible.

Feature M2. A game machine main body (inner frame 13) having a game board (game board unit 80) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed in which a plurality of game nails (game nails 93) are arranged so as to protrude toward the front side, and a support frame (inner frame base body 50) for supporting the game board;
a door body (front door frame 14G) that is openable and closable with respect to the gaming machine main body and covers the gaming area from the front of the gaming machine in a closed position;
The game machine main body or the door body is provided with an instruction means (a glass panel 23G and a light emitting part 901G) for instructing a mounting position of a check sheet (check sheet CS) formed by a sheet material having transparency on which a pattern indicating the position of the head of the game nail is arranged, the check sheet being superimposed on the game board when viewed from the front of the game machine.

According to the feature M2, by positioning the check sheet according to the instruction means provided on the main body of the game machine or the door, it is possible to accurately confirm whether or not the head of the game nail is in a regular position (whether or not the game nail has undergone a change such as deformation) by comparing the head of the game nail with the pattern indicating its position.

Feature M3. a transparent panel (for example, a glass panel 23G) provided on one of the door and the gaming machine main body and facing the game area when the door is placed in the closed position;
A light emitting means (light emitting part 901G) that supplies light to the end of the transparent panel,
The gaming machine according to feature M2, wherein the indicating means displays the mounting position by emitting light from the light emitting means from a light emitting portion (rear side light emitting portion 902G) formed in the transparent panel.

According to the feature M3, light is supplied to the end of the transparent panel covering the game area, and the light is emitted from the light emitting portion to indicate the mounting position. In this way, by imparting a light guide function to the transparent panel for covering the game area and displaying the attachment position of the check sheet at a position as close as possible to the object to be checked, the confirmation accuracy can be improved. In such a configuration in which the mounting position is displayed near the object to be confirmed, there is a concern that the light emitting display will interfere with the game performance, confirmation work, etc., but the mounting position can be displayed/hidden by switching ON/OFF the light emitting means, so such concern can be dispelled.

Feature M4. The indicating means and the transparent panel are arranged on the door body,
The game machine according to feature M3, wherein the light emitting portion is formed to emit light from the rear surface of the transparent panel toward the game area.

According to the feature M4, the mounting position of the check sheet is indicated by causing the light emitting means to emit light while the door is open. After arranging the check sheet and fixing the chuck sheet by using a fixing means such as a tape, the light emitting part is directed rearward by closing the door body, so that the light from the light emitting means can be prevented from interfering with the checking work.

Feature M5. The game machine according to feature M4, wherein the light emitting portion comprises a large number of concave portions formed forward from a rear plate surface of the transparent panel.

According to the feature M5, it is possible to preferably avoid the unevenness for emitting light from being caught on the check sheet, and the check sheet from being bent due to floating from the transparent panel.

Feature M6. the light emitting portion is a first light emitting portion;
The gaming machine according to feature M4 or feature M5, wherein the transparent panel is formed with a second light emitting portion (front side light emitting portion 903G) for emitting light from the light emitting means to the front of the game machine from the front surface of the transparent panel.

As shown in the feature M6, if the transparent panel is provided with the first light emitting part and the second light emitting part, and the light from the light emitting means is emitted forward and backward from each light emitting part, for example, even if the light is emitted from the first light emitting part when the transparent panel is used during the game, the light can be prevented from being directed to the player, and the pattern etc. drawn on the transparent panel can be suppressed from becoming difficult to see. As a result, the function of indicating the mounting position shown in the feature M5 and the effect function of the light emitting display can be coexisted in a single transparent panel.

Feature M7. Provided with light emission control means (notification / effect control device 140) for controlling light emission of the light emission means,
The light emission control means is
a first control means for causing the light emitting means to emit light when a predetermined game effect is executed;
The game machine according to feature M6, further comprising second control means for causing the light emitting means to emit light based on the operation of a predetermined operation section (effect operation button 35).

According to the feature M7, the light emitting means can be turned ON/OFF by operating a predetermined operation unit. With such a configuration, by turning off the light emitting means after the positioning of the check sheet, it is possible to preferably prevent the light from the second light emitting part (light for effect) from interfering with the confirmation work.

Feature M8. The gaming machine according to feature M7, wherein the second control means is configured to cause the light emitting means to emit light when the predetermined operating portion is operated while the door is open.

If the installation position is displayed based on the operator's operation under the condition that the door shown in feature M8 is open, the effect shown in feature M7 can be preferably exhibited.

Feature M9. A game machine main body (inner frame 13H) having a game board (game board unit 80H) having a game area (game area PE) formed with a plurality of game nails (game nails 93) arranged on the front surface thereof and a support frame (inner frame base body 50) for supporting the game board;
a door body (front door frame 14) provided to be openable and closable with respect to the gaming machine main body and covering the gaming area from the front of the gaming machine in a closed position;
A game machine characterized in that one of the game machine main body and the door body is provided with a holding means (protrusions 951H, 961H, 971H, 981H, 991H) capable of holding a check sheet (check sheet CS), which is made of a transparent sheet material on which a pattern indicating the position of the head of the game nail is arranged, in a state where the check sheet is arranged at a predetermined mounting position.

According to feature M9, since the check sheet is held by the holding means, the operator does not have to manually hold the check sheet. As a result, it is possible to prevent the check sheet from being displaced during checking, thereby preventing the check accuracy from deteriorating and the workability from deteriorating. Therefore, it is possible to preferably confirm whether the game nail is in a normal state.

