JP2024052716A - Prize gripping game machine and gripping force setting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically set gripping force in a prize gripping game machine.

SOLUTION: A prize gripping game machine includes: a catcher having multiple gripping arms; a prize detection sensor for detecting separation and a fall of a prize from the catcher that grips the prize; and a control unit that sets gripping force of the catcher that grips a prize to an initial value, gradually reduces gripping force of the initial value, and obtains gripping force V_UP when the catcher grips a prize at the time of game operation on the basis of gripping force V_DROP when detecting a fall of the prize by the prize detection sensor.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a prize gripping game machine and gripping force setting method that automatically sets the gripping force.

As examples of grip force adjustment devices in prize gripping game machines, there are grip force adjustment devices in prize gripping game machines described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example.
Patent document 1 describes a gripping force adjustment device for a prize gripping game machine that solves the dilemma that a weak gripping force setting kills players' enthusiasm and reduces sales, while a strong gripping force setting increases the chances of winning prizes.
Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes a prize grasping game machine having an arm for grasping a prize and an arm opening and closing means for opening and closing the arm, in which a motor serving as a power source for opening and closing the arm is configured so that the gripping force can be set to a strength range from 0 to the strongest by a motor drive signal emitted from a control device.The game machine describes a gripping force adjustment device that comprises an input circuit for analyzing the motor drive signal to find the set gripping force, a signal conversion circuit that inputs a signal for gripping the prize with the strongest gripping force before the found set gripping force signal and performs control at least once to reduce the gripping force to the set value, and an output circuit that outputs a signal from the signal conversion circuit to the motor.

Patent Document 2 describes an object gripping game machine that determines the gripping force to increase the fun of the operation.
Specifically, Patent Document 2 describes an item grasping game machine that comprises an item storage section capable of storing one or more items, an item grasping section that performs a grasping action, an operating member operated by a player, and a moving means for moving the item grasping section in the item storage section in accordance with an operation on the operating member, and in which the item grasping section performs a grasping action after the item grasping section is moved by the moving means, and that a gripping force determination means is provided that determines a gripping force depending on the manner of operation on the operating member, and the item grasping section is configured to perform a gripping action with a gripping force determined by the gripping force determination means.

JP 2007-007058 A JP 2010-233892 A

Since the gripping force differs depending on the type of prize, it is necessary to set the gripping force depending on the prize inserted into the prize gripping game machine.

The object of the present invention is to provide a prize gripping game machine and gripping force setting method that can automatically set the gripping force.

(1) The prize-grabbing game machine according to the present invention comprises a catcher having a plurality of gripping arms;
a prize detection sensor that detects when the prize falls from the catcher that has caught the prize;
a control unit that sets the gripping force of the catcher who has gripped the prize to an initial value, gradually reduces the initial value of the gripping force, and determines a gripping force _VUP when the catcher grips the prize during game operation based on a gripping force _VDROP when the prize detection sensor detects that the prize has dropped;
In this prize-grasping game machine, the gripping force V _UP is greater than the gripping force V _DROP .

(2) In the prize grasping game machine described above in (1), the control unit may calculate a gripping force _VDOWN when the catcher releases the prize during game operation based on the gripping force _VDROP , and the gripping force _VDOWN may be smaller than the gripping force _VDROP .

(3) In the prize gripping game machine according to (1) or (2), the control unit includes a gripping force control unit, a gripping force setting unit, a gripping voltage signal generating unit, and a down counter,
the grip force control unit sets a count value of the down counter to a count value corresponding to an initial value of the grip force of the catcher in a grip force setting mode;
the gripping voltage signal generating unit generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to a count value of the down counter that is decreased in the gripping force setting mode, and outputs the gripping force voltage signal to the catcher that opens and closes a plurality of gripping arms based on the gripping force voltage signal;
the gripping force setting unit, in the gripping force setting mode, sets a digital value corresponding to the gripping force V _UP based on a count value of the down counter corresponding to the gripping force V _DROP at the time when the drop of the prize is detected;
In normal mode, when the multiple gripping arms grip a prize, the gripping voltage signal generating unit may generate a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the digital value, and output it to the catcher, which opens and closes the multiple gripping arms based on the gripping force voltage signal.

(4) A gripping force setting method according to the present invention includes setting the gripping force of a catcher who has caught a prize to an initial value by a control unit of a prize-grabbing game machine;
the control unit gradually reduces the initial value of the gripping force, and calculates a gripping force _{VUP when the catcher grabs the prize during game operation of the prize gripping game machine based on a gripping force VDROP when} the prize is released from the catcher and falls;
This is a gripping force setting method in which the gripping force V _UP is greater than the gripping force V _DROP .

According to the present invention, the gripping force in a prize gripping game machine can be automatically set.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prize-grabbing game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a control unit that sets a gripping force. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a gripping force setting operation by a control unit. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in a prize gripping game machine. 13 is a flowchart of a gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prize holding game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, a prize holding game machine 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a prize counter 110, a coin counter 120, a 7-segment LED (7-segment LED in the figure) 130, a display 140, an output unit 150, a speaker 160, and a power supply 170.
The prize-grabbing game machine 10 also includes an operating lever 180, an input unit 190, a control unit 200, a catcher driving unit 210, an operating button 220, a coin sensor 230, a payout sensor 240, a memory device 250, a catcher XYZ movement device 260, a setting unit 270, a catcher 280 and a prize detection sensor 290.

