JP2719517B2 - Slot machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slot machine capable of displaying to a player that a prize is easily obtained during moving display of a symbol array.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A slot machine is provided with a plurality of reels having symbol marks arranged on an outer periphery, and when a game is started, these reels are rotated at the same time. Then, when all of the reels are stopped by the operation of the stop button or the operation of the automatic stop device, the reels stop on the pay line activated according to the number of inserted coins and medals (hereinafter, collectively referred to as coins). The presence or absence of a prize is displayed according to the combination of the symbol marks present.

In such a slot machine game, a player expects a prize in which a large amount of payout coins are paid out or a prize in which a privilege of a privilege game (bonus game) in which a prize is obtained at a high rate is obtained. Play the game. When these big prizes are awarded, many payout coins will be paid out.However, in order to maintain a stable payout rate, in recent slot machines, the occurrence of big prizes is managed stochastically by a microcomputer and concentrated. So that no big prizes will be awarded.

[0004]

Since the occurrence of the big prize, which is most expected for the player, is stochastically suppressed as described above, the game is repeatedly performed for the player during many games. Tend to give the impression that a big prize will occur suddenly. Therefore, in most cases, the interest of the game is limited only after the reels stop,
Until the reel spins and stops, it simply waits for the passage of time, which has been a major cause of the monotony of the slot machine game. In addition, some slot machines have a video type in which a symbol mark is moved and displayed on a CRT without using reels, but this slot machine also has exactly the same drawbacks.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and changes the speed of moving and displaying the symbol array when it becomes easy to win a prize such as a big prize. It is an object of the present invention to provide a slot machine which can give amusement to a player even during movement display of a symbol row.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to attain the above object, in view of whether or not a prize is to be generated by the prize determining means during the moving display of the symbol row, the moving and displaying of the symbol row is performed. Is performed at a first speed, and then the movement and display of the symbol array are performed at a second speed higher than the first speed.

[0007]

When a winning determination is made by the winning determining means, the symbol array is switched so as to move and display at the first speed and then to move and display at the second speed higher than this. If the player notices this change, the game result can be predicted in the process of moving and displaying the symbol row, and the player will play the game with interest in moving and displaying the symbol row. In particular, when the microcomputer performs the stop control of the symbol row so as to obtain the prize determined by the prize determining means by quickly switching the moving display of the symbol row, the operation timing of the stop button may be slightly shifted. Even if there is, it is easy to stop the target symbol at the winning line without giving a sense of incongruity.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 3 showing the appearance of a slot machine according to the present invention, stop buttons 3 to 5 are provided in the center of the front of the slot machine 2 in order from the left.
A start lever 6 and a coin slot 7 are provided around the stop button 3. A front panel 8 is fitted over the stop buttons 3 to 5, and the first, second, and second diameters are the same on the back side of the front panel 8.
Third reels 9 to 11 are arranged in order from the left side in the figure.

Various symbols such as "lemon", "7" and "watermelon" are drawn on the outer peripheral surface of each of the reels 9 to 11, and three observation windows 12 formed on the front panel 8 are formed. Observed through ~ 14. In the observation windows 12 to 14, a plurality of pay lines 16 activated corresponding to the number of inserted coins are described. When the start lever 6 is operated after inserting a coin through the coin insertion slot 7,
When the reels 9 to 11 start rotating and reach the steady rotation speed, the stop buttons 3 to 5 can be operated.

When the stop buttons 3 to 5 are operated at an arbitrary timing, a stop signal is output, and the rotating reels 9 to 11 are stopped. Then, when the combination of the three symbols displayed on the activated pay line 16 corresponds to a winning combination, the number of coins corresponding to the winning combination is paid out to the tray 17. When the operation of the stop buttons 3 to 5 is not performed, each of the reels 9 to 11
Is automatically stopped by a well-known auto stop mechanism.

FIG. 2 shows an electrical configuration of the slot machine 2. The pulse motors 20 to 22 for driving the reels 9 to 11 are connected to a system controller 26 via drivers 23 to 25. Photosensors 27 to 29 are connected to the system controller 26. The photosensors 27 to 29 detect light shielding pieces 30 to 32 provided on the reels 9 to 11, respectively.
The passage of the reference position is detected every time the motor 11 rotates once.