Feature M10. The game machine according to feature M9, wherein the predetermined attachment position is a position where the check sheet faces the game area.

The distance between the check sheet and the game nail can be minimized by making the check sheet face the game board across the game area. As a result, the influence of parallax can be suppressed when checking the position of the head of the game nail through the check sheet, and the checking work can be facilitated.

Feature M11. The game board is provided with a central partition section and an outer partition section that partition the game area, with the game area separated from each other,
The gaming machine according to feature M9 or feature M10, wherein the holding means has a central holding section provided in the central partition and an outer holding section provided in the outer partition, and the check sheet is held by the central holding section and the outer holding section.

As shown in feature M11, by providing holding portions in both the central partition and the outer partition provided across the game area, it is possible to suppress the positional variation and positional deviation of the check sheet and contribute to the improvement of the confirmation accuracy.

The configuration shown in this feature can also be defined as "the game machine according to feature M9 or feature M10, wherein the game board comprises a set of game parts that face each other across a predetermined flow path formed in the game area, and the holding means is arranged in each of the set of game parts, and the holding portions hold the check sheet."

Feature M12. The gaming machine according to feature M11, wherein the central side holding portion and the outer side holding portion are arranged at positions facing each other across a flow path formed by the plurality of game nails.

According to the characteristic M12, the effect of improving the confirmation accuracy shown in the characteristic M11 can be favorably exhibited by adopting a configuration in which the two holding portions face each other with the game nail to be confirmed interposed therebetween.

It should be noted that it is also possible to apply each technical idea shown in the group of features A to L to features M1 to M12 detailed above.

Any one of the technical ideas shown for each feature described above may be applied to another feature, or a combination of technical ideas shown for a plurality of features may be applied to another feature. It is also possible to extract part of the configuration shown in each feature and apply it to other features.

The basic configuration of a game machine to which each of the above features can be applied is shown below.

Pachinko machine: Equipped with operation means (game ball shooting handle 41) operated by a player, game ball shooting means (game ball shooting mechanism 110) for shooting game balls based on the operation of the operation means, ball passages (guidance rails 100) for guiding the shot game balls to a predetermined game area, and game parts (nails, etc.) arranged in the game area. A game machine that gives a privilege to a player when a game ball passes through.

Spindle type game machine such as a slot machine: A game machine which is equipped with a variable display means for displaying a series of symbols in a final stop after variably displaying a row of symbols consisting of a plurality of symbols, and generating a special game state (bonus game, etc.) advantageous to the player under the necessary condition that the fluctuation of the symbols is started due to the operation of the operation means for starting, the variation of the symbols is stopped due to the operation of the operation means for stopping or after a predetermined period of time has passed, and the final stop symbol at the time of stopping is a specific symbol. .

A belt-type game machine using a ball: Equipped with variable display means for variably displaying a symbol row consisting of a plurality of symbols and then finally stopping and displaying the symbol row, the symbol variation is started due to the operation of the start operation means, the symbol variation is stopped due to the operation of the stop operation means or after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and a special game state (bonus game, etc.) advantageous to the player is generated under the necessary condition that the final stop symbol at the time of stop is a specific symbol, and further, a ball tray. and a putting-out device for putting out the game balls to the ball receiving tray, so that the operation of the starting operation means becomes effective when the game balls are thrown in by the putting-in device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Pachinko machine as a game machine 80... Game board unit 80a... Game board 83a... Upper operation opening 83b... Lower operation opening 85... Central opening 140... Notification/production control device 162... Main control device 500... Variable display unit 523... Drum unit 524... Base body 525... Rotating body 526... Motor 528... Side light 529... Background display device 5 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31... Frame 532... Light guide part 535... Hub 536... Rim 542... Connection part 551... Outer surface part 552... Inner surface part 553... Light emission part 554... End surface 555-557... Light guide panel 561... Insertion part 571... Light emitting board 572... Light emitter 582... Backlight 800... Game mechanism 810... Distribution unit 811... Stage part 812 First ball entrance 813 Second ball entrance 814 Third ball entrance 821 Movable body 823 to 824 Columnar part 830 Stage unit 831 Stage part 834 Stopper 840 Link 850F Entrance unit 851F Base body 855F Production gate 856F Upper crew 857F Lower crew 85 8F... Non-electric accessory 859F...Lower operation port 861F...First guide passage portion 862F...Second guide passage portion 864F...First branch passage portion 865F...Second branch passage portion 866F...Ball detection sensor 868F...Position detection sensor 871F...Rolling surface 873F...First opening 874F...Second opening 875F...Rolling surface 876F...Center opening, 901G... light-emitting part, 902G... front side light diffusion part, 903G... rear side light diffusion part, BP1... boundary part, CL... rotation center axis line, CS... check sheet, CS1 to CS4... sheet material, PE... game area, TL... reference line.

Claims (1)

a game machine main body having a game board in which a game area is formed in which a plurality of game nails are arranged so as to protrude toward the front side, and a support frame for supporting the game board;
a door body that is openable and closable with respect to the gaming machine main body and covers the gaming area from the front of the gaming machine in a closed position;
The game machine main body or the door body is provided with at least one of an instruction means for instructing a mounting position of a check sheet formed by a transparent sheet material on which a pattern indicating the position of the head of the game nail is arranged and the check sheet overlaps the game board when viewed from the front of the game machine, and a holding means for holding the check sheet arranged at the mounting position.

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