JP3355714B2 - Prize acquisition game 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 prize acquisition game apparatus which visually produces a prize corresponding to a situation such as success or failure of prize acquisition.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, home video game devices have become widespread, and characteristics such as screen resolution and the complexity of character movements have been significantly improved. There is a demand for a game device having more excellent entertainment properties, and various devices have been proposed. Under such circumstances, conventional game machines such as crane game machines and pinball machines, which have been less noticeable due to the appearance of video game machines, have been gaining popularity. In particular, crane game machines
It is installed in many game arcades and is in the spotlight because it is interesting to get the prizes stored inside and it is motivating to challenge by using popular characters for prizes.

[0003] Various game machines have been proposed to entertain such a prize acquisition operation. A crane game machine will be described below as an example of the game device with reference to the drawings. That is, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a box-shaped housing portion 2 is provided on a rectangular parallelepiped base 1. The front and side surfaces 2a of the housing portion are made of a transparent resin or glass plate member, and the rear wall surface is made of a transparent or mirror-like plate member or a decorated plate member. . A large number of prizes 3 such as stuffed toys can be accommodated in the accommodation section 2. A cylindrical receiving portion 4 is provided at the bottom of the housing portion 2 in the vertical direction. Further, a crane is hung on the inner upper surface of the storage section 2. It comprises a rod-shaped support member 5 suspended vertically from the inner upper surface, and a gripping member 6 provided at the lower end for gripping the premium 3. The gripping member 6 is provided with two crab-footed arms 6a which can be opened and closed. The arm 6a is normally closed, and is configured to be opened by a player's operation when grasping a prize. Further, the support member 5 is provided so as to be slidable in the left and right direction and the front and rear direction and to be able to expand and contract in the vertical direction by a driving source (not shown) provided on the upper part of the housing part 2. Have been.

On the other hand, a support member 5 of a crane
A button switch 7 for stopping the player at a position corresponding to the desired premium 3 is provided. This is the first switch 7 for stopping the crane at the corresponding position in the left-right direction.
a and a second switch 7b for positioning the crane positioned in the left-right direction by the first switch 7a in the front-rear direction
Consists of Further, a prize take-out port 8 is provided below the base 1, and the take-out port 8 is connected to a lower end of the receiving portion 4. It should be noted that such a crane game machine is configured such that when a prize falls into the take-out port 8, sound effects such as a fanfare sound as a means of effect for notifying the prize acquisition.

The operation of the conventional example having the above-described configuration is as follows. That is, when the player inserts a coin and presses the first switch 7a, the drive source is activated, and the support member 5 slides in the left-right direction. Then, when the first switch 7a is released, it stops at the position in the left-right direction corresponding to the desired premium. Next, when the player presses the second switch 7b, the support member 5 slides in the front-rear direction. When the second switch 7b is released, the support member 5 stops once,
The arm 6a extends downward while opening the two arms 6a, and once closes the arm 6a at the position of the prize 3 at the lower part of the storage section 2 (gripping of the prize). Thereafter, the support member 5 contracts again with the arm 6a closed, and moves to above the receiving portion 4. Then, the arm 6a is opened above the receiving portion 4.
Therefore, when the prize can be grasped by the prize holding operation, the prize 3 is gripped by the arm 6a, carried to the receiving portion 4, and falls into the receiving portion 4. Then, the player takes out the prize 3 from the lower outlet 8. When the prize 3 is taken out from the outlet 8, a sound effect such as a fanfare sounds and informs the player and spectators around the player of the prize acquisition.

[0006]

However, the conventional crane game machine has the following problems.
In other words, the effect (sound effect) notifying the prize acquisition is at the time when the prize 3 falls into the take-out opening 8, but the peak of the mood for the player starts at the time when the prize 3 is grasped by the arm 6a, and thereafter, it is safe. Until the prize 3 is dropped into the receiving section 4. Of course, the joy of the player is doubled by the production after the prize is acquired, but there is a gap between the production indicating the prize acquisition and the player's emotion. Therefore, when it is possible to win, although the player is happy, due to the difference between the production of the crane game machine and the player's emotions, the fun and achievement of the game may be reduced by half, and the player will not feel like playing the game continuously is there. In this case, the effect of the precious effect is low. Moreover, since the effect is produced only by sound effects, the sound is monotonous.