In addition, the system controller 26 has stop switches 3a to 5a for outputting a stop signal in conjunction with the stop buttons 3 to 5, a start switch 6a in conjunction with the start lever 6, and a coin attached to the coin slot 7. A coin payout device 37 is connected via a coin insertion sensor 35 and a driver 36 for detecting the state. The start switch 6a outputs a start signal at the operation timing of the start lever 6, and the coin insertion sensor 35 outputs a random number generation signal at the coin detection timing.

FIG. 1 shows a system controller 26. The random number generation circuit 40 connected to the coin insertion sensor 35 generates 1 to 3000 random numbers based on the random number generation signal. The random number generation circuit 40 is connected to a sampling circuit 41 that performs sampling using a start signal. In this sampling circuit 41, one cycle is 3
000 times, the same random number is not sampled during one cycle.

The sampling circuit 41 has a picture determining circuit 4
2 are connected. The picture determining circuit 42 compares the sampled random number value with the picture table 43, determines a combination of symbols corresponding to the random number value, and determines three symbol signals corresponding to the symbol combination. Each symbol signal is output to a stop position determining circuit 44 connected to the picture determining circuit 42. The stop position determining circuit 44 is connected to a motor control circuit 45 for controlling the stop switches 3a to 5a and the pulse motors 20 to 22.

The stop position determining circuit 44 receives the stop signals from the stop switches 3a to 5a and controls the stop of the pulse motors 20 to 22. In this stop control, the symbols determined by the picture determining circuit 42 are stopped on the pay line 16 in which the symbols determined by the picture determining circuit 42 are activated with reference to the rotational position signals of the reels 9 to 11 supplied from the search circuit 47 described later. Such a stop position signal is output from the stop position determination circuit 44 to the motor control circuit 45.

However, if the operation timings of the stop buttons 3 to 5 and the timings at which the reels 9 to 11 actually stop are extremely shifted, it becomes unnatural, so that a range in which this does not become unnatural, for example, a stop signal is generated. The drive of each of the pulse motors 20 to 22 is stopped until the symbols on each of the reels 9 to 11 are moved by several symbols from the time of input. In this case, the pattern determination circuit 42
In some cases, the combination of the symbols determined in step (1) cannot be obtained.
-In the event of a jackpot of "7", this symbol signal is carried over to the next game.

The motor control circuit 45 is connected to a start switch 6a, a drive pulse timing table 46, a search circuit 47, and a payout control circuit 48.
The drive pulse timing table 46 stores the data of the output timing of the drive pulse output from the motor control circuit 45 to the pulse motors 20 to 22, and the stop position determination circuit 44 sends the symbol signal “7” to the motor control circuit 45. , "7" and "7" are output,
The motor control circuit 45 accelerates the rotation speed of the pulse motors 20 to 22 that has reached the steady rotation speed after a certain period of time, and shifts to a constant speed rotation higher than the steady rotation speed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, after the start, the pulse motors 20 to 22 reach a steady rotation speed of N ₁ rpm at the time point T ₃ , but the motor control circuit 45 further operates at the time point T _4.
The drive pulses are accelerated from the point of time and rotated at a constant speed of N ₂ rpm at the point of time T _{5 by} the pulse motors 20 to 22.
Output to

In the last game, "7", "7",
Despite the generation of the “7” symbol signal,
If the winning of “7”, “7”, “7” is not obtained, the symbol signal “7”,
“7” and “7” are carried over. And in this case,
As shown in FIG. 5, in the next game, the pulse motors 20 to
The motor 22 outputs a drive pulse to each of the pulse motors 20 to 22 so that the motor 22 is rotated at a constant speed of N ₂ rpm after the start.