The prize counter 110 counts the number of prizes (prizes won by the player) detected by a prize detection sensor 290 (described later). The count value is stored in the control unit 200.
The coin counter 120 counts the number of inserted coins of each type (for example, 100 yen coins and 500 yen coins) detected by a coin sensor 230 (described later). The count value is stored in the control unit 200.
The seven-segment LED 130 displays the remaining number of games that can be played based on the display data from the output unit 150 .

The display 140 is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display panel. The display 140 displays information about the inserted coin, for example, "500" when a 500 yen coin is inserted, based on the display data output from the output unit 150. The display 140 displays the same information as the 7-segment LED 130, that is, the number of remaining games that can be played.
Based on a control signal from the control unit 200, the output unit 150 sends display data to the 7-segment LED 130 and the display 140, and sends audio data to the speaker 160. The output unit 150 drives the display 140, the speaker 160, etc. to execute a performance celebrating the acquisition of a prize.
The speaker 160 produces sound based on the audio data from the output unit 150 .
The power supply 170 supplies the control unit 200 with a voltage for operating the prize grasping game machine 10 .
The operating lever 180 is operated by the player to indicate the movement direction of a catcher 280, which will be described later. The catcher 280 moves in the direction in which the operating lever 180 is tilted, and the catcher 280 stops when the operating lever 180 is released.
The input unit 190 receives operation signals from the operation lever 180 and an operation button 220 (described later), as well as detection signals from the coin sensor 230 and the payout sensor 240 , and outputs them to the control unit 200 .

The control unit 200 includes a CPU and a storage unit such as a RAM for storing data necessary for the CPU's calculation processing. The control unit 200 controls the prize counter 110, the coin counter 120, the output unit 150, the input unit 190, the catcher driving unit 210, the catcher XYZ moving device 260, the setting unit 270, the prize detection sensor 290, etc., based on various programs necessary for controlling the prize acquisition game machine 10, which are stored in a storage device 250 described later.
The catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage for controlling the opening and closing of the three gripping arms of the catcher 280, and outputs the solenoid voltage to the catcher 280. The gripping force of the three gripping arms decreases as the three gripping arms open.

The operation button 220 instructs the catcher 280 to move downward. When the operation button 220 is pressed, the catcher 280 moves downward and the three gripping arms open to grab a prize.
The coin sensor 230 detects the type of coin inserted (for example, 100 yen coin and 500 yen coin).
The dispensing sensor 240 detects coins other than 100 yen coins and 500 yen coins.

As described above, the storage device 250 is a hard disk, SSD, ROM, etc. that stores various programs necessary for controlling the prize acquisition game machine 10.
The catcher XYZ movement device 260 is provided at the upper part inside the prize-grabbing game machine 10, and moves the catcher 280 in the forward/backward, left/right, and up/down directions.
The setting unit 270 performs settings of the prize holding game machine 10 according to the operation of an adjuster of the prize holding game machine 10. Specifically, the setting unit 270 performs operations such as basic settings, system parameter settings, catch mechanism settings, and account confirmation according to the operation of the adjuster.

The catcher 280 has three gripping arms and an arm opening/closing mechanism 281 including a gripping force adjustment unit 282 such as a solenoid. The solenoid adjusts the gripping force of the three gripping arms by the solenoid voltage. The number of gripping arms is not particularly limited to three, and may be two, four or more.

The prize detection sensor 290 is provided near the prize drop opening and detects when a prize passes through the opening. The prize detection sensor 290 can be, for example, an optical sensor consisting of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element.

The display 140, operating lever 180, and operating button 220 described above are located on the upper surface of the protruding portion of the prize-grabbing game machine 10.

Next, a description will be given of the game operation of the prize holding game machine 10. The game operation of the prize holding game machine is described in, for example, JP 2017-029568 A and is already known, so an outline of the game operation will be described.
When a player inserts a coin into the coin slot, the number of games corresponding to the coin is stored in the memory of the control unit 200, thereby setting the number of games. The display 140 displays information about the coin, for example, "500" when a 500 yen coin is inserted, and also displays the remaining number of games that can be played (for example, "5"). The 7-segment LED 130 also displays the remaining number of games that can be played.

The prize-grabbing game machine 10 then performs game execution processing in which the player controls the catcher 280 based on the operation of the control lever 180 and the control button 220.

Specifically, the player operates the operating lever 180 to position the catcher 280 above the desired prize from the waiting area. When the player then presses the operating button 220, the catcher 280 automatically opens its three gripping arms, then moves downward and closes the three gripping arms near the prize. The catcher 280 then automatically moves upward with the three gripping arms still closed, and then moves above the prize drop opening and opens the three gripping arms. At this time, when the three gripping arms grab the prize and the prize drops into the prize drop opening, the prize detection sensor 290 detects the prize, and the control unit 200 drives the speaker 160, display 140, etc. to execute a performance celebrating the acquisition of the prize.

When the catcher 280 returns to the waiting area from above the prize drop hole, the number of games played stored in the memory of the control unit 200 is decremented by one, and the number displayed on the 7-segment LED 130 and display 140 is updated from "5" to "4." The game can then be repeated until the number displayed on the 7-segment LED 130 and display 140 becomes "0."

