JP2024057616A - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a gaming machine that has an easily recognizable display that identifies the group to which the manufacturer of the gaming machine belongs and the manufacturer of the gaming machine. [Solution] The gaming machine has a first display that identifies the manufacturer of the gaming machine and a second display that is different from the first display and identifies the group to which the manufacturer belongs, and when a specified error occurs in the second display, at least a portion of the second display is not visible, and when the specified error does not occur, the entire second display is visible in at least a portion of the second display, and when the specified error occurs and when the specified error does not occur, the entire first display is visible. [Selected Figure] Figure 16

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines.

Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines and slot machines, have an image display device such as a liquid crystal display type display device, and perform game effects using the images displayed on the image display.

JP 2020-116297 A

Nowadays, it is common for one gaming machine manufacturer to have multiple manufacturing companies that produce gaming machines, and for these manufacturing companies to be treated as one group, in order to facilitate applications to the Security Communications Association, which tests the performance of gaming machines to determine whether they can be installed in halls.
This could result in problems such as, for example, when a test play video or a demonstration video is viewed through a telecommunications circuit, it becoming difficult to know which gaming machine manufacturer (group) the gaming machine appearing in the video is from, or, if a malfunction occurs with a gaming machine installed in the hall, it becoming difficult for hall staff to know which manufacturing company to contact.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a gaming machine that displays clearly identifiable markings that identify the group to which the manufacturer of the gaming machine belongs and the manufacturer of the gaming machine.

According to the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine having a first display that identifies the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and a second display that is different from the first display and identifies the group to which the manufacturer belongs, wherein, when a predetermined error occurs in the second display, at least a portion of the second display is not visible, and when the predetermined error does not occur, the entire second display is visible in at least a portion of the second display, and the entire first display is visible both when the predetermined error occurs and when the predetermined error does not occur.

The present invention provides a gaming machine that displays clearly identifiable markings that identify the group to which the manufacturer of the gaming machine belongs and the manufacturer of the gaming machine.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the gaming machine. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hand area II enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. FIG. 3 is a view showing the rear surface of the front door. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the gaming machine 10 without the front door. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower space III hatched in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the arrangement of symbols on the reels in a plan view. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the types of symbols on the reels. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of the gaming machine. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the gaming machine. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the main flow on the main board. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the main flow on the main board. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the main flow on the main board. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the main flow in the medal number control board. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the medal number control board initial setting process. FIG. 15 is a diagram summarizing whether or not the number of medals is cleared according to the operating state when the power is turned on. Figure 16(a) is a diagram showing a specific example of an image displayed in the upper performance display area and the lower performance display area when no game is being played and the front door is closed, and Figure 16(b) is a diagram showing a specific example of an image displayed in the upper performance display area and the lower performance display area when no game is being played and the front door is open. Figure 17(a) is a timing chart when the front door switches from a closed state to an open state while non-play is in progress, and Figure 17(b) is a timing chart when the front door switches from an open state to a closed state while non-play is in progress. Figure 18(a) is a modified example of the display in the display area (display area 621 described later) when the front door switches from a closed state to an open state while not playing, and Figure 18(b) is a modified example of the display in the display area (display area 622 and display area 623 described later) when the front door switches from a closed state to an open state while not playing. FIG. 19(a) is a timing chart when the front door switches from a closed state to an open state during play, and FIG. 19(b) is a timing chart when the front door switches from an open state to a closed state during play.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, similar components are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," and "lower" refer to the gaming machine 10 as viewed from the front side (player side) as shown in FIG. 1.

<Features of the present invention>
Before describing the details of the gaming machine 10 in this embodiment, the features of the invention described in this embodiment will be described.
In addition, when explaining the features, the configuration in parentheses is an example of the configuration of this embodiment that corresponds to the immediately preceding configuration, and the configuration may be described in parentheses for a similar purpose in the explanations of the gaming machine 10 that follow.

The present invention relates to
A first indication (indication of the name of the manufacturer) that identifies the manufacturer of the gaming machine;
A second indication (indication of the group name) that is different from the first indication and identifies the group to which the manufacturing company belongs;
having
Regarding the second display above,
When a predetermined error occurs, at least a part of the second display is not visible,
the second display is entirely visible at least in part of the time when the predetermined error does not occur,
the first display is entirely visible both when the predetermined error has occurred and when the predetermined error has not occurred;
This is a gaming machine characterized by the above.

The present invention makes it easy for hall staff to know which manufacturer they should contact when the above-mentioned specified error occurs.

As described later, the first display in this embodiment is composed of characters, but the first display may use symbols or logos instead of or in addition to characters. This also applies to the second display.
In addition, in the present invention, it is permissible for one manufacturing company (e.g., the largest) among multiple manufacturing companies included in a group to be identical to a group related to the group, and in that case, the indications can be made different by changing the font or color of the characters that make up the names, making one an abbreviation and the other the official name, or making one with a logo and the other without a logo, etc.
Moreover, any error may be adopted as the above-mentioned predetermined error.
In addition, "the entirety of the second display is visible" and "the entirety of the first display is visible" refer to the fact that the entirety of the second display is visible when viewed directly facing the gaming machine.

The gaming machine according to this embodiment, which will be described later, is a slot machine (a so-called smart slot) that pays out all medals as electronic data, but the present invention can also be applied to a conventional slot machine that pays out some of the medals as actual medals. Furthermore, the present invention may be adopted in conventional pachinko machines that pay out actual game balls as prize balls, or in pachinko machines that award prize balls as electronic data (a so-called smart pachinko).

The gaming machine 10 having the above characteristics will be specifically described based on the following embodiment.

<Structure of Gaming Machine 10>
First, the structure of the gaming machine 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Figure 1 is a front view of the gaming machine 10, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hand area II enclosed by a dashed line in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a view showing the back side of the front door 20, Figure 4 is a view showing the front of the gaming machine 10 excluding the front door 20, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lower space III hatched in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a view showing the arrangement of the symbols on the reel 65 in a planar development, and Figure 7 is a view showing the types of symbols on the reel 65.

The gaming machine 10 includes a rectangular parallelepiped outer frame 90 with an open front, a front door 20 pivotally supported on the left edge side (around axis Za) of the outer frame 90 so as to be rotatable openable and closable, and a gaming machine main body 60. More specifically, three hinge portions 96 (96a, 96b, 96c) are provided on the left edge side of the outer frame 90, and the front door 20 is pivotally supported by the upper hinge portion 96a and the lower hinge portion 96c, and the gaming machine main body 60 is pivotally supported by the upper hinge portion 96a and the middle hinge portion 96b.
As shown in Fig. 4, an opening is formed in the outer frame 90 by a left side wall 90a, a right side wall 90b, a top plate 90c, and a bottom plate 90d, and the back portion of the opening is shielded by a back side wall shown in another drawing (Fig. 5, etc.). Unless otherwise specified, in the following description, the game components are provided on the inner surfaces of the plate members (left side wall 90a, right side wall 90b, top plate 90c, back side wall) that constitute the outer frame 90, and expressions such as "provided on the plate members" are used to refer to the game components being provided on the inner surfaces of the plate members.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, on the front side of the front door 20, there are provided an upper panel 21, a lower panel 22, a bet button 23, a menu selection button 24, a status display LED 25, a start lever 26, a stop button 27, a medal number display LED 28, a settlement button 32, a medal count button 33, a door lock 34, a decorative LED 36, and a speaker vent 38.
In particular, the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment is a so-called medal-less slot machine in which a game can be played without using actual medals. Therefore, the gaming machine 10 does not have structures required for using actual medals, such as a medal insertion port and a medal ejection port, which are standard features of conventional slot machines that use actual medals. In the following description, the medal does not refer to the actual medal that has been conventionally used, but to one that is treated as electronic information.

Also, on the back side of the front door 20, as shown in FIG. 3, there are provided a decorative LED board 41, a status display LED board 42, a stop button board 43, a start lever sensor 44, a bet button board 45, a menu selection button board 46, a setting change device 48, a speaker 49, a medal number display LED board 50, and a medal count button board 51.

In order to open the front door 20, a door key (not shown) must be inserted into the door lock 34 to release the locking mechanism (not shown) that locks the front door 20 to the outer frame 90. When the front door 20 is opened, the lower space III below the gaming machine main body 60 can be seen, as shown in Figure 4.
In this embodiment, a door open sensor (not shown) for determining whether the front door 20 is open or not is provided on the right edge of the outer frame 90, and the door open sensor is OFF when the front door 20 is closed and is ON when the front door 20 is open.

As shown in Figure 5, in the lower space III (see Figure 4) below the gaming machine main body 60, a power supply unit 91 is provided on the bottom plate 90d along the left side wall 90a, and a medal number control board case 400 is provided on the rear side wall 90e.
In particular, the medal number control board case 400 is provided at a lower position when viewed vertically (in the Z-axis direction) than the top surface of the power supply device 91. This is to effectively utilize the space that was previously occupied by structures (such as a hopper that physically pays out medals and an auxiliary storage unit that stores medals that overflow from the hopper, which are unnecessary in the medal-less slot machine described above) that were included in conventional slot machines that used real medals.
Furthermore, a metal plate 95 is provided in an area on the bottom plate 90d where the power supply device 91 is not installed.

The power supply device 91 is a device for supplying power to each component of the gaming machine 10, and start/stop is controlled by operating a power switch 92 provided on the device. Therefore, when playing a game, it is necessary to operate the power switch 92 with the front door 20 open to start the power supply device 91. In this embodiment, each of the main board 100, the sub board 200, and the medal number control board 300 described later has a function of maintaining information that was held before the power supply from the power supply device 91 was turned off, even if the power supply from the power supply device 91 is turned off.
Further, a heat dissipation port 93 is provided on the right side (X-axis direction side) of the power supply device 91 to release heat generated while the power supply device 91 is operating.

The medal number control board case 400 houses therein the medal number control board 300, which will be described later.
In particular, since the medal number control board case 400 is transparent, the medal number control board 300 can be visually observed when the medal number control board 300 is stored inside.