Further, as a result of random number sampling, when a symbol signal other than the above is output from the stop position determination circuit 44 to the motor control circuit 45, as shown in FIG.
A drive pulse is output to each of the pulse motors 20 to 22 so as to accelerate to a steady speed of ₁ rpm and perform uniform rotation. In this case, no acceleration is performed even at the time point of T _{4, and} the rotation at the constant speed of N ₂ rpm does not occur. The rotation speed of the pulse motor can be changed by changing the pulse interval of the drive pulse as shown in FIGS.

The search circuit 47 is connected to the photo sensor 27.
29, and the count of the drive pulse from the motor control circuit 45, the rotation of each of the reels 9 to 11 is determined.
Is checked, and a rotation position signal is output to the stop position determination circuit 44. If the combination of symbols is a winning combination at the timing when all of the pulse motors 20 to 22 are stopped, the payout control circuit 48 outputs the driver 36
The coin payout device 37 is made to pay out the number of coins corresponding to the winning combination via the.

The operation of the slot machine 2 of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. When a coin is inserted into the coin insertion slot 7 at T _{0 in} FIG. 4, the coin insertion sensor 35 outputs a random number generation signal,
The random number generation circuit 40 generates a random number. When the T ₁ at the start lever 6 is operated, a start signal to the sampling circuit 41 and the motor control circuit 45 is input.

The sampling circuit 41 samples a random number and outputs a random number value to a picture determining circuit 42. When the sampled random number is 1 to 10, the picture determination circuit 42 refers to the picture table 43 and selects three symbol signals “7” corresponding to the symbol combination “7” − “7” − “7”. , "7", and "7", and outputs them to the motor control circuit 45. Motor control circuit 45
In accordance with the data of the drive pulse timing table 46, performs a starting of the pulse motors 20 to 22, the acceleration to N ₁ rpm in a steady rotational speed.

[0024] it is possible to operate of T ₃ at the stop buttons 3 to 5 each pulse motors 20 to 22 has reached a steady rotation speed. Thereafter, assuming that the first stop button 3 is operated, when a stop position signal is output from the stop position determination circuit 44 to the motor control circuit 45, the motor control circuit 45 receives the rotation position signal from the search circuit 47. With reference to this, the pulse motor 20 is stopped so that the symbol “7” of the first reel is stopped on the activated pay line 16.

[0025] T ₃ at the stop button operation has elapsed until it T _4:00 also enabled, the motor control circuit 45 performs the acceleration of the pulse motor 20 to 22 As shown, T ₅ at N ₂ rpm ( The rotation is shifted to the constant speed rotation of N ₁ <N ₂ ). When the first stop button 3 has already been operated, the pulse motors 21 and 22 are set to N ₂ r
pm. Thereafter, when the second stop button 4 is operated, the stop position determination circuit 44 and the motor control circuit 45 perform the above-described control, and stop the symbol "7" of the second reel on the activated pay line 16. .

At T _{6, the} last stop button 5
There When operated, the motor control circuit 45 performs the deceleration of the pulse motor 22 in uniform rotation of N ₂ rpm, stopped at T _7. By stopping the pulse motor 22, all the reels 9 to 11 are stopped. Activated winning line 1
All the symbols on each of the reels 9 to 11 displayed on 6 are "7", and the combination of the symbols "7"-"7"-"7" as a whole is completed, and a big hit is achieved.

As described above, if the stop control of the pulse motor is performed while the rotation speed of the pulse motor is high, even if the operation timing of the stop button of the player is slightly shifted, it is determined by the picture determining circuit 42. Even if the stopped symbols are stopped on the winning line 16, the player does not feel so unnatural. Therefore, it is convenient for generating a winning as determined by the sampling circuit 41 and the picture determining circuit 42.

When the stop buttons 3 to 5 are not operated, the motor control circuit 45 decelerates at T ₄ , shifts to a constant speed of N ₂ rpm at T ₅ ,
_The pulse motors 20 to 22 are continuously rotated until 8:00, and T
_{At 9} o'clock these are stopped based on the symbol signal. At this timing, the payout control circuit 45 sets the coin payout device 3
7 and outputs a payout signal to pay out a specified number of coins. Although in this embodiment are to perform the acceleration operation performed at T ₄ after the elapse of a predetermined time period starting at T _3, may be linked to the operation of the stop buttons performed first.