A control unit for setting the gripping force of the prize gripping game machine 10 and a gripping force setting method will be described below with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit that sets the gripping force, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the gripping force setting operation.
4 to 8 are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in a prize gripping game machine. As shown in Fig. 4 to 8, the gripping force is set by operating the catcher, and a setting unit, an operating lever, and an operating button for setting the gripping force of the catcher's gripping arm.

Prior to describing the configuration and operation of the control unit functioning as the grip force setting device, the grip force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.
An adjuster of the prize-grabbing game machine 10 first presses the service button to display the setting screen of the setting unit 270, as shown in Fig. 4. Using the operation lever 180 and the operation button 220, the adjuster selects "Catch Mechanism Setting" on the setting screen. When "Catch Mechanism Setting" is selected, the control unit 200 displays "Simple Auto Setting Mode" on the screen. When the adjuster selects this with the operation button 220, the control unit 200 moves the catcher 280 to above the prize drop opening, and opens the three gripping arms with the catcher drive unit 210.
The adjuster places a prize between the three open gripping arms and presses the operation button 220.
Then, the control unit 200 gradually closes the three gripping arms by using the catcher driving unit 210. As shown in Fig. 5, the gripping force increases and stops at a gripping force value of "99". The gripping force value "99" is an initial setting value, and is set to the maximum gripping force. The gripping force value "99" becomes the gripping force F _INITIAL in Fig. 3.

Next, the control unit 200 reduces the gripping force value "99", and the three gripping arms gradually open. Fig. 6 shows a state where the gripping force has reached a gripping force value of "75". The gripping force is reduced by dividing the solenoid voltage into 100 steps and reducing the solenoid voltage one step at a time.
Then, as shown in Fig. 7, when the gripping force decreases and the prize separates from the three gripping arms, the prize falls into the prize drop hole as shown in Fig. 8. When the prize detection sensor 290 detects the prize falling, the control unit 200 stops the decrease in the solenoid voltage and stops the decrease in the gripping force. If the gripping force when it is detected that the prize has fallen is a gripping force value of "55", the gripping force value "55" corresponds to the gripping force F _DROP in Fig. 3.

When the grip force stops decreasing, "Save and return" is displayed on the screen of the setting unit 270. When the adjuster of the prize gripping game machine 10 selects "Save and return" on the screen of the setting unit 270 using the operation lever 180 and the operation button 220 as shown in FIG. 8, the grip force value "55" is saved.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 200 determines an upper limit value F _UP and a lower limit value F _DOWN of the gripping force based on the determined gripping force F _DROP .
The upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force is the gripping force when a player of the prize gripping game machine 10 operates the operation lever 180 and the operation button 220 to grip a prize with the catcher 280. The lower limit value F _DOWN of the gripping force is the gripping force when the catcher 280, having gripped the prize, releases the prize above the prize drop opening.
The upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force and the lower limit value F _DOWN of the gripping force may be set to be the same as the gripping force F _DROP , but are preferably set to be lower than the gripping force F _DROP in order to improve reproducibility.
The upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force is set to be greater than the gripping force F _DROP , and the lower limit value F _Down is set to be smaller than the gripping force F _DROP . For example, the upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force is set to a value obtained by adding 8% of the gripping force F _DROP to the gripping force F _DROP , and the lower limit value F _Down is set to a value obtained by adding -4% of the gripping force F _DROP to the gripping force F _DROP .

The configuration and operation of the control unit 200 will be further described below with reference to FIG.
The control unit 200 has the functions shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, and constitutes a gripping force setting device.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit 200 includes a gripping force control unit 201 , a gripping force setting unit 202 , a gripping force voltage signal generating unit 203 , and a down counter 204 .

When an adjuster of the prize grasping game machine 10 selects the "simple automatic setting mode" using the setting unit 270, the setting unit 270 sends a grip force setting instruction to the control unit 200. Upon receiving the grip force setting instruction, the grip force control unit 201 resets the down counter 204 to an initial value that becomes the initial grip force V _INITIAL , and outputs a mode switching instruction to the grip force voltage signal generation unit 203 to switch from the normal mode to the grip force setting mode.
In the grip force setting mode, grip force voltage signal generator 203 obtains a count value corresponding to the initial grip force V _INITIAL from down counter 204, generates a grip force voltage signal corresponding to the count value, and outputs it to catcher driver 210. Catcher driver 210 generates a solenoid voltage based on the grip force voltage signal and applies it to the solenoid of grip force adjustment unit 282 of arm opening/closing mechanism 281 of catcher 280. With this operation, the grip forces of the three grip arms become a grip force value of "99" shown in Fig. 5 (corresponding to grip force F _INITIAL in Fig. 3).

Furthermore, the gripping force control unit 201 sequentially sends pulses to the down counter 204. The count value of the down counter 204 decreases from the initial value according to the number of input pulses. The gripping force voltage signal generating unit 203 acquires the count value, which decreases by one, from the down counter 204, generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the decreasing count value, and outputs it to the catcher driving unit 210. The catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage based on the gripping force voltage signal and applies it to the solenoid of the gripping force adjustment unit 282 of the arm opening/closing mechanism 281 of the catcher 280. The gripping force voltage signal is sent so as to decrease the solenoid voltage by one step at a time. With this operation, the gripping forces of the three gripping arms decrease from the gripping force F _INITIAL as shown in FIG. 3.
Then, the gripping force of the three gripping arms decreases, and the prize falls into the prize drop port as shown in Figure 8. When the prize detection sensor 290 detects the prize falling, the gripping force control unit 201 of the control unit 200 receives a prize drop signal from the prize detection sensor 290.