The setting change device 48 provided on the back side of the front door 20 is a device for performing a setting change process for changing a setting value and a setting confirmation process for confirming a setting value that has already been set, and is configured to include a setting key switch 48a, a setting change switch 48b, a setting display LED 48c, and a setting key cover 48d. The setting change process and the setting confirmation process will be described in detail later.
The setting display LED 48c is an LED that displays the setting value being changed in the setting change process and displays the setting value that has already been set in the setting confirmation process, and in this embodiment is configured as a 7-segment display.
The setting key cover 48d is a cover that covers the setting key switch 48a, and by sliding the setting key cover 48d, a setting key (not shown) can be inserted into the setting key switch 48a for operation. Note that Fig. 3 illustrates a state in which the setting key cover 48d covers the setting key switch 48a.
Here, the setting value is a different ball payout rate that indicates the expected number of medals paid out relative to the number of medals used in a game, and in this embodiment, there are six levels, from 1 to 6. The larger the setting value that is set, the higher the ball payout rate tends to be, and similarly in this embodiment, the ball payout rate increases as the setting value increases from 1 to 6. In the following explanation, a setting value of 1 will be referred to as setting value 1, and similarly a setting value of 2 will be referred to as setting value 2, a setting value of 3 as setting value 3, a setting value of 4 as setting value 4, a setting value of 5 as setting value 5, and a setting value of 6 as setting value 6.

The front door 20 also has an upper panel 21 and a lower panel 22 on the front side.
Since the upper panel 21 is formed from a transparent material, a player positioned in front of the gaming machine 10 can see the gaming machine main body 60 (in particular, the upper performance display area 62a, reel frame 64, and reel 65 of the upper performance display device described later) located on the back side of the upper panel 21 through the upper panel 21.
The lower panel 22, like the upper panel 21, is formed from a transparent material, so that a player positioned in front of the gaming machine 10 can view the lower performance display area 62b of the lower performance display device 63b located on the back side of the lower panel 22 through the lower panel 22.

The gaming machine main body 60 also includes the main components that control the games played by the gaming machine 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, an upper performance display area 62a is formed on the upper front side, and a reel frame 64 is formed on the lower front side.

The upper performance display area 62a is the display screen of an upper performance display device 63a built into the gaming machine main body 60, and in addition to performances and information related to the game of the gaming machine 10, it can display the name of the group company and the name of the manufacturer, which will be described later.
In addition, the lower performance display area 62b is the display screen of the lower performance display device 63b provided on the front door 20, and can display the model name and manufacturer name described below.
In addition, the upper performance display device 63a and the lower performance display device 63b can be, for example, an LCD type display device, and the performance displayed in the upper performance display area 62a is linked to the audio output from the speaker 49 and the illumination of the decorative LEDs 36, thereby effectively stimulating the player's interest.
Additionally, the upper performance display area 62a is located above the top end of the stop button 27 (in the direction away from the bottom plate 90d shown in FIG. 5) when viewed in the vertical direction (z direction shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5), and the lower performance display area 62b is located below the top end of the stop button 27 (in the direction closer to the bottom plate 90d shown in FIG. 5) when viewed in the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper performance display area 62a is located further back than the lower performance display area 62b (in the direction closer to the back side wall 90e shown in FIG. 5) when viewed in the depth direction (y direction shown in FIG. 5).

The reel frame 64 is a window frame formed on the front side of the reels 65 (65L, 65C, 65R) built into the gaming machine main body 60, and is divided into an internal area and an external area. The internal area of the reel frame 64 is formed from a hollow or transparent material, and each part of the reels 65 can be seen through the internal area. The external area of the reel frame 64 is formed from an opaque material (including translucent materials and colored transparent materials), making it difficult to see the reels 65 through the external area.

Here, the reel 65 is composed of a reel 65L, a reel 65C, and a reel 65R, and these reels are configured to be rotatable by a stepping motor. When the reel 65 in this embodiment rotates, in principle, the reel 65 rotates from top to bottom, and the direction in which the reel 65 rotates from top to bottom is sometimes referred to as the "forward direction," and the direction in which the reel 65 rotates from bottom to top is sometimes referred to as the "reverse direction."
Each of the reels 65 is provided with a plurality of different patterns, and the patterns on the reels 65 are displayed in a varying manner when the reels 65 are rotated, and the patterns are displayed in a stationary manner when the rotating reels 65 are stopped.
6, the outer circumference of each reel 65 is divided into 21 equal frames, and each frame has one design. In the following description, the frames on reel 65L may be referred to as LZ00 to LZ20, the frames on reel 65C as CZ00 to CZ20, and the frames on reel 65R as RZ00 to RZ20.

Next, the types of symbols depicted on the outer periphery of each reel 65 will be described with reference to FIG.
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(a) is a blue symbol that resembles the number "7," and is referred to as the "blue 7 symbol" in the following description. The blue 7 symbol is arranged in LZ18, CZ18, and RZ18, and can be said to be a symbol that is arranged in excess of the maximum number of pull-in frames (to be described later) on each of the reels 65 (depending on the timing of the operation of the stop button 27, it may be impossible to stop the symbol on an active line).
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(b) is a red symbol that resembles the number "7", and is referred to as the "Red 7 symbol" in the following description. The Red 7 symbol is arranged in LZ10, CZ10, and RZ10, and can be said to be a symbol arranged in excess of the maximum number of pull-in frames on each reel 65, just like the above-mentioned "Blue 7 symbol."
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(c) is a symbol marked "BAR" and will be referred to as "BAR symbol" in the following description. Note that the BAR symbol is arranged on LZ03, CZ03, RZ03, etc., and can be said to be a symbol arranged on each reel 65 in excess of the maximum number of pull-in frames, similar to the above-mentioned "Blue 7 symbol."
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(d) is a symbol marked "REPLAY" which means a replay, and will be referred to as a "replay symbol" in the following description. Note that the replay symbol is arranged on LZ04, CZ01, RZ02, etc., and can be said to be a symbol that is not arranged in excess of the maximum number of pull-in frames on each reel 65 (a symbol that can be stopped on an active line regardless of the operation timing of the stop button 27).
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(e) is a symbol that resembles a bell, and will be referred to as a "bell symbol" in the following description. Note that the bell symbol is arranged on LZ00, CZ02, RZ01, etc., and can be said to be a symbol that is not arranged in excess of the maximum number of pull-in frames on each reel 65, similar to the above-mentioned "replay symbol."
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(f) is a symbol that imitates a cherry, and will be referred to as a "cherry symbol" in the following description. Note that the cherry symbol is arranged at LZ02, CZ08, RZ00, etc., and can be said to be a symbol arranged on each reel 65 in excess of the maximum number of pull-in frames, similar to the above-mentioned "blue 7 symbol."
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(g) is a symbol that resembles a watermelon, and will be referred to as a "watermelon symbol" in the following description. Note that the watermelon symbol is arranged at LZ01, CZ00, RZ11, etc., and can be said to be a symbol arranged on each reel 65 in excess of the maximum number of reel-in frames, similar to the above-mentioned "blue 7 symbol."
The symbol shown in Fig. 7(h) is a symbol marked "BLANK" and will be referred to as a "blank symbol" in the following description. Note that the blank symbol is arranged on LZ07, CZ05, RZ05, etc., and can be said to be a symbol arranged on each reel 65 in excess of the maximum number of reel-in frames, similar to the above-mentioned "Blue 7 symbol."

Each reel 65 is provided with a detection piece (not shown) that moves with the rotation of the reel at a position (a position upstream in the forward direction by the amount of movement in the brake control state described below) that corresponds to the reference position (in this embodiment, LZ00, CZ00, RZ00), and is provided with a reel sensor 66 that does not move with the rotation of the reel and detects the detection piece. Specifically, reel sensor 66L is provided for reel 65L, reel sensor 66C is provided for reel 65C, and reel sensor 66R is provided for reel 65R, and these sensors are configured to be able to detect when each of the reels 65 has reached the reference position.

In addition, reel illumination boards 67 (67L, 67C, 67R) are provided inside the reels 65, and the LEDs mounted on the reel illumination boards 67 are lit to make it easier to see the symbols displayed on the reels 65. In other words, the LEDs mounted on the reel illumination boards 67 function as a backlight for the symbols displayed by the reels 65.

The start lever 26 can receive a player's operation as a trigger to start a game. Here, the operation of the start lever 26 by the player means tilting the start lever 26, which is provided approximately perpendicular to the front door 20 in the initial state, in any direction.
The start lever sensor 44 can detect whether the start lever 26 is in the on state or the off state. More specifically, the start lever sensor 44 detects the start lever 26 that is approximately perpendicular to the front door 20 as being in the off state, and detects the start lever 26 that is tilted in either direction as being in the on state.

In this embodiment, if the number of medals used in the game (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "number of bets", this number being stored in the RAM 102 described later) is one or less, the game will not start even if the start lever 26 is operated. That is, in this embodiment, the game is configured to be able to start only when the number of bets is the maximum number (three in this embodiment) or two. Therefore, in order to reach the maximum number of bets, it is necessary to increase the number of bets by deducting the medals stored in the medal number control board 300 of the gaming machine 10 by pressing the bet button 23.
Here, storing medals refers to a function of storing a numerical value (credits) corresponding to the medals owned by the player inside the gaming machine 10 (particularly the RAM 302 described later). Furthermore, medals are stored (credits are added) when, for example, medals are loaned from the dedicated unit 1000 described later, or when a winning combination with a payout is won. In the following explanation, loaning medals from the dedicated unit 1000 includes not only the transfer (movement) of the medals to the medal count control board 300 after the dedicated unit 1000 converts bills into medals, but also the transfer of stored medals stored in a membership card or the like to the medal count control board 300.
Furthermore, if a replay role is won in the previous game, a replay is activated in that game, the number of bets in the previous game is set as the number of bets in the current game, and a game can be started by pressing the bet button 23 without setting new medals as the number of bets.

The gaming machine 10 has a maximum bet button 23a and a single bet button 23b as the bet buttons 23, and operations on each button are detected by sensors provided on the bet button board 45. More specifically, a maximum bet button sensor 45a is provided for the maximum bet button 23a, and a single bet button sensor 45b is provided for the single bet button 23b, and these sensors individually detect operations on each button.
The max bet button 23a is a button that, in one operation, subtracts credits by up to the maximum number of bets (3 in this embodiment) and adds the subtracted amount to the number of bets, thereby maximizing the number of bets, and the single bet button 23b is a button that, in one operation, subtracts 1 credit and adds 1 to the number of bets. Note that, when the number of bets has reached the maximum number, it is not possible to subtract credits and add to the number of bets by operating any of the bet buttons 23.

In addition to being used as a bet button to increase the number of bets by subtracting credits according to the operation as described above, the max bet button 23a may also be used as a trigger for executing effects (effect button). When the max bet button 23a is used as a bet button, it is limited to a state in which the number of bets can be increased, but when the max bet button 23a is used as an effect button, it is not limited to this state, and any state, such as during replay operation before the start of a game or during a game, may be adopted.
In addition, the bet button board 45 is provided with a push button sensor 45c that detects the pressing of the max bet button 23a when the max bet button 23a is used as an effect button, and is distinguished from the detection by the max bet button sensor 45a. Specifically, the max bet button sensor 45a is directly connected to the main board 100, whereas the push button sensor 45c is directly connected to the sub board 200.