When the symbol signals "7", "7", "7" are output to the motor control circuit 45, the timing for operating the stop buttons 3 to 5 is extremely shifted, and the symbol combination "7"- If “7”-“7” cannot be completed, the motor control circuit 45 holds the symbol signals “7”, “7”, “7” and carries over to the next game.

The symbol signal "7", when the "7", "7" is carried over, when T ₁ at the start lever 6 is operated, the motor control circuit 45 driving pulses as shown in FIG. 5 Output to each of the pulse motors 20 to 22 to rotate them. As a result, the pulse motor 20 to 22 T ₂
At this time, the rotation speed becomes constant at N ₂ rpm, and the stop button can be operated at this time. When the stop button is operated in this state, the motor control circuit 45 outputs a stop position signal, and each reel 9 is displayed on the activated pay line 16.
Pulse motor 2 to stop symbols "7"
Stop each of 0 to 22. Also at this time, if the symbol combination “7”-“7”-“7” is not completed, the symbol combination “7”-“7”-“7”
The same process is repeated until is completed.

If the random number sampled by the sampling circuit 41 at T ₁ is between 11 and 3000, the picture determination circuit 42 refers to the picture table 43 to determine the combination of symbols, and Are output to the stop position determination circuit 44. The motor control circuit 45 to which the symbol signal has been output from the stop position determination circuit 44 outputs drive pulses as shown in FIG. 6 to the pulse motors 20 to 22 to rotate them.

After T ₃ , the pulse motors 20 to 22 rotating at the steady rotation speed of N ₁ rpm are operated by the stop buttons 3 to 5, as shown at T ₆ to T _{8 in the} figure. Each is decelerated and stopped. Note that T ₆
Sometimes when the stop button 3-5 is not operated, the motor control circuit 45 as it is constant speed of until T ₇ N ₁ rpm as indicated by a broken line in the drawing the pulse motor 20 to 22, is decelerated after this , to stop this at T _9.

If the combination of symbols completed on the activated pay line 16 does not correspond to a winning combination, one game is completed. When the completed symbol combination corresponds to a winning combination, the payout control circuit 45 pays out a predetermined number of coins to the coin payout device 37, and the one game ends.

In this embodiment, when the symbol signals are "7", "7", and "7", the rotation speed of each of the reels 9 to 11 is varied. It may be performed when output. Also, the reel type slot machine with a stop button has been described, but the present invention can be applied to an auto stop type slot machine without a stop button and a video type slot machine.

[0035]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the speed of moving and displaying the symbol array is set to the first speed only when the winning determination means determines that a winning is to be generated.
Since the speed is switched from the second speed to the second speed, the player can read the change in the display speed and easily recognize that the winning is easy. Therefore, it is possible to attract the interest of the player even during the movement of the symbol row. Further, in the apparatus in which the movement of the symbol row is stopped by operating the stop button, even if the operation timing of the stop button is slightly shifted by switching the movement display of the symbol row to the second fast speed, There is also a secondary effect that the prize determined by the prize determining means can be generated without giving a stranger a feeling of strangeness.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system controller of the slot machine.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electrical configuration of the slot machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the slot machine of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a time chart showing rotation control of a pulse motor according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a time chart showing rotation control of a pulse motor when a winning symbol signal is carried over.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the rotation control of the pulse motor when a winning symbol signal is not obtained.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 6 Start lever 9 First reel 10 Second reel 11 Third reel 12, 13, 14 Observation window 16 Winning line 42 Picture determination circuit 43 Picture table 44 Stop position determination circuit 45 Motor control circuit 46 Drive pulse timing table

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. After moving and displaying a plurality of symbol rows in an observation window, the moving display of these symbol rows is stopped, and the presence or absence of a prize is determined based on a combination of symbols stopped on a predetermined prize line. And a prize determining means for determining in advance whether or not a prize is to be generated, and when the prize is determined by the prize determining means, the plurality of symbol arrays are moved and displayed at a first speed. And a control means for moving and displaying the plurality of symbol arrays at a second speed higher than the first speed.