When the grip force control unit 201 receives the prize drop signal, it stops sending pulses to the down counter 204, reads out the count value of the down counter 204, and outputs it to the grip force setting unit 202. The count value at this time corresponds to the grip force value "55" in Fig. 8 (corresponding to the grip force F _DROP in Fig. 3). In addition, the grip force control unit 201 outputs a mode switching instruction to the grip force voltage signal generating unit 203 to switch from the grip force setting mode to the normal mode.
The grip force setting unit 202 sets an upper limit digital value (corresponding to the grip force F _UP in Figure 3) and a lower limit digital value (corresponding to the grip force F _DOWN in Figure 3) based on the count value output from the grip force setting unit 202 (corresponding to the grip force F _DROP in Figure 3), and outputs them to the grip force voltage signal generating unit 203.

In normal mode, the grip force voltage signal generating unit 203 obtains an upper limit digital value and a lower limit digital value from the grip force setting unit 202, generates a grip force voltage signal corresponding to the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value, and outputs it to the catcher driving unit 210.
When grabbing a prize, the catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage for making the gripping force F _UP from the upper limit digital value and outputs it to the catcher 280. When releasing the prize, the catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage for making the gripping force F _DOWN from the lower limit digital value and outputs it to the catcher 280.

The gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10. As shown in FIG.
9, the control unit 200 of the prize holding game machine 10 judges whether the service button of the setting unit 270 has been pressed (whether the test mode button has been pressed) by the adjuster of the prize holding game machine 10. If the test mode button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S2, and if the test mode button has not been pressed, the process repeats the judgment of step S1 after a certain period of time has elapsed.
In step S2, control unit 200 detects the mode selection made by the adjuster through operation of operation lever 180 (selection of "simple automatic setting mode").
In step S3, the control unit 200 determines whether the operation button 220 (decision button) has been pressed in the "simple automatic setting mode", and if it has been pressed, proceeds to step S4, and if it has not been pressed, performs the judgment of step S3 again after a certain period of time has elapsed.
In step S4, the control unit 200 starts counting down the solenoid voltage that generates the gripping force, in order to gradually reduce the gripping force _{F_INITIAL} .
In step S5, the control unit 200 judges whether the prize detection sensor (prize sensor) has detected the passage of a prize based on whether a prize drop signal has been received. If the prize has passed the prize detection sensor, the control unit 200 proceeds to step S6, and if the prize has not passed the prize detection sensor, the control unit 200 performs the judgment in step S5 again after a certain period of time has elapsed.
In step S6, the control unit 200 stops the countdown of the solenoid voltage.
In step S7, the control unit 200 judges whether or not "Save and return" on the screen of the setting unit 270 has been selected by the operation button 220 (selection button). If "Save and return" has been selected, the setting process is terminated, and if "Save and return" has not been selected, the control unit 200 makes the judgment in step S7 again after a certain period of time has elapsed.

According to the present embodiment described above, the gripping force in a prize gripping game machine can be automatically set.

The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the present invention can be implemented in various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the upper limit value F _UP and the lower limit value F _Down of the gripping force are obtained, but only the upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force may be obtained, and the lower limit value F _Down may be set to the same value as the gripping force F _DROP .
2 determines an upper limit digital value and a lower limit digital value based on the count value of the down counter 204 corresponding to the grip force F _DROP , generates grip force voltage signals corresponding to the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value, and outputs the signals to the catcher drive unit 210 to generate the grip forces F _UP and F _DOWN . However, the control unit 200 is not limited to this configuration, and may have any configuration as long as it can generate signals for generating the grip forces F _UP and F _DOWN based on the prize drop signal.

10 Prize-grabbing game machine 110 Prize counter 120 Coin counter 130 7-segment LED
140 Display 150 Output section 160 Speaker 170 Power supply 180 Operation lever 190 Input section 200 Control section 201 Gripping force control section 202 Gripping force setting section 203 Gripping force voltage signal generating section 204 Down counter 210 Catcher driving section 220 Operation button 230 Coin sensor 240 Payout sensor 250 Storage device 260 Catcher XYZ movement device 270 Setting section 280 Catcher 281 Arm opening/closing mechanism 282 Gripping force adjustment section 290 Prize detection sensor

The present invention relates to a prize gripping game machine and gripping force setting method that automatically sets the gripping force.

As examples of grip force adjustment devices in prize gripping game machines, there are grip force adjustment devices in prize gripping game machines described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example.
Patent document 1 describes a gripping force adjustment device for a prize gripping game machine that solves the dilemma that a weak gripping force setting kills players' enthusiasm and reduces sales, while a strong gripping force setting increases the chances of winning prizes.
Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes a prize grasping game machine having an arm for grasping a prize and an arm opening and closing means for opening and closing the arm, in which a motor serving as a power source for opening and closing the arm is configured so that the gripping force can be set to a strength range from 0 to the strongest by a motor drive signal emitted from a control device.The game machine describes a gripping force adjustment device that comprises an input circuit for analyzing the motor drive signal to find the set gripping force, a signal conversion circuit that inputs a signal for gripping the prize with the strongest gripping force before the found set gripping force signal and performs control at least once to reduce the gripping force to the set value, and an output circuit that outputs a signal from the signal conversion circuit to the motor.