The settlement button 32 is operated to transfer the bet amount before being used in the game to credits, and the operation of the settlement button 32 is detected by a settlement button sensor (not shown). When the settlement button 32 is operated, the entire bet amount is transferred to credits by a single operation of the settlement button 32, regardless of the value of the current bet amount.

In addition, the medal counting button 33 is operated to transfer some or all of the credits stored in the medal count control board 300 to the dedicated unit 1000, and operation of the medal counting button 33 is detected by a medal counting button sensor 51a provided on the medal counting button board 51.
When the medal counting button 33 is pressed briefly, one credit is transferred to the dedicated unit 1000, and when the medal counting button 33 is pressed for a long time, 50 credits (or the credit value, if it is less than 50, the current value) are transferred to the dedicated unit 1000 every time a certain period of time (500 ms in this embodiment) has elapsed.

The gaming machine 10 also has a menu selection button 24 to the left of the bet button 23. The menu selection button 24 is composed of a cross key button 24a mounted on the menu selection button board 46 and a decision button 24b located in the center of the cross key button 24a.

The menu selection button 24 is a component that accepts operations related to a menu screen. Here, the menu screen refers to a screen that shows an operation method of the gaming machine 10, a commentary on a game, and the like, which is displayed in the upper performance display area 62a.
A player can view the menu screen by operating the menu selection button 24. For example, when the decision button 24b is pressed in the standby state, a list of menus and a cursor are displayed in the upper performance display area 62a. When the player operates the cross key button 24a to move the cursor to a position indicating a desired menu, and when the player presses the decision button 24b when the cursor indicates one of the menus, that menu is displayed in the upper performance display area 62a.

The menu selection button board 46 is provided with a cross key button sensor 46a and a decision button sensor 46b. The cross key button sensor 46a can detect in which direction the cross key button 24a is pressed (either up, down, left or right with respect to the center of the decision button 24b). The decision button sensor 46b can detect that the decision button 24b has been pressed. The cross key button sensor 46a and the decision button sensor 46b are directly connected to the sub-board 200, similar to the push button sensor 45c described above.

The gaming machine 10 also includes a status display LED 25 for displaying information about the gaming machine 10, such as the number of bets, on the right side of the bet button 23. The status display LED 25 is composed of a plurality of LEDs or a seven-segment display mounted on a status display LED board 42, and is composed of the following eight types of LEDs:
The first bet number display LED 25a is composed of three LEDs, and the number of lit LEDs increases by one each time the bet number increases by one.
The second acquired medal number display LED 25b is composed of two 7-segment displays, and indicates the number of medals acquired by winning in numbers.
The third instruction display LED 25c is composed of two seven-segment displays and can light up in a manner that identifies the operating conditions (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "operating conditions") related to the stop button 27 described below.
The fourth replay display LED 25d is composed of one LED, and lights up when a replay is stopped and displayed during a game.
The fifth game start display LED 25e is composed of one LED, and when the LED is lit, it indicates that the conditions for starting a game have been met.
The sixth coin insertion possible display LED 25f is composed of one LED, and when the LED is lit, it indicates that the bet number can be set.
The seventh advantageous mode display LED 25g is composed of a single LED and lights up in accordance with the game mode.

The gaming machine 10 further includes a medal number display LED 28 that displays the number of credits to the right of the status display LED 25. The medal number display LED 28 is made up of five 7-segment displays mounted on the medal number display LED board 50, and is configured to be able to display medal numbers from 0 to 99999.

The stop button 27 accepts from the player an operation (stop operation) that triggers the stopping of the spinning reels 65. The stop button 27 can accept a stop operation (becomes enabled) when a stop enabling condition is met after the reels 65 start spinning.
The player's operation of the stop button 27 means pressing the stop button 27. The stop possible condition is a prerequisite for performing a stop display in a game, and specifically, is a condition that is established when the rotation speeds of all of the reels 65 (65L, 65C, 65R) reach a predetermined speed and the reference position of each of the reels 65 is detected.
In addition, in the following explanation, the operation of the first stop button in a game may be referred to as the "first stop operation," the operation of the next stop button as the "second stop operation," and the operation of the last stop button as the "third stop operation."

Each of the stop buttons 27 (27L, 27C, 27R) is mounted on the stop button board 43, and one is provided for each reel 65. Specifically, the stop button 27L accepts a stop operation for stopping the reel 65L, the stop button 27C accepts a stop operation for stopping the reel 65C, and the stop button 27R accepts a stop operation for stopping the reel 65R.
Furthermore, the stop button board 43 is provided with stop button sensors 43a that individually detect when the stop buttons 27L, 27C, and 27R are pressed, and control is performed to stop the rotation of each of the reels 65 in response to the detection of the stop button sensors 43a. That is, the stop button 27 and the stop button sensor 43a detect a stop operation that triggers the reel control unit 112, which will be described later, to stop the rotation of the reels 65.

The stop button 27 in this embodiment includes a stop possible indicator LED 27a, which is covered with a light-transmitting member. The stop button 27 is designed to notify the player of whether or not the stop possible condition has been met by the lighting color of the stop possible indicator LED 27a. In this way, the player can determine whether or not the stop possible condition has been met by the color of the stop button 27, allowing the player to smoothly perform stop operations in sequence.

In addition, in this embodiment, the stop position of the reel 65 can move up to the maximum number of reel-in frames (sometimes referred to as the maximum reel-in range, which is 4 in this embodiment) based on the position of the reel 65 when the stop button 27 is pressed. Here, the control from when the stop button 27 is pressed until the reel 65 stops is generally referred to as reel-in control.

The internal area of the reel frame 64 corresponding to each of the reels 65 has a dimension of three frames in the vertical direction. In addition, each of the reels 65 is controlled to stop so that three symbols fit in the vertical direction of the internal area of the reel frame 64, and the player can see the three symbols through the internal area of the reel frame 64. In other words, since the reels 65 are arranged in three horizontal directions, when the reels 65 are stopped, the player can see three symbols x three reels = nine symbols.

Here, the approximate straight lines (shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1) formed by the upper, middle, and lower internal regions of each of the reels 65 are referred to as line L1, line L2, and line L3, respectively. Furthermore, the approximate straight line (shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1) formed by the upper internal region of the reel 65L, the middle internal region of the reel 65C, and the lower internal region of the reel 65R is referred to as line L4, and the approximate straight line (shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1) formed by the lower internal region of the reel 65L, the middle internal region of the reel 65C, and the upper internal region of the reel 65R is referred to as line L5.
In this embodiment, only substantially straight lines are used as lines in the internal area, but not limited to straight lines, curved lines may be used. Also, lines formed including non-adjacent areas (for example, the upper part of the reel 65L and the lower part of the reel 65C) may be used. In other words, any lines may be used as long as they are formed by arbitrarily selecting an internal area of one symbol from each of the reels 65.

In this embodiment, the only activated line is the line L2. Here, the activated line is a line on which a winning determination is made for a symbol combination stopped on the line, as will be described later.
Specifically, when a symbol combination corresponding to a winning combination is displayed frozen on an active line, the number of medals specified for that winning combination is awarded. When a symbol combination corresponding to a replay is displayed frozen on an active line, a replay is activated in the next game. When a symbol combination corresponding to a role or a role continuous operation device is displayed frozen on an active line, the role or role continuous operation device is activated in the next game. Details of the symbol combinations corresponding to each role will be described later.
The pay line may be a single line as in this embodiment, or may be multiple lines.

While the reels 65 are spinning (while the game is being played), various effects are displayed to attract the player's attention and arouse their interest in the game, such as images displayed in the upper effect display area 62a, sounds output from the speaker 49, or the lighting or extinguishing of the decorative LEDs 36.

A speaker port 38 is provided in front of each speaker 49 .
More specifically, a speaker port 38a is provided in front of the speaker 49a located at the upper right (upper left in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine, a speaker port 38b is provided in front of the speaker 49b located at the upper left (upper right in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine, a speaker port 38c is provided in front of the speaker 49c located at the lower left (lower right in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine, and a speaker port 38d is provided in front of the speaker 49d located at the lower right (lower left in FIG. 3) when viewed from the front of the gaming machine. Each speaker port 38 has a number of cavities so that the sound output from the speaker 49 can be output appropriately.

The decorative LEDs 36 are arranged so as to surround the upper performance display area 62 a or the reel frame 64 .
More specifically, the upper right side of the upper performance display area 62a is provided with the decorative LED 36a mounted on the decorative LED board 41a and the decorative LED 36b mounted on the decorative LED board 41b, and the lower right side of the upper performance display area 62a is provided with the decorative LED 36c mounted on the decorative LED board 41c. The lower right side of the reel frame 64 is provided with the decorative LED 36d mounted on the decorative LED board 41d, the lower left side of the reel frame 64 is provided with the decorative LED 36e mounted on the decorative LED board 41e, the lower left side of the upper performance display area 62a is provided with the decorative LED 36f mounted on the decorative LED board 41f, and the upper left side of the upper performance display area 62a is provided with the decorative LED 36g mounted on the decorative LED board 41g and the decorative LED 36h mounted on the decorative LED board 41h. Each decorative LED 36 may be illuminated in a single color or may be illuminated in multiple colors.

<Electrical and functional configuration of the gaming machine 10>
Next, the electrical and functional configurations of the gaming machine 10 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. However, the components illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 described above will also be mentioned, so please refer to them as appropriate. Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the gaming machine 10, and Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the gaming machine 10.

The gaming machine 10 has as its main components a main board 100, a sub-board 200, and a medal number control board 300. In FIG. 8, the main board 100, the sub-board 200, and the medal number control board 300 are illustrated as if they were a single electronic board, but they do not necessarily have to be a single electronic board. In other words, the main board 100, the sub-board 200, and the medal number control board 300 may each be realized by combining multiple electronic boards.

The main board 100 is mounted with electronic components such as a CPU 101, a RAM 102, a ROM 103, and a random number circuit 104, and is connected to other electronic components such as sensors and boards as shown in Fig. 8. The main board 100 mainly realizes control related to the progress of the game by executing processes based on data and control signals exchanged between these electronic components and the various sensors 40a.
Here, the various sensors 40a include the above-mentioned start lever sensor 44, stop button sensor 43a, maximum bet button sensor 45a, single bet button sensor 45b, reel sensor 66, and the like.
In addition to the main board 100, the medal count control board 300 described later has limitations on the ROM capacity and RAM capacity in order to increase security against fraudulent acts such as tampering. On the other hand, the sub-board 200 does not have the same limitations.