[0007] Further, when the player cannot grasp the prize 3 or falls once in the middle after grabbing the prize 3, the player is usually motivated to take the prize 3 and tries again. However, in some cases, there is no staging as compared to when it was acquired, so you may feel as if your disappointment has been ignored. Such a problem also occurs in a prize acquisition game device other than the crane game machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a visual effect according to a change in a situation during a game so that a player can feel united with a game device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a prize acquisition game device which can enjoy the game and can be absorbed in the game.

[0009]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a housing for accommodating a prize, a take-out opening for taking out a prize, and a receiving portion connected to the take-out opening. A prize acquisition game device comprising: a prize acquisition unit provided for acquiring a prize inside the storage unit, wherein the prize is contacted with the prize until the prize is transported to the receiving unit. And a display unit provided in the acquisition unit or the housing unit and displaying an image according to a signal from the detection unit.

[0010] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the acquisition means according to claim 1 is configured to hold a prize.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the acquisition means of the first aspect is provided with two crab-footed arms that can be opened and closed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the detecting means of the first aspect is provided in the obtaining means.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the detecting means of the first aspect is an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor. The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the detection means according to claim 1 performs the detection based on the weight of the prize. The invention according to a seventh aspect is characterized in that the detecting means according to the first aspect detects success of grasping a prize, presence / absence of fall of the prize, and success of conveyance of the prize. In the invention described in claim 8, the detection means has failed to grip the prize.
Is detected, the display means is selectively displayed as missed.
It is characterized by showing . The invention of claim 9, wherein the per
Is displayed, you can retry the prize acquisition game
It is characterized by the ability to function . The invention according to claim 10 is
A signal processing circuit for supplying a signal corresponding to contact with a prize to the display means based on a result of the detection means is further provided. The invention according to claim 11 is
Sound means for generating a sound effect in conjunction with the display means,
It is further characterized by being provided.

[0014]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, in the process of the player acquiring the prize by the acquiring means, a display according to the situation during the acquisition is performed on the display means. When the situation changes, simultaneously with this change, the display on the display means can be changed to the same content as the emotion change of the player, and the player can enter the emotion into the game device and enjoy the game.

[0015] Further, the display means is provided in the acquisition means for concentrating the player's line of sight, and the sound means for generating a sound effect in conjunction with the display means provides the player with a game device. A sense of unity with
You can be addicted to the game.

[0016]

【Example】

(1) Main Embodiment Hereinafter, one embodiment of a prize acquisition game apparatus according to the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to the crane game machine shown in the above-mentioned figure as an example of a prize acquisition game device.

In this embodiment, FIG. 1 is a front view showing a gripping member of a crane game machine provided with display means and detection means, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a double sound detection ultrasonic sensor as detection means, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, members having the same functions as those of the related art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a display monitor 11 composed of a dot matrix (for example, 40 × 80 dot LED) is provided as a display means at a position where the player can easily see the gripping member 6. I have. The display monitor 11 is configured to display a moving image of various figures, characters, and the like on a screen.

An ultrasonic sensor 12 for detecting the open / closed state of the arm 6a is provided between the two arms 6a, 6a on the lower surface of the main body of the holding member 6 as means for detecting whether or not the prize is being held. I have. The sensor 12 is a high-precision sensor in which the dead zone peculiar to the ultrasonic sensor is made close to 0 by using the double sound. As shown in FIG. 2, the temporary sound emitted from the sensor 12 is reflected on the arm 6a, for example, and the reflected sound is reflected on the lower surface of the gripping member 6 main body. This is reflected again by the arm 6a as a double shot sound, and the sensor 12
To thereby detect the distance. The sensor having such a configuration is connected to the display monitor 11 via a signal processing circuit (not shown) such as an LSI provided inside the gripping member 6 main body.

Here, a claw portion 6b for engaging with a premium is provided at the tip of the arm 6a. When the arm 6a is closed, the sensor 12 detects the claw 6
a will be detected. The signal processing circuit is configured to process a difference from a value detected by the sensor 12 using the distance as a reference value. This is because when the detection value is smaller than the reference value, the two arms 6a, 6a
It is assumed that there is a prize in between, or that the arm 6a is holding the prize. When the detected value is larger than the reference value, the arm 6a is in a state where the arm 6a is not closed and is in a high position, that is, a state where the prize is dropped on the way.

(2) Operation of Embodiment The operation and effect of this embodiment configured as described above are as follows. That is, in the present embodiment, the