Patent Document 2 describes an object gripping game machine that determines the gripping force to increase the fun of the operation.
Specifically, Patent Document 2 describes an item grasping game machine that comprises an item storage section capable of storing one or more items, an item grasping section that performs a grasping action, an operating member operated by a player, and a moving means for moving the item grasping section in the item storage section in accordance with an operation on the operating member, and in which the item grasping section performs a grasping action after the item grasping section is moved by the moving means, and that a gripping force determination means is provided that determines a gripping force depending on the manner of operation on the operating member, and the item grasping section is configured to perform a gripping action with a gripping force determined by the gripping force determination means.

JP 2007-007058 A JP 2010-233892 A

Since the gripping force differs depending on the type of prize, it is necessary to set the gripping force depending on the prize inserted into the prize gripping game machine.

The object of the present invention is to provide a prize gripping game machine and gripping force setting method that can automatically set the gripping force.

(1) The prize-grabbing game machine according to the present invention comprises a catcher having a plurality of gripping arms;
a prize detection sensor that detects when the prize falls from the catcher that has caught the prize;
a control unit that sets the gripping force of the catcher who has gripped the prize to an initial value, gradually reduces the initial value of the gripping force, and determines a gripping force _VUP when the catcher grips the prize during game operation based on a gripping force _VDROP when the prize detection sensor detects that the prize has dropped;
In this prize-grasping game machine, the gripping force V _UP is greater than the gripping force V _DROP .

(2) In the prize-grasping game machine described above in (1), the control unit may determine a gripping force V _{DOWN N} when the catcher releases the prize during game operation based on the gripping force V _DROP , and the gripping force V _{DOWN N} may be smaller than the gripping force V _DROP .

(3) In the prize gripping game machine according to (1) or (2), the control unit includes a gripping force control unit, a gripping force setting unit, a gripping voltage signal generating unit, and a down counter,
the grip force control unit, in a grip force setting mode, sets a count value of the down counter to a count value corresponding to an initial value of the grip force of the catcher;
the gripping voltage signal generating unit generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to a count value of the down counter that is decreased in the gripping force setting mode, and outputs the gripping force voltage signal to the catcher that opens and closes a plurality of gripping arms based on the gripping force voltage signal;
The gripping force setting unit sets a digital value corresponding to the gripping force V _UP based on a count value of the down counter corresponding to the gripping force V _DROP when the drop of the prize is detected in the gripping force setting mode,
In normal mode, when the multiple gripping arms grip a prize, the gripping voltage signal generating unit may generate a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the digital value, and output it to the catcher, which opens and closes the multiple gripping arms based on the gripping force voltage signal.

(4) A gripping force setting method according to the present invention includes setting the gripping force of a catcher who has caught a prize to an initial value by a control unit of a prize-grabbing game machine;
the control unit gradually reduces the initial value of the gripping force, and determines a gripping force _{VUP when the catcher grasps the prize during a game operation of the prize gripping game machine based on a gripping force VDROP when} the prize is released from the catcher and falls;
This is a gripping force setting method in which the gripping force V _UP is greater than the gripping force V _DROP .

According to the present invention, the gripping force in a prize gripping game machine can be automatically set.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prize-grabbing game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a control unit that sets a gripping force. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a gripping force setting operation by a control unit. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. 13 is a flowchart of a gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prize holding game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, a prize holding game machine 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a prize counter 110, a coin counter 120, a 7-segment LED (7-segment LED in the figure) 130, a display 140, an output unit 150, a speaker 160, and a power supply 170.
The prize-grabbing game machine 10 also includes an operating lever 180, an input unit 190, a control unit 200, a catcher driving unit 210, an operating button 220, a coin sensor 230, a payout sensor 240, a memory device 250, a catcher XYZ movement device 260, a setting unit 270, a catcher 280 and a prize detection sensor 290.

The prize counter 110 counts the number of prizes (prizes won by the player) detected by a prize detection sensor 290 (described later). The count value is stored in the control unit 200.
The coin counter 120 counts the number of inserted coins of each type (for example, 100 yen coins and 500 yen coins) detected by a coin sensor 230 (described later). The count value is stored in the control unit 200.
The seven-segment LED 130 displays the remaining number of games that can be played based on the display data from the output unit 150 .

The display 140 is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display panel. The display 140 displays information about the inserted coin, for example, "500" when a 500 yen coin is inserted, based on the display data output from the output unit 150. The display 140 displays the same information as the 7-segment LED 130, that is, the number of remaining games that can be played.
Based on a control signal from the control unit 200, the output unit 150 sends display data to the 7-segment LED 130 and the display 140, and sends audio data to the speaker 160. The output unit 150 drives the display 140, the speaker 160, etc. to execute a performance celebrating the acquisition of a prize.
The speaker 160 produces sound based on the audio data from the output unit 150 .
The power supply 170 supplies the control unit 200 with a voltage for operating the prize grasping game machine 10 .
The operating lever 180 is operated by the player to indicate the movement direction of a catcher 280, which will be described later. The catcher 280 moves in the direction in which the operating lever 180 is tilted, and the catcher 280 stops when the operating lever 180 is released.
The input unit 190 receives operation signals from the operation lever 180 and an operation button 220 (described later), as well as detection signals from the coin sensor 230 and the payout sensor 240 , and outputs them to the control unit 200 .