The sub-board 200 is also equipped with electronic components such as a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, and a random number circuit 204, and is connected to other electronic components such as sensors and boards as shown in Fig. 8. The sub-board 200 is connected to the main board 100 by one-way communication, and controls the decorative LED board 41, the speaker 49, the upper performance display device 63a, and the lower performance display device 63b based on control commands sent from the main board 100, and mainly realizes control of the performances related to the game (including control related to the menu screen).
Here, the various sensors 40b include a push button sensor 45c, a cross key button sensor 46a, a decision button sensor 46b, and the like.

The medal number control board 300 is mounted with electronic components such as a CPU 301, a RAM 302, and a ROM 303, and is connected to other electronic components such as sensors and boards as shown in Fig. 8. The medal number control board 300 is connected to the main board 100 and a dedicated unit 1000 outside the gaming machine 10 by two-way communication, and is configured to be able to move medals by communication between them. The medal number control board 300 is also connected to the sub-board 200 by one-way communication (not shown) from the medal number control board 300 to the sub-board 200, and is configured to be able to obtain various information related to the medal number control board 300 (for example, the credit value and the contents of each process executed in the medal number control board 300).
Here, the dedicated unit 1000 is different from the dedicated unit 1000 described below, and is configured to accept cards capable of storing information, such as membership cards, and store medals transferred from the medal number control board 300 (credits counted by the medal number control board 300) as saved medals on the membership card, etc., so that they can be discharged.
In addition to the electronic components mentioned above, the medal count control board 300 is provided with a medal count clear button and an error reset button on the board, as well as a connector used for connecting to the other boards mentioned above (all not shown).

Next, the functional configuration of the main board 100 and the sub-board 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Note that the following functional configurations and the functions of each functional configuration are examples, and functional configurations not described below may be included, and each functional configuration may have functions not described below. Note that, for ease of explanation, the figure also illustrates electronic components outside the main board 100 and the sub-board 200, such as the sensors and boards shown in FIG. 8.

First, the functional configuration of the main board 100 can be broadly divided into a game progress management section 110 that manages the progress of the game, a status management section 120 that manages the status related to the game, and a main communication section 130.
Furthermore, the game progress management unit 110 is composed of an internal lottery unit 111, a reel control unit 112, a winning determination unit 113, a medal management unit 114, and a status display LED control unit 115, the status management unit 120 is composed of a setting change management unit 121, a game status management unit 122, a game mode management unit 124, and a main error management unit 125, and the main communication unit 130 is composed of a control command transmission/reception unit 131 and an external signal transmission unit 132.

When a game is started, the internal lottery unit 111 determines by lottery a winning role (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an "internal winning role") from a plurality of types of roles.
More specifically, the internal lottery unit 111 obtains the random number (in this embodiment, a 2-byte random number is used, the range of which is 0 to 65535) updated by the random number circuit 104 when a game is started, sequentially adds the lottery values in the internal lottery table (details will be described later) stored in the ROM 103 to the obtained random number, and determines the role corresponding to the lottery value that has generated a carry as the internal winning role. Note that the "internal winning role is determined by lottery" in the internal lottery unit 111 may be simply expressed as "the internal winning role is derived."

When a game is started, the reel control unit 112 waits for a predetermined delay time, the so-called wait time (4.1 seconds in this embodiment), to elapse between the start of rotation of the reels 65 in the previous game and the start of rotation of the reels 65 in the current game, before starting rotation of each of the reels 65. Thereafter, each time a stop operation is performed, the reel of the reels 65 that corresponds to the stop operation is stopped, thereby individually controlling the rotation of the reels 65.

To be more specific, the reel control unit 112 sets the reel control state (acceleration control state, constant speed control state, retraction control state, brake control state, stop control state) for each of the reels 65 according to the progress of the game, obtains the excitation pattern corresponding to the currently set reel control state from the excitation patterns stored in the ROM 103, and controls each of the reel motors 68 (stepping motors) to output a pulse signal according to the obtained excitation pattern, thereby individually controlling the rotation of the reels 65.

Further, to specifically explain the above reel control states, the acceleration control state is a control state in which a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for accelerating the reel to a predetermined speed after the start of rotation. The constant speed control state is a control state from the end of the acceleration control state until a stop operation is performed, and in this control state, a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for maintaining a predetermined speed. The reel-in control state is a control state in which the corresponding reel is rotated from a stop operation to a stop position, and in this control state, a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for maintaining a predetermined speed, as in the constant speed control state. The brake control state is a control state in which a pulse signal is output according to an excitation pattern for stopping the corresponding reel after reaching the stop position. The stop control state is a control state in which the corresponding reel is maintained at its current position.
The switching of the reel control state is performed in the main flow of the main board 100, which will be described later, and the output of the pulse signal is performed in a timer interrupt process (not shown) that is performed in the main board 100 at predetermined intervals (approximately 2 ms in this embodiment).

In addition, when the reel control unit 112 stops each of the reels 65 (switches from the retraction control state to the brake control state), it derives (or reads) candidate pattern numbers to be stopped from the stop data stored in ROM 103, and determines, as the stop position, one pattern number from the candidate pattern numbers within the maximum retraction range (in this embodiment, four frames) from the position of the reel (pattern number on the reference line) at the time the stop operation is performed.
Here, the pattern number on the reference line on each of the reels 65 is corrected to the pattern number of the reference position (in this embodiment, RZ00, CZ00, LZ00) each time a detection piece is detected by the reel sensor 66 during timer interrupt processing, and is updated based on the number of times the pulse signal is switched thereafter.
Furthermore, in the constant speed control state, if the pattern number on the reference line has not been corrected until a predetermined time has elapsed (until a predetermined number of pulse signal switchings have been performed) since the pattern number on the reference line was last corrected, the reel control unit 112 determines that the corresponding reel has gone out of step (hereinafter referred to as an out-of-step check), sets the reel control state to an acceleration control state, and re-accelerates the reel.

The winning determination unit 113 performs a winning determination for determining whether a winning combination has been achieved based on a combination of symbols that have been stopped and displayed on a pay line (in this embodiment, the line L2) in the game.
In addition, when determining whether a winning combination has been achieved, in addition to determining whether the combination of symbols stopped and displayed on the winning line matches the winning combination obtained in the game, a determination may also be made as to whether the winning combination has been achieved.

The medal management unit 114 manages the increase and decrease in the number of bets mentioned above, and controls the exchange of medals with the medal count control board 300.

The status display LED control unit 115 controls the status display LED 25 described above.

The setting change management unit 121 performs setting change processing and setting confirmation processing.
Specifically, the setting change process is initiated if the setting key switch 48a is operated when the power supply from the power supply device 91 is changed from an OFF state to an ON state (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "power on"; on the other hand, the change of the power supply from an ON state to an OFF state may be referred to as "power off"), and each time the setting change switch 48b is operated, the setting value is changed in a certain order (in this embodiment, setting value 1, setting value 2, setting value 3, setting value 4, setting value 5, setting value 6, setting value 1, setting value 2, ...), and the setting value at the time the start lever 26 was operated is determined to be the current setting value. The setting change process also involves a process of displaying the setting value being changed on the setting display LED 48c.
Furthermore, when the setting change process is executed, all of the information held by the main board 100 before the power supply is turned off is initialized. In particular, this information includes the number of bets. Furthermore, the timing at which the number of bets is cleared when the setting change process is executed may be any timing between the time the power is turned on and before the start of the game start process (step S103 described later) that is executed after the setting change process related to the power on is completed.

The setting confirmation process is started by operating the setting key switch 48a while the power supply is ON, and causes the setting display LED 48c to display the setting values that have already been set. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the "setting values that have already been set" will be simply referred to as "setting values". In the setting confirmation process, the information held by the main board 100 is maintained.
In this embodiment, the opening of the front door 20 by the door-opening sensor may be added to the conditions for starting the setting change process and the conditions for starting the setting confirmation process. In this way, unauthorized changes to setting values and unauthorized confirmation of setting values can be prevented.

The game state management unit 122 controls the transition of game states among multiple types of game states according to transition conditions. Details of the types of game states and transition conditions will be described later.

The game mode management unit 124 controls the transition of game modes according to the transition conditions among multiple types of game modes. Details of the types of game modes and the transition conditions will be described later, but in this embodiment, the degree of advantage varies depending on the game mode in which the player is staying, and a game mode with a high degree of advantage can be set in particular in a specific game state (in this embodiment, during an internal MB win, which will be described later).

The main error management unit 125, in addition to determining whether or not to enter the various error states described above, also determines whether or not to enter an error state using the detection results of various sensors 40a, etc., and if it decides to enter an error state, it stops the progress of the game as necessary and places the gaming machine 10 in an error state.
In addition, when an error state occurs, preparations for sending a control command indicating the occurrence of the error state may be made, and the control command transmitting/receiving unit 131 may be caused to transmit the control command, and the occurrence of the error state may be notified using a performance device (upper performance display area 62a, decorative LED 36, speaker 49, etc.).

The control command transmission/reception unit 131 performs the process of transmitting control commands that have been prepared for transmission to the sub-board 200 and the medal number control board 300 , and the process of receiving control commands from the medal number control board 300 .
Here, the control commands sent to the sub-substrate 200 include control commands sent when an error state occurs, as well as control commands sent as the game progresses.
Furthermore, the control commands transmitted to the medal number control board 300 include a control command indicating that the bet button 23 has been operated, a control command transmitted when medals are awarded as a result of winning, a control command transmitted when the settlement button 32 is operated to settle the bet amount, etc. Furthermore, the control commands received from the medal number control board 300 include a control command indicating that the bet amount is to be added, etc.
Furthermore, each control command transmitted and received by the control command transmitting/receiving unit 131 has information that can identify the type of the control command, as well as information corresponding to the type. Furthermore, in the following description, preparing to transmit a control command and causing the control command transmitting/receiving unit 131 to transmit the control command may be simply expressed as transmitting a control command. Note that the same applies to each control command transmitted or received by the control command receiving unit 211 and the control command transmitting/receiving unit 304 described later.

The external signal transmitting unit 132 is different from the dedicated unit 1000 described above, and transmits a signal (external end signal) indicating the internal state of the gaming machine 10 to an external device (e.g., a hall computer or a data display) outside the gaming machine 10.
To explain in more detail the information transmitted by the outer end signal, the information includes information indicating that a game has started, information indicating that the AT mode described below has started or that the device is currently in the AT mode, and information indicating that an error has occurred.

Next, the functional configuration of the sub-substrate 200 can be broadly divided into a sub-communication unit 210 and a performance management unit 220 that manages the performances related to the game.
Furthermore, the sub-communication unit 210 is composed of a control command receiving unit 211, and the performance management unit 220 is composed of a performance control unit 221, a performance display control unit 222, a sound control unit 223, and a decorative LED control unit 224. Details of these functional configurations are as follows.

The control command receiving unit 211 receives control commands sent from the main board 100 or the medal count control board 300, analyzes the received control commands, and updates the information stored in the RAM 202 using the information contained in the control commands.

The performance control unit 221 performs processing to determine the content of the performance to be performed by the performance devices (upper performance display device 63a, lower performance display device 63b, decorative LED 36, speaker 49, etc.) based on control commands sent from the main board 100 and the medal count control board 300.

When there is a performance to be performed by the upper performance display device 63a or the lower performance display device 63b, the performance display control unit 222 reads device data corresponding to that performance from the ROM 203 and causes the upper performance display device 63a or the lower performance display device 63b to perform the performance using that device data.

When there is a performance to be performed by the speaker 49, the audio control unit 223 reads device data corresponding to that performance from the ROM 203 and causes the speaker 49 to perform the performance using that device data.

When there is a performance to be performed by the decorative LED board 41, the decorative LED control unit 224 reads device data corresponding to that performance from the ROM 203 and causes the decorative LED board 41 to perform the performance using that device data.

Next, the functional configuration of the medal count control board 300 includes a control command transmission/reception unit 304, a credit management unit 305, and a medal error management unit 306. Details of these functional configurations are as follows. Some of the processes executed by these functional configurations will be described in detail later.

The control command transmission/reception unit 304 transmits and receives control commands between the main board 100 and the dedicated unit 1000, analyzes the received control commands, and updates the information stored in RAM 302 using the information contained in the control commands.
In addition, the control command transmission/reception unit 304 transmits control commands to the sub-board 200.

The credit management unit 305 performs processing to control the credit value, such as addition and subtraction, based on control commands sent from the main board 100 or the dedicated unit 1000, or on operations performed on the medal count button 33 or the medal count clear button described below.
In this embodiment, the credit value is managed by 2-byte data. Therefore, although the credit value can be stored up to 65536 in terms of data, the upper limit of the credit value is set to 16383 in this embodiment, and a value exceeding this upper limit is not stored.

The medal error management unit 306 checks the connection with the main board 100 and the dedicated unit 1000, and if there is an abnormality in the connection, it sets the state to a connection error state, and checks whether there are any abnormalities in the information stored in the RAM 302, such as the credit value, and if there is an abnormality in the check, it sets the state to a RAM error state.

<Main flow of game progress>
Next, the main flow relating to the game progress in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. However, the components illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, 8, and 9 described above will also be mentioned, so please refer to them as appropriate. In particular, in the following description, the functions shown in Figure 9 may be cited as entities that perform processing, but the processing is not necessarily realized by only those entities.

10 to 12 are flow charts showing the main flow of the main board 100 relating to the progress of a game in this embodiment, and the processing relating to this flow is executed when the power is turned on.
The main board 100 performs one game while performing a series of processes from step S103 to step S143 shown in Figures 10 to 12, and can repeat the game by repeating the series of processes.
Note that each process shown in FIG. 10 to FIG. 12 is just a specific example, and processes other than those listed here may be performed by the main board 100.

First, steps S101 to S119 will be described with reference to FIG.
In the first step S101, an initial setting process for the main board 100 is performed.
The initial setting process for the main board 100 is performed when the power supply is started, and once it is performed, it is not performed again until the power supply is cut off and the power supply is started again.
More specifically, in this process, if the setting key switch 48a is operated, the backup information (including information specifying the number of bets) held at the time of power outage is discarded (cleared), the setting change process described above is performed, and then the process proceeds to step S103. In this embodiment, a setting change start command is sent to the sub-board 200 when the setting change process is started, and a setting change end command is sent to the sub-board 200 when the setting change process is ended.
On the other hand, if the setting key switch 48a is not operated, the process performs a process to restore the state at the time of power outage based on the backup information (if the state at the time of power outage was during a game involving the rotation of the reels, during the game), provided that there is no abnormality in the backup information held at the time of power outage (in this embodiment, the checksum value is normal), and then proceeds to step S103, in which a power outage recovery command for the main board 100 is sent to the sub-board 200. Note that if there is an abnormality in the backup information, the game will be in a state where it is impossible to return to play (RAM error state), so the above-mentioned setting change process will be awaited. Then, a RAM error command capable of identifying the occurrence of the abnormality is sent to the sub-board 200.

In step S103, a game start process required in advance to start the next game is performed. The game start process includes a process for saving various information related to the previous game, a process for clearing information indicating the stop positions of the reels 65 stopped in the previous game and the combination of symbols stopped on the pay line, and a process for acquiring setting values.
In step S105, a medal reception start process is performed, which is a preparation process for setting the number of bets for the next game. The medal reception start process includes a process for enabling reception of information on the number of bets from the medal number control board 300, and a process for setting the same number of bets as the number of bets set in the previous game if a replay combination was won in the previous game.
In step S107, it is determined whether or not the replay is activated. If the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S111, and if the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S109.

In step S109, medal management processing is performed, which is processing related to medals that is performed based on the detected operation or the state of the gaming machine 10. In the medal management processing, when pressing of the bet button 23 is detected, medal request information including the number of medals corresponding to the pressed bet button 23 is transmitted to the medal number control board 300 to request the medal number, processing to add the medals transferred from the medal number control board 300 to the bet number, and processing to transfer the entire number of bets that can be settled to the medal number control board 300 when pressing of the settlement button 32 is detected.

In step S111, a reel spin start check is performed to check whether the game start conditions are met. In the reel spin start check, it is checked whether the number of bets is at the maximum, for example, on the premise that the operation of the start lever 26 is detected.
In step S113, a reel spin start check is performed to determine whether or not the conditions for starting the game are met. If the conditions are met, the process proceeds to step S115. If the conditions are not met, the process returns to step S107.
In step S115, an internal lottery is carried out using an internal lottery table to determine an internal winning combination.
In step S117, a winning combination flag is set to store the internal winning combination derived in step S115 or a loss in the case of a non-winning combination in a corresponding area of the RAM 102.

In step S119, a game start game mode management process is performed. In this process, for example, a process is performed in which the instruction display LED 25c is controlled to have a lighting state that can specify an operation condition.
Furthermore, in the game mode management process at the start of the game, a process of transmitting an internal winning command to the sub-substrate 200 is also performed. The internal winning command includes at least information capable of identifying the derived internal winning role, the current game state, and the current game mode, which enables a notification capable of identifying the operation conditions to be executed by a device managed by the sub-substrate 200 (in this embodiment, the upper performance display device 63a). In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the operation conditions identified by the instruction display LED 25c in one game and the operation conditions identified by the notification executed by the device managed by the sub-substrate 200 in that one game are the same.

From here, steps S121 to S135 will be described with reference to FIG.
In step S121, it is determined whether or not the wait time has elapsed. If the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S123, and if the condition is not satisfied, the process returns to the determination in step S121.
In step S123, the reel control state of each of the reels 65 (if this process is performed due to a loss of synchronism, the reels currently rotating, i.e., the reels set to the constant speed control state) is set to the acceleration control state, and the reels set to the acceleration control state are caused to start rotating. In this way, when returning to the determination of step S121, the reels 65 do not start rotating, so the reel control unit 112 waits for the wait time to elapse before starting the rotation of the reels 65.

In step S125, it is determined whether the rotation speed of all reels 65 that were set to the acceleration control state has reached a predetermined speed (the output of the pulse signal has ended according to the excitation pattern corresponding to the acceleration control state), and if the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S127, and if the condition is not met, the process returns to the beginning of step S125. In addition, in this determination, if the rotation speed of the reels that were set to the acceleration control state has reached a predetermined speed, they are sequentially switched from the acceleration control state to the constant speed control state. Furthermore, in this determination, after all of the reels have been switched to the constant speed control state, the process waits without proceeding to step S127 until the sensors corresponding to the reels in the reel sensor 66 detect all of their respective detection pieces, and after this wait, all stop buttons corresponding to the reels are enabled and the process proceeds to step S127.

In step S127, the above-mentioned out-of-step check is performed on the reels 65 that are set to the constant speed control state.
In step S129, it is determined whether or not a step-out has occurred in the step-out check, and if the condition is met, the process returns to step S123, and if the condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S131. In this way, if it is determined that a step-out has occurred for a spinning reel of the reels 65, the process of step S123 (reel restart) is performed again for the spinning reel.
In step S131, it is determined whether or not an operation (stop operation) has been performed on the enabled stop button. If the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S133; if the condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S127.

In step S133, a reel stop process is performed. The reel stop process is a process in which the stop buttons other than the stop button that has been operated to stop are disabled, and as described above, the reel corresponding to the stop button that has been operated to stop is switched from the constant speed control state to the reel control state, the symbol number that will be the stop position is derived, and when the symbol position of the reel advances to the derived stop position, the reel is switched from the reel control state to the brake control state to stop the reel. After the output of the pulse signal according to the excitation pattern corresponding to the brake control state is completed, the state is switched to the stop control state, and the reel is held at the stop position.
The reel stopping process also involves a process in which a stop command is sent to the sub-communication unit 210 via the control command transmitting/receiving unit 131, and the control command includes at least information that can identify the type of reel that has been stopped (reel 65L, reel 65C, or reel 65R) and the position (pattern number) at which the reel has been stopped.

In step S135, it is determined whether all of the reels 65 have stopped. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S137. If this condition is not met, the process returns to step S127. In this way, if all of the reels 65 have not stopped, the process repeats from step S127 to step S135.

From here, steps S137 to S143 will be described with reference to FIG.
In step S137, the above-mentioned winning determination is performed, and the winning combination is determined.
In step S139, a state transition process is carried out to transition the gaming state.

In step S141, a game end time game mode management process is performed. In this process, a process for switching game modes and a process for controlling the lighting state of the advantageous mode display LED 25g are performed.
In addition, the game mode management process at the end of a game also involves sending a game end command to the sub-substrate 200, and this control command includes information that can identify the role determined to be a winning combination, the updated game state, and the updated game mode.

In step S143, medals are awarded in a number corresponding to the winning combination. The medals awarded in step S143 are transferred to the medal count control board 300 and stored in the credits.

<Main flow of medal number control board>
Next, the main flow of the medal number control board 300 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the main flow of the medal number control board 300. The processing related to this flow is executed when the power is turned on, that is, when the power is turned on to the medal number control board 300.