The control unit 200 includes a CPU and a storage unit such as a RAM for storing data necessary for the CPU's calculation processing. The control unit 200 controls the prize counter 110, the coin counter 120, the output unit 150, the input unit 190, the catcher driving unit 210, the catcher XYZ moving device 260, the setting unit 270, the prize detection sensor 290, etc., based on various programs necessary for controlling the prize grasping game machine 10, which are stored in a storage device 250 described later.
The catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage for controlling the opening and closing of the three gripping arms of the catcher 280, and outputs the solenoid voltage to the catcher 280. The gripping force of the three gripping arms decreases as the three gripping arms open.

The operation button 220 instructs the downward movement of the catcher 280. When the operation button 220 is pressed, the catcher 280 moves downward and the three gripping arms open to grab a prize.
The coin sensor 230 detects the type of coin inserted (for example, 100 yen coin and 500 yen coin).
The dispensing sensor 240 detects coins other than 100 yen coins and 500 yen coins.

As described above, the memory device 250 is a hard disk, SSD, ROM, etc. that stores various programs necessary for controlling the prize grasping game machine 10.
The catcher XYZ movement device 260 is provided at the upper part inside the prize-grabbing game machine 10, and moves the catcher 280 in the forward/backward, left/right, and up/down directions.
The setting unit 270 performs settings of the prize holding game machine 10 according to the operation of an adjuster of the prize holding game machine 10. Specifically, the setting unit 270 performs operations such as basic settings, system parameter settings, catch mechanism settings, and account confirmation according to the operation of the adjuster.

The catcher 280 includes three gripping arms and an arm opening/closing mechanism 281 including a gripping force adjustment unit 282 such as a solenoid. The solenoid adjusts the gripping force of the three gripping arms by a solenoid voltage. The number of gripping arms is not particularly limited to three, and may be two, four or more.

The prize detection sensor 290 is provided near the prize drop opening and detects when a prize passes through the opening. The prize detection sensor 290 can be, for example, an optical sensor consisting of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element.

The display 140, operating lever 180, and operating button 220 described above are located on the upper surface of the protruding portion of the prize-grabbing game machine 10.

Next, a description will be given of the game operation of the prize holding game machine 10. The game operation of the prize holding game machine is described in, for example, JP 2017-029568 A and is already known, so an outline of the game operation will be described.
When a player inserts a coin into the coin slot, the number of games corresponding to the coin is stored in the memory of the control unit 200, thereby setting the number of games. The display 140 displays information about the coin, for example, "500" when a 500 yen coin is inserted, and also displays the remaining number of games that can be played (for example, "5"). The 7-segment LED 130 also displays the remaining number of games that can be played.

The prize-grabbing game machine 10 then performs game execution processing in which the player controls the catcher 280 based on the operation of the control lever 180 and the control button 220.

Specifically, the player operates the operating lever 180 to position the catcher 280 above the desired prize from the waiting area. When the player then presses the operating button 220, the catcher 280 automatically opens its three gripping arms, then moves downward and closes the three gripping arms near the prize. The catcher 280 then automatically moves upward with the three gripping arms still closed, and then moves above the prize drop opening and opens the three gripping arms. At this time, when the three gripping arms grab the prize and the prize drops into the prize drop opening, the prize detection sensor 290 detects the prize, and the control unit 200 drives the speaker 160, display 140, etc. to execute a performance celebrating the acquisition of the prize.

When the catcher 280 returns to the waiting area from above the prize drop hole, the number of games played stored in the memory of the control unit 200 is decremented by one, and the number displayed on the 7-segment LED 130 and display 140 is updated from "5" to "4." The game can then be repeated until the number displayed on the 7-segment LED 130 and display 140 becomes "0."

A control unit for setting the gripping force of the prize gripping game machine 10 and a gripping force setting method will be described below with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit that sets the gripping force, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the gripping force setting operation.
4 to 8 are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in a prize gripping game machine. As shown in Fig. 4 to 8, the gripping force is set by operating the catcher, and a setting unit, an operating lever, and an operating button for setting the gripping force of the catcher's gripping arm.

Prior to describing the configuration and operation of the control unit functioning as the grip force setting device, the grip force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.
An adjuster of the prize-grabbing game machine 10 first presses the service button to display the setting screen of the setting unit 270, as shown in Fig. 4. Using the operation lever 180 and the operation button 220, the adjuster selects "Catch Mechanism Setting" on the setting screen. When "Catch Mechanism Setting" is selected, the control unit 200 displays "Simple Auto Setting Mode" on the screen. When the adjuster selects this with the operation button 220, the control unit 200 moves the catcher 280 to above the prize drop opening, and opens the three gripping arms with the catcher drive unit 210.
The adjuster places a prize between the three open gripping arms and presses the operation button 220.
Then, the control unit 200 gradually closes the three gripping arms by using the catcher driving unit 210. As shown in Fig. 5, the gripping force increases and stops at a gripping force value of "99". The gripping force value "99" is an initial setting value, and is set to the maximum gripping force. The gripping force value "99" becomes the gripping force V _INITIAL in Fig. 3.