As shown in FIG. 13, in the first step S201 in the main flow of the medal number control board 300, an initial setting process for the medal number control board 300 is executed.
In the initial setting process for the medal count control board 300, for example, a process is executed in which credits are cleared depending on the operation state of the medal count clear button when the power is turned on, and the details of this process will be described later.

In step S203, it is determined whether or not there is lending information, and if the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S205, and if the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S207. Here, the lending information is information indicating medals transmitted from the dedicated unit 1000 outside the gaming machine 10.
In step S205, a credit addition process related to the lending information is executed, and in this process, the number of medals specified by the lending information is added to the credit. Note that, in the dedicated unit 1000, when the credit addition process is completed, the number of medals stored in the dedicated unit 1000 is subtracted by the number of medals related to the credit addition process.
In addition, in this embodiment, the upper limit of the credit is set to 16,383, and if this upper limit may be exceeded by receiving rental information, a control command indicating this is sent to the dedicated unit 1000 so as not to execute the credit addition process related to the rental information.

In step S207, it is determined whether or not there is medal request information, and if the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S209, and if the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S211. Here, the medal request information is, as described above, transmitted from the main board 100 when the bet button 23 is operated.
In step S209, a credit subtraction process is executed, in which the number of medals specified in the medal request information is transmitted to the main board 100 and the number of medals is subtracted from the credits.
In this embodiment, if the credit is less than the number of medals specified by the medal request information, the credit subtraction process is not executed. However, in this case, the entire current credit may be transmitted to the main board 100, and the transmitted number of medals may be subtracted from the credit.

In step S211, it is determined whether there is credit addition information, and if the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S213, and if the condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S215. Here, the credit addition information is information transmitted from the main board 100 when the number of bets stored in the main board 100 is settled or when it is determined that a winning combination with a payout has been won by the winning judgment.
In step S213, a credit addition process related to the credit addition information is executed, and in this process, the number of medals specified by the credit addition information related to this process is added to the credit. In particular, in the main board 100, the bet number is cleared to zero upon completion of the credit addition process related to the bet number.

In step S215, it is determined whether or not the count button has been operated. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S217, and if the condition is not met, the process returns to step S203.
In step S217, a credit counting process is executed, in which a part or all of the current credits are transmitted to the dedicated unit 1000, and the credits are decreased by the amount of the transmitted medals.
More specifically, when the counting button is pressed once, if the credits at that time are 50 or less, all of the current credits are transferred to the dedicated unit 1000, whereas if the credits at that time are 50 or more, 50 credits are transferred to the dedicated unit 1000. Furthermore, when the counting button is pressed for a long time, the same process as when the counting button is pressed once is executed every certain time (1 s in this embodiment) until the long pressing of the counting button ends or the credits after subtraction become zero.

In this way, in this embodiment, the main board 100 and the medal number control board 300 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, and the medal number control board 300 and the dedicated unit 1000 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, thereby realizing the above-mentioned medalless slot machine.
Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the timer interrupt process in the medal number control board 300 judges whether the mutual communication between the main board 100 and the medal number control board 300, and the mutual communication between the medal number control board 300 and the dedicated unit 1000, are normal, and if there is an abnormality in any of these mutual communications, the progress of the main flow of the medal number control board 300 is halted until the error release button is operated and it is judged that the abnormality has been resolved by the process executed by said operation. Note that execution of the timer interrupt process is permitted upon completion of the initial setting process related to the medal number control board 300.
Furthermore, in the timer interrupt process, control is also executed to light up the medal number display LED 28 so as to display the current credit value, thereby enabling the player to specify the current credit value.

<Initial setting process for medal count control board>
Next, details of the medal number control board initial setting process, which is the initial setting process related to the medal number control board 300, will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the medal number control board initial setting process.

As shown in FIG. 14, the first step S301 in the medal count control board initial setting process determines whether the medal count clear button was operated when the power was turned on, and if this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S305, and if this condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S303.

In step S303, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the recovery information. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S305, and if the condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S309.
Here, the return information refers to the information stored in the RAM 302 of the medal count control board 300. The determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the return information is composed of a determination of whether or not the power interruption flag, which is set to ON in the power interruption process executed when the medal count control board 300 is interrupted, is ON, and a determination of whether or not the sum value of the data saved in the backup area of the RAM 302 during the power interruption process matches the sum value in that area after the power is turned on (so-called checksum), and if there is an abnormality in either of these determinations, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the return information in the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the return information.

In step S305, the credit is set to zero, thereby clearing the credit value. Note that in this embodiment, this determination is made regardless of the credit value.
In step S307, a credit clear command that can specify that the credit value has been cleared is transmitted. This control command is transmitted to the sub-board 200 and the dedicated unit 1000, and the medal count control board initial setting process is terminated.

In step S309, the credit is restored to the value before the power failure.
In step S311, a power interruption recovery command for the medal count control board 300 is transmitted, and the medal count control board initial setting process is terminated. Note that this control command includes information that can identify the current credit value, and is transmitted to the sub-board 200.

In this way, in this embodiment, the same control command (credit clear command) is sent to the sub-board 200 and the dedicated unit 1000 in both cases where the credits are cleared because the medal count clear button is operated when the power is turned on, and where the credits are cleared because there is an abnormality in the recovery information when the power is turned on.
As described above, in this embodiment, the processes in steps S305 and S307 are executed regardless of the credit value when the medal number control board initial setting process is executed.

<Regarding whether or not the number of medals on gaming machines has been cleared>
As described above, in this embodiment, the bet amount and credits are individually determined to be cleared depending on the operation state of the setting key switch 48a and the operation state of the medal number clear button when the power is turned on, and the target medal number is cleared if clearing is required. The details will be described below with reference to FIG.
FIG. 15 is a diagram summarizing whether or not the number of medals is cleared according to the operating state when the power is turned on.

As shown in Fig. 15, if the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is OFF when the power is turned on, neither the bet number nor the credits are cleared and the state returns to the state when the power was turned off. Here, for any operation unit, the ON state refers to the state in which the operation unit is operated, and the OFF state refers to the state in which the operation unit is not operated.
If the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is ON when the power is turned on, the bet number is not cleared and the state at the time of power failure is restored, while the credits are cleared.
If the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is OFF when the power is turned on, the bet number is cleared as the setting change process is executed, but the credits are not cleared and the state at the time of power failure is restored.
If the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is ON when the power is turned on, the bet number is cleared and the credits are also cleared when the setting change process is executed.
Regarding the medal count control board 300, if there is an abnormality in the above-mentioned recovery information when the power is turned on, it will be treated in the same way as if the medal count clear button was ON.

In this way, in the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment, if the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is OFF when the power is turned on, the bet number is cleared as the setting change process is executed. Furthermore, if the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is ON when the power is turned on, the credits are cleared. In particular, in the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment, if the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is OFF when the power is turned on, the bet number is cleared as the setting change process is executed, but the credits are not cleared and the state at the time of power failure is restored.
Furthermore, when the setting key switch 48a is OFF and the medal number clear button is ON when the power is turned on, the credits are cleared but the bet number is not cleared and the state returns to the state at the time of power failure.
Furthermore, when the setting key switch 48a is ON and the medal number clear button is ON when the power is turned on, both the bet number and the credits are cleared.
In this embodiment, when determining whether the number of bets and the credits are cleared, the open/closed state of the front door 20 at the time of power-on is not referenced, but the open/closed state may be referenced. More specifically, for whether the number of bets and the credits are cleared as shown in Fig. 15, if the setting key switch 48a is ON and the front door 20 is closed at the time of power-on, the setting key switch 48a may be treated as OFF, and if the medal number clear button is ON and the front door 20 is closed at the time of power-on, the medal number clear button may be treated as OFF.

As described above, the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment has an upper performance display area 62a (upper performance display device 63a) located above the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically, and a lower performance display area 62b (lower performance display device 63b) located below the upper end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
Nowadays, it is common for one gaming machine manufacturer to have multiple manufacturing companies that produce gaming machines, and for these manufacturing companies to be treated as one group, in order to facilitate applications to the Security Communications Association, which tests the performance of gaming machines to determine whether they can be installed in halls.
This could result in problems such as, for example, when a test play video or a demonstration video is viewed through a telecommunications circuit, it becoming difficult to know which gaming machine manufacturer (group) the gaming machine appearing in the video is from, or, if a malfunction occurs with a gaming machine installed in the hall, it becoming difficult for hall staff to know which manufacturing company to contact.
In contrast, the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment has a function of making it easy to understand which gaming machine manufacturer the gaming machine appearing in the video being viewed is from (hereinafter, the first function) by using the upper performance display area 62a and the lower performance display area 62b, and a function of making it easy to understand which manufacturer the hall staff should inquire about (hereinafter, the second function). The details of these functions will be described below.

<Regarding the first function>
First, the first function will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
FIG. 16(a) is a diagram showing a specific example of an image displayed in the upper performance display area 62a and the lower performance display area 62b when no game is being played and the front door 20 is closed.
In addition, "not playing" refers to a state in which a game is not being played but a game can be played. In addition, the closed state of the front door 20 refers to a state in which the door open sensor provided on the right edge side of the outer frame 90 is OFF, and the open state of the front door 20 described later refers to a state in which the door open sensor provided on the right edge side of the outer frame 90 is ON. In addition, the size of the characters shown in FIG. 16(a) corresponds to the size of each display itself.

As shown in Figure 16 (a), in this embodiment, when no game is being played and the front door 20 is closed, the group name is displayed in display area 621 of the upper performance display area 62a, which is located above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically (area Z1), so that the entire display of the group name can be seen in area Z1.
Furthermore, when not playing and the front door 20 is closed, the manufacturer's name is displayed in the display area 622 of the lower performance display area 62b, which is located below the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically (area Z2), making the entire display of the manufacturer's name visible in area Z2.
Here, the group name is the name of a group to which multiple manufacturing companies belong, including the company that manufactured the gaming machine (the gaming machine displaying the group name), and the group may also include, in addition to the multiple manufacturing companies, a parent company that has the multiple manufacturing companies as subsidiaries, and companies related to the multiple manufacturing companies or the parent company.
In addition, the manufacturer's name is the name of the company that manufactured the gaming machine (the gaming machine that has the manufacturer's name displayed), and the manufacturer's name display helps hall personnel to identify the manufacturer that they should inquire about.
In this embodiment, the display of the group name starts when a certain period of time (180,000 ms) has elapsed since the end of the most recent game and during non-play, and ends when a game starts. The end of the most recent game refers to the end of step S143 (see FIG. 12) related to that game.