Next, the control unit 200 reduces the gripping force value "99", and the three gripping arms gradually open. Fig. 6 shows a state where the gripping force has reached a gripping force value of "75". The gripping force is reduced by dividing the solenoid voltage into 100 steps and reducing the solenoid voltage one step at a time.
Then, as shown in Fig. 7, when the gripping force decreases and the prize separates from the three gripping arms, the prize falls into the prize drop hole as shown in Fig. 8. When the prize detection sensor 290 detects the prize falling, the control unit 200 stops the decrease in the solenoid voltage and stops the decrease in the gripping force. If the gripping force when it is detected that the prize has fallen is a gripping force value of "55", the gripping force value "55" corresponds to the gripping force V _DROP in Fig. 3.

When the grip force stops decreasing, "Save and return" is displayed on the screen of the setting unit 270. When the adjuster of the prize gripping game machine 10 selects "Save and return" on the screen of the setting unit 270 using the operation lever 180 and the operation button 220 as shown in FIG. 8, the grip force value "55" is saved.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 200 determines an upper limit value V _UP and a lower limit value V _{DOWN N} of the gripping force based on the determined gripping force V _DROP .
The upper limit value VUP of _the gripping force is the gripping force when a player of the prize gripping game machine 10 operates the operation lever 180 and the operation button 220 to grip a prize with the catcher 280. The lower limit value VDOWN of the gripping _force is the gripping force when the catcher 280, having gripped the prize, releases the prize above the prize drop opening.
The lower limit value V _{DOWN N} of the gripping force may be set to be the same as the gripping force V _DROP , but is desirably set to be lower than the gripping force V _DROP in order to improve reproducibility.
The upper limit value V _UP of the gripping force is set to be greater than the gripping force V _DROP , and the lower limit value V _{DOWN N} is set to be smaller than the gripping force V _DROP . For example, the upper limit value V _UP of the gripping force is set to a value obtained by adding 8% of the gripping force V _DROP to the gripping force V _DROP , and the lower limit value V _{DOWN N} is set to a value obtained by adding −4% of the gripping force V _DROP to the gripping force V _DROP .

The configuration and operation of the control unit 200 will be further described below with reference to FIG.
The control unit 200 has the functions shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, and constitutes a gripping force setting device.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit 200 includes a gripping force control unit 201 , a gripping force setting unit 202 , a gripping force voltage signal generating unit 203 , and a down counter 204 .

When an adjuster of the prize grasping game machine 10 selects the "simple automatic setting mode" using the setting unit 270, the setting unit 270 sends a grip force setting instruction to the control unit 200. Upon receiving the grip force setting instruction, the grip force control unit 201 resets the down counter 204 to an initial value that becomes the initial grip force V _INITIAL , and outputs a mode switching instruction to the grip force voltage signal generation unit 203 to switch from the normal mode to the grip force setting mode.
In the grip force setting mode, grip force voltage signal generator 203 obtains a count value corresponding to the initial grip force V _INITIAL from down counter 204, generates a grip force voltage signal corresponding to the count value, and outputs it to catcher driver 210. Catcher driver 210 generates a solenoid voltage based on the grip force voltage signal and applies it to the solenoid of grip force adjustment unit 282 of arm opening/closing mechanism 281 of catcher 280. With this operation, the grip forces of the three grip arms become a grip force value of "99" shown in Fig. 5 (corresponding to grip force V _INITIAL in Fig. 3).

Furthermore, the gripping force control unit 201 sequentially sends pulses to the down counter 204. The count value of the down counter 204 decreases from the initial value according to the number of input pulses. The gripping force voltage signal generating unit 203 acquires the count value, which decreases by one from the down counter 204, generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the decreasing count value, and outputs it to the catcher driving unit 210. The catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage based on the gripping force voltage signal and applies it to the solenoid of the gripping force adjustment unit 282 of the arm opening/closing mechanism 281 of the catcher 280. The gripping force voltage signal is sent so as to decrease the solenoid voltage by one step at a time. With this operation, the gripping forces of the three gripping arms decrease from the gripping force V _INITIAL as shown in FIG. 3.
Then, the gripping force of the three gripping arms decreases, and the prize falls into the prize drop port as shown in Figure 8. When the prize detection sensor 290 detects the prize falling, the gripping force control unit 201 of the control unit 200 receives a prize drop signal from the prize detection sensor 290.

When the grip force control unit 201 receives the prize drop signal, it stops sending pulses to the down counter 204, reads out the count value of the down counter 204, and outputs it to the grip force setting unit 202. The count value at this time corresponds to the grip force value "55" in Fig. 8 (corresponding to the grip force V _DROP in Fig. 3). In addition, the grip force control unit 201 outputs a mode switching instruction to the grip force voltage signal generating unit 203 to switch from the grip force setting mode to the normal mode.
Gripping force setting unit 202 sets an upper limit digital value (corresponding to grip force V _UP in FIG. 3 ) and a lower limit digital value (corresponding to grip force V _DOWN in FIG. 3 ) based on the count value output from grip force setting unit 202 (corresponding to grip force V _DROP in FIG. 3 ), and outputs them to grip force voltage signal generation unit 203.