In this way, in the gaming machine according to this embodiment, when no game is being played and the front door 20 is closed, the entire group name can be seen in the area above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
This makes it easier for a user to recognize which gaming machine manufacturer (group) the gaming machine appears in the trial play video or practice video that is being viewed. This is because the angle of view for shooting these videos is likely to be limited to the area above the top end of the stop button 27 in order to make the upper performance display area 62a and the reels 65 easier to see when viewing these videos.
In order to achieve this effect, the reference operation unit is not limited to the stop button 27, but may be any operation unit that can be operated with the front door 20 closed, such as a bet button (functioning as an effect button) or a start lever. This also applies to the following inventions.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, when not playing and the front door 20 is closed, the entire group name is visible in the area above the top of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically, but the period during which the entire group name is visible does not matter whether not playing is taking place or not, as long as the front door 20 is closed, and further the length of the visible period does not matter.

Therefore, in other words, the gaming machine 10 has a first display (display of the manufacturer's name) that makes it possible to identify the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and makes it possible to identify the group to which the manufacturer belongs, and when the opening/closing body (front door 20) is closed, the entire second display can be seen in a first area (area Z1) above the top end of a specified operating means (stop button 27) when viewed vertically.
In addition, in the present invention, the above-mentioned "the entire second display is visible" refers to the entire second display being visible when viewed directly facing the gaming machine.
In addition, although the manufacturer name in this embodiment is composed of characters, in the first display, a symbol or logo may be used instead of or in addition to the characters. This also applies to the second display.
Furthermore, in the present invention, it is permissible for one manufacturing company (e.g., the largest) among multiple manufacturing companies included in a group to be identical to a group related to the group, and in that case, the names can be made different by changing the font or color of the characters that make up the names, making one an abbreviation and the other the official name, or making one with a logo and the other without a logo, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, when no game is being played and the front door 20 is closed, the manufacturer's name is configured to be invisible in the area above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
This makes it possible to prevent confusion between the group name and the manufacturer name when the test shot video or the practice video is viewed.

Therefore, the gaming machine 10 has a first display (display of the manufacturer's name) that identifies the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and identifies the group to which the manufacturer belongs, and in other words, when the opening/closing body (front door 20) is closed, the first display is not visible in the area above the top end of the specified operating means (stop button 27) when viewed vertically, but the entire second display is visible in that area.

As described above, in this embodiment, the group name is displayed in the upper performance display area 62a from a state in which the group name is not displayed.
This makes it possible to make the display of the group name easier to recognize, since the timing at which the display of an image starts makes the display of the image easier to recognize.
In order to achieve this effect, the condition for starting display of the group name may be a condition other than the condition according to this embodiment, such as the start or end of the AT mode described above.

In other words, the second display (display of the group name) begins when a specified condition is met.

In particular, in this embodiment, the display of the group name begins during non-playing.
This makes it possible to make the group name display easier to recognize without interfering with the display during gameplay.
In addition, in order to achieve this effect, the condition for starting to display the group name may be a condition other than the condition in this embodiment, as long as it is a condition that is satisfied while not playing, such as the menu selection button 24 being operated while not playing.

Therefore, in other words, in the gaming machine 10, the above-mentioned predetermined conditions are conditions that can be satisfied while not playing.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine according to this embodiment, when no game is being played and the front door 20 is closed, the entire manufacturer's name can be seen in the area below the top of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
This makes it possible to prevent confusion between the group name and the manufacturer name when the trial play video or practice video is viewed, while also making it easier for hall staff to identify the manufacturer to contact in situations such as when a problem occurs with a gaming machine.
In order for this effect to be achieved, when play is not being played and the front door 20 is closed, the entire name of the manufacturer is visible in the area below the top of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically. However, as long as the front door 20 is closed, the period during which the entire manufacturer is visible does not matter whether play is not being played or not, and the length of this period during which it is visible does not matter.

Therefore, in other words, when the opening and closing body (front door 20) of the gaming machine 10 is closed, the entire first display (display of the manufacturer's name) can be seen in the second area (area Z2) below the specified operating means (stop button 27) when viewed vertically.

Also, as shown in FIG. 16(a), in this embodiment, when no game is being played and the front door 20 is closed, the model name (title) is displayed in the display area 623 of the lower performance display area 62b, which is located below the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically (area Z2), so that the entire model name can be seen in area Z2.
Here, the model name is different from the group name or manufacturer name mentioned above, and refers to the name of the gaming machine itself (the gaming machine that displays the model name).

<Regarding the second function>
Next, the second function will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 16(b), FIG. 17, and FIG.
FIG. 16(b) is a diagram showing a specific example of images displayed in the upper performance display area 62a and the lower performance display area 62b when no game is being played and the front door 20 is open.
Figure 17(a) is a timing chart when the front door 20 switches from a closed state to an open state while non-play is being performed, and Figure 17(b) is a timing chart when the front door 20 switches from an open state to a closed state while non-play is being performed.
Fig. 18(a) shows a modified example of the display in the display area 621 when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state while not playing, and Fig. 18(b) shows a modified example of the display in the display area 622 and the display area 623 when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state while not playing. In particular, in these drawings, the solid lines surrounding each display indicate the range in which the display exists.

16(b), in this embodiment, when not playing and the front door 20 is open, additional information is displayed in addition to the manufacturer's name in the display area 621 of the upper performance display area 62a located vertically above the top end of the stop button 27 (area Z1), making the entire manufacturer's name visible in area Z1. Here, the additional information in this embodiment is the telephone number and address of the manufacturer's name displayed in the display area 621, but the content is not limited as long as it is information related to the manufacturer.
Furthermore, when not playing and the front door 20 is open, the manufacturer's name is displayed in the display area 622 of the lower performance display area 62b located vertically below the top end of the stop button 27 (area Z2), making the entire manufacturer's name visible in area Z2. However, unlike when not playing and the front door 20 is closed, when not playing and the front door 20 is open, the model name is not displayed in the display area 623 of the lower performance display area 62b.

Therefore, as shown in Figure 17 (a), in the gaming machine of this embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state while not being played, the display of the group name in area Z1 is switched to the display of the manufacturer's name.
On the other hand, in area Z2, the manufacturer's name remains displayed even if the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state during non-play.

In this way, in the gaming machine of this embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state while not in play, the entire manufacturer's name becomes visible above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
This makes it easy for hall staff to know which manufacturer to contact if an abnormality (error, etc.) occurs in the gaming machine. This is because, when an abnormality occurs in the gaming machine, hall staff opens the front door 20 to check the circuit board itself and the harness connecting the circuit boards inside the gaming machine (the back of the machine in the case of a pachinko machine).
In addition, in order to achieve this effect, when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state while not playing, it does not matter whether the entire group name is visible above the top of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
Also, although different from the present embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state while not playing, the manufacturer's name is permitted to be hidden (unseen) below the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
In this embodiment, when not playing and with the front door 20 open, the entire manufacturer's name is visible vertically above the top end of the stop button 27, but the period during which the entire manufacturer's name is visible does not matter whether the game is not being played or not, and the length of the period during which the manufacturer's name is visible does not matter, as long as the front door 20 is open. This also applies to subsequent inventions.

Therefore, in other words, in a given case where the opening/closing body (front door 20) of the gaming machine 10 is opened from a closed state, the entire first display (display of the manufacturer's name) becomes visible at least in the first area (area Z1).

In particular, in this embodiment, when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state while not playing, the group name becomes hidden (unseen) above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
This will prevent hall staff from mistaking the group name for the manufacturer that they should contact if an abnormality occurs with a gaming machine.
In order to achieve this effect, it is acceptable for the visibility of the group name display to be reduced, for example, by making part of the group name display invisible when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state during non-play, as in the modified example shown in Figure 18 (a).

Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, in the above specified case, the second display (display of the group name) in the first area (area Z1) is not visible, or in other words, the visibility of the second display in the first area is reduced compared to the state in which the opening and closing body is closed.

Furthermore, in the modified example shown in Figure 18 (a), the visibility of the group name display is reduced by something that is displayed when the front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state (in this embodiment, the display of the manufacturer's name and additional information).
This can enhance the effect of making it easier for hall staff to know which manufacturer they should contact if an abnormality occurs with a gaming machine.

Also, although different from this embodiment, the display content relating to the display of the manufacturer's name in display area 622 (which is maintained even when front door 20 is switched from a closed state to an open state) and the display content relating to the display of the manufacturer's name in display area 621 may be made different by changing the font or color of the characters that make up these, by making one the abbreviation and the other the official name, by making one with a logo and the other without a logo, etc.
This also enhances the effect of making it easier for hall staff to know which manufacturer to contact if an abnormality occurs with a gaming machine.

Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, in the above-mentioned specified case, the first display (display of the manufacturer's name) remains entirely visible in the second area (area Z2), and the display content of the first display in the first area and the display content of the first display in the second area are different.

In addition, with regard to the invention relating to the second function described above, the display position of the manufacturer's name when the front door 20 is open is not limited to the position in this embodiment (above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically), but may be below the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically (for example, in the display area 623).
Similarly, the display position of the group name is not limited to the position in this embodiment (above the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically), but may be below the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically (e.g., display area 623).

Therefore, the gaming machine 10 has a first display (display of the manufacturer's name) that identifies the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and identifies the group to which the manufacturer belongs, and in other words, when the opening/closing body (front door 20) is closed, the second display is visible in its entirety, and when the opening/closing body is open, the second display is not visible, or the visibility of the second display is reduced compared to when the opening/closing body is closed, and the first display is visible in its entirety.

In particular, in this embodiment, as described above, the entire manufacturer's name is visible when the front door 20 is closed.
According to this, if an abnormality (such as an error) occurs in the gaming machine, the manufacturer can be identified without the front door 20 being left open.

Therefore, in other words, when the opening and closing body (front door 20) of the gaming machine 10 is closed, the entire first display (display of the manufacturer's name) is visible.

In addition, as shown in a modified example in Figure 18 (b), when the front door 20 is closed, a portion of the manufacturer's name display may be invisible, and when the front door 20 is open, the entire manufacturer's name display may be visible.
This makes it possible to prevent confusion between the display of the manufacturer's name and the display of the group name during play, when the front door 20 is likely to be in a closed state.
In order to achieve this effect, the entire display of the manufacturer's name may be made invisible when the front door 20 is closed.
Furthermore, when the front door 20 changes from a closed state to an open state, the display of the group name may be maintained in the display area 621. In this case, it is preferable to make the display of the manufacturer's name easier to recognize than the display of the group name by, for example, making the display of the group name when the front door 20 is in the open state smaller than the display of the manufacturer's name when the front door 20 is in the open state.

Therefore, in other words, the gaming machine 10 has a first display (display of the manufacturer's name) that identifies the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and identifies the group to which the manufacturer belongs, and when the opening/closing body (front door 20) is closed, at least a portion of the first display is not visible and the entire second display is visible, and when the opening/closing body is open, the entire first display is visible and the entire second display is visible.

Furthermore, in other words, when the opening/closing body (front door 20) is open, the first marking (the marking of the manufacturer's name) is easier to recognize than the second marking (the marking of the group name).

In addition, in the modified example shown in FIG. 18(b), when the front door 20 is closed, a portion of the manufacturer's name display is not visible, and when the front door 20 is open, the entire manufacturer's name display is visible. This allows the user to recognize where the manufacturer's name display is located when the front door 20 is closed, and then recognize the manufacturer's name display when the front door 20 is open, making it easier to recognize the manufacturer's name when the front door 20 is open.

As described above, in this embodiment, the display of the group name becomes invisible when the front door 20 is in the open or closed state, and the entire display of the group name is visible when the front door 20 is in the open state. On the other hand, the display of the manufacturer's name is visible in its entirety regardless of whether the front door 20 is open or closed.
With regard to such a relationship, the open state of the front door 20 may be replaced with a state in which any state related to the gaming machine is occurring, and the closed state of the front door 20 may be replaced with a state in which any state related to the gaming machine is not occurring.
Here, examples of the arbitrary state related to the gaming machine include a state in which game progress is restricted, such as an unrecoverable error that requires a setting change or RAM clear to be resolved, a game stop state that is set when the net increase in the number of medals from a specified starting position (for example, the state in which the most medals have been sucked in) reaches a specified number (for example, 19,000 medals) (a state in which the so-called complete function is activated), and a state in which game progress is permitted, such as a state in which a specific role has been internally won.
As in the present embodiment, the group name does not need to be displayed at all times during the period when no state related to the gaming machine occurs, but may be displayed for part of that period.

Therefore, the gaming machine 10 has a first display (display of the manufacturer's name) that makes it possible to identify the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and makes it possible to identify the group to which the manufacturer belongs, and in other words, when the second display is in a specific state, at least a portion of the second display is not visible, and when the specific state is not present, the entirety of the second display is visible at least in part, and when the specific state is present and when the specific state is not present, the entirety of the first display is visible.
According to this, by preventing the first indication from being confused with the second indication in the specific state, it is possible to make the first indication easier to recognize.

Furthermore, the specific state can be said to include a state in which the progress of the game is restricted.
In other words, the specific state includes a state in which progress of the game is permitted.

In particular, it is preferable that any of the above-mentioned states of the gaming machine is a state in which a specified error has occurred.
The content of the above-mentioned specified error does not matter, but for example, a state in which the progress of the game is restricted as described above, a state in which the reel 65 is out of step, or an abnormal winning (a winning of a role that is not an internal winning combination) can be adopted as the specified error.
Also, similarly to the present embodiment, the group name does not need to be displayed all the time during the period in which the above-mentioned predetermined error does not occur, but may be displayed for part of that period.

Therefore, the gaming machine 10 has a first display (display of the manufacturer's name) that makes it possible to identify the manufacturer of the gaming machine, and a second display (display of the group name) that is different from the first display and makes it possible to identify the group to which the manufacturer belongs, and in other words, when a specified error occurs with respect to the second display, at least a portion of the second display is not visible, and when the specified error does not occur, the entirety of the second display is visible at least in part, and the entirety of the first display is visible both when a specified error occurs and when a specified error does not occur.
According to this, in a state in which the specified error occurs, the first display and the second display are not confused, thereby making it easier to recognize the first display.

Furthermore, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to adopt a door open error that occurs when the front door 20 is opened as the above-mentioned specified error.

In other words, the gaming machine 10 has a base (outer frame 90) and an opening/closing body (front door 20) that can be opened and closed relative to the base, and the above-mentioned specified error occurs when the opening/closing body is opened.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the front door 20 switches from an open state to a closed state (when the front door 20 is closed), the display of the group name begins (resumes). As shown in FIG. 17(b), the entire display of the group name becomes visible when a time T (3000 ms in this embodiment) has elapsed since the front door 20 was closed.
This makes it easier to recognize the group name display when the front door 20 is closed.
The present invention can also be applied to the modified example shown in FIG.

As described above, in this embodiment, unlike when a game is not being played and the front door 20 is closed, when a game is not being played and the front door 20 is open, the model name is not displayed in the display area 623 of the lower performance display area 62b. In other words, when the front door 20 is switched from the closed state to the open state, the display of the model name is hidden in the area (area Z2) below the top end of the stop button 27 when viewed vertically.
This makes it easier to recognize the display of the manufacturer's name in the display area 622 where the display is maintained in this case.
Note that achieving this effect does not necessarily mean that the display of the model name in the display area 623 is hidden. For example, it is sufficient that the display of the model name is less visible when the front door 20 is open compared to when the front door 20 is closed, such as by lowering the brightness of the display of the model name when the front door 20 is open compared to when the front door 20 is closed.

<Display during gameplay>
Next, using Figure 19, the flow of each display when the front door 20 changes from a closed state to an open state during play, and when the front door 20 changes from an open state to a closed state during play will be described.
Figure 19(a) is a timing chart when the front door 20 switches from a closed state to an open state during play, and Figure 19(b) is a timing chart when the front door 20 switches from an open state to a closed state during play.

19(a), when the front door 20 goes from a closed state to an open state during play, the display of the manufacturer's name starts vertically above the top end of the stop button 27 (area Z1). On the other hand, vertically below the top end of the stop button 27 (area Z2), the display of the manufacturer's name continues, and the display of the model name ends.
19(b), when the front door 20 goes from an open state to a closed state during play, the display of the manufacturer's name ends vertically above the top of the stop button 27. On the other hand, vertically below the top of the stop button 27, the display of the manufacturer's name is maintained and the display of the model name begins.
It should be noted that since these figures show the game in progress, the group name is not displayed regardless of whether the front door 20 is open or closed.

<Other Modifications>
Modifications not mentioned in the above description are listed below.

First, in the present embodiment, as long as the relationship between the probability, ratio, frequency, and number of times is guaranteed, the smaller value may be 0, and the larger value may be the maximum value. In particular, as long as the phenomenon aspect is guaranteed, the control for realizing the high and low of each ratio described above does not matter.
Furthermore, each lottery value in the lottery table illustrated in this embodiment is just an example, and as long as the magnitude relationship between the lottery tables is maintained, each lottery value may adopt any value within the range.

The present invention described above is not limited to the above description, but includes various modifications, improvements, and other aspects as long as the object of the present invention is achieved.

<Additional Notes>
The present embodiment encompasses the following technical idea.
(1)
A first indication for identifying a manufacturer of the gaming machine;
a second indication that is different from the first indication and that identifies the group to which the manufacturing company belongs;
having
Regarding the second indication,
When a predetermined error occurs, at least a part of the second display is not visible;
the second display is entirely visible at least in a part of the time when the predetermined error does not occur,
the first display is entirely visible both when the predetermined error has occurred and when the predetermined error has not occurred;
A gaming machine characterized by:
(2)
The gaming machine according to (1) above,
The device has a base and an opening/closing body that can be opened and closed relative to the base,
The predetermined error occurs based on the opening and closing body being opened.
A gaming machine characterized by:

10 Gaming machine 20 Front door 21 Upper panel 22 Lower panel 23 Bet button 23a Maximum bet button 23b Single bet button 24 Menu selection button 24a Cross key button 24b Confirm button 25 Status display LED
25a Number of pieces inserted LED
25b Number of coins acquired display LED
25c Indication LED
25d Replay indicator LED
25e Game start display LED
25f Insertion possible indicator LED
25g Advantageous mode display LED
26 Start lever 27 (27L, 27C, 27R) Stop button 27a Stop possible display LED
28 Medal number display LED
32 settlement button 33 medal count button 34 door lock 36 (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f, 36g, 36h) decorative LED
38 (38a, 38b, 38c, 38d) Speakers 40a, 40b Various sensors 41 (41a, 41b, 41c, 41d, 41e, 41f, 41g, 41h) Decorative LED board 42 Status display LED board 43 Stop button board 43a Stop button sensor 44 Start lever sensor 45 Bet button board 45a Maximum bet button sensor 45b Single bet button sensor 45c Push button sensor 46 Menu selection button board 46a Cross key button sensor 46b Confirm button sensor 48 Setting change device 48a Setting key switch 48b Setting change switch 48c Setting display LED
[0033] 48d Setting key cover 49 (49a, 49b, 49c, 49d) Speaker 50 Medal number display LED board 51 Medal count button board 51a Medal count button sensor 53 Operation board cover 60 Gaming machine main body 62a Upper performance display area 62b Lower performance display area 63a Upper performance display device 63b Lower performance display device 64 Reel frame 65 (65L, 65C, 65R) Reel 66 (66L, 66C, 66R) Reel sensor 67 (67L, 67C, 67R) Reel illumination board 68 Reel motor 90 Outer frame 90a Left side wall 90b Right side wall 90c Top plate 90d Bottom plate 90e Back side wall 91 Power supply unit 92 Power switch 95 Metal plate 96 Hinge portion 96a Upper hinge portion 96b Middle hinge portion 96c Lower hinge portion 100 Main board 101, 201, 301 CPU
102, 202, 302 RAM
103, 203, 303 ROM
104 Random number circuit 100 Main board 110 Game progress management section 111 Internal lottery section 112 Reel control section 113 Winning determination section 114 Medal management section 115 Status display LED control section 120 Status management section 121 Setting change management section 122 Game status management section 124 Game mode management section 125 Main error management section 130 Main communication section 131 Control command transmission/reception section 132 External signal transmission section 200 Sub board 204 Random number circuit 210 Sub communication section 211 Control command reception section 220 Performance management section 221 Performance control section 222 Performance display control section 223 Sound control section 224 Decorative LED control section 300 Medal number control board 304 Control command transmission/reception section 305 Credit management section 306 Medal error management section 300 Medal number control board 400 Medal number control board case 621 Display area 622 Display area 623 Display area 1000 Dedicated units L1 to L5 Line Za Axis

Claims (2)

A first indication for identifying a manufacturer of the gaming machine;
a second indication that is different from the first indication and that identifies the group to which the manufacturing company belongs;
having
Regarding the second indication,
When a predetermined error occurs, at least a part of the second display is not visible;
the second display is entirely visible at least in part of the time when the predetermined error does not occur,
the first display is entirely visible both when the predetermined error has occurred and when the predetermined error has not occurred;
A gaming machine characterized by: 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1,
The device has a base and an opening/closing body that can be opened and closed relative to the base,
The predetermined error occurs based on the opening and closing body being opened.
A gaming machine characterized by:

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