In normal mode, the grip force voltage signal generating unit 203 obtains an upper limit digital value and a lower limit digital value from the grip force setting unit 202, generates a grip force voltage signal corresponding to the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value, and outputs it to the catcher driving unit 210.
When grabbing a prize, the catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage for increasing the gripping force V _UP from the upper limit digital value and outputs it to the catcher 280. When releasing the prize, the catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage for decreasing the gripping force V _DOWN from the lower limit digital value and outputs it to the catcher 280.

The gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10. As shown in FIG.
9, the control unit 200 of the prize holding game machine 10 judges whether the service button of the setting unit 270 has been pressed (whether the test mode button has been pressed) by the adjuster of the prize holding game machine 10. If the test mode button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S2, and if the test mode button has not been pressed, the process repeats the judgment of step S1 after a certain period of time has elapsed.
In step S2, control unit 200 detects the mode selection made by the adjuster through operation of operation lever 180 (selection of "simple automatic setting mode").
In step S3, the control unit 200 determines whether the operation button 220 (decision button) has been pressed in the "simple automatic setting mode", and if it has been pressed, proceeds to step S4, and if it has not been pressed, performs the judgment of step S3 again after a certain period of time has elapsed.
In step S4, the control unit 200 starts counting down the solenoid voltage that generates the gripping force, in order to gradually reduce the gripping force V _INITIAL .
In step S5, the control unit 200 judges whether the prize detection sensor (prize sensor) has detected the passage of a prize based on whether a prize drop signal has been received. If the prize has passed the prize detection sensor, the control unit 200 proceeds to step S6, and if the prize has not passed the prize detection sensor, the control unit 200 performs the judgment in step S5 again after a certain period of time has elapsed.
In step S6, the control unit 200 stops the countdown of the solenoid voltage.
In step S7, the control unit 200 judges whether or not "Save and return" on the screen of the setting unit 270 has been selected by the operation button 220 (selection button). If "Save and return" has been selected, the setting process is terminated, and if "Save and return" has not been selected, the control unit 200 makes the judgment in step S7 again after a certain period of time has elapsed.

According to the present embodiment described above, the gripping force in a prize gripping game machine can be automatically set.

The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the present invention can be implemented in various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the upper limit value V _UP and the lower limit value V _{DOWN N} of the gripping force are obtained, but only the upper limit value V _UP of the gripping force may be obtained, and the lower limit value V _{DOWN N} may be set to the same value as the gripping force V _DROP .
2, the control unit 200 determines an upper limit digital value and a lower limit digital value based on the count value of the down counter 204 corresponding to the grip force V _DROP , generates grip force voltage signals corresponding to the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value, and outputs the signals to the catcher drive unit 210 to generate the grip forces V _UP and V _DOWN . However, the control unit 200 is not limited to this configuration, and may have any configuration as long as it can generate signals for generating the grip forces V _UP and V _DOWN based on the prize drop signal.

10 Prize-grabbing game machine 110 Prize counter 120 Coin counter 130 7-segment LED
140 Display 150 Output section 160 Speaker 170 Power supply 180 Operation lever 190 Input section 200 Control section 201 Gripping force control section 202 Gripping force setting section 203 Gripping force voltage signal generating section 204 Down counter 210 Catcher driving section 220 Operation button 230 Coin sensor 240 Payout sensor 250 Storage device 260 Catcher XYZ movement device 270 Setting section 280 Catcher 281 Arm opening/closing mechanism 282 Gripping force adjustment section 290 Prize detection sensor

Claims (4)

A catcher having a plurality of gripping arms;
a prize detection sensor that detects, in a gripping force setting mode, that the prize has fallen from the catcher that has caught the prize and passed through a prize drop port;
The prize gripping game machine is equipped with a control unit which sets the gripping force of the catcher who grips the prize to an initial value, gradually reduces the initial value of the gripping force, and calculates a gripping force _VUP when the catcher grips the prize during game operation based on a gripping force _VDROP when the prize detection sensor detects the drop of the prize. 2. The prize-grabbing game machine according to claim 1, wherein the prize detection sensor also serves as a prize detection sensor for counting the prizes won by a player during game operation. A catcher having a plurality of gripping arms;
a prize detection sensor that detects, in a gripping force setting mode, that the prize has fallen from the catcher that has caught the prize and passed through a prize drop port;
a control unit that sets the gripping force of the catcher who has gripped the prize to an initial value, gradually reduces the initial value of the gripping force, and determines a gripping force _VDOWN when the catcher releases the prize during game operation based on a gripping force _VDROP when the prize detection sensor detects that the prize has dropped;
The gripping force V _DOWN is smaller than the gripping force V _DROP .
Prize-grabbing game machine. In the gripping force setting mode, the control unit of the prize gripping game machine sets the gripping force of the catcher who has gripped the prize to an initial value;
The control unit gradually reduces the initial value of the gripping force, and calculates a gripping force _{VDOWN when the catcher releases the prize during game operation of the prize gripping game machine based on a gripping force VDROP when} the prize is released from the catcher and falls through a prize drop port.
The gripping force V _DOWN is smaller than the gripping force V _DROP ;
Gripping force setting method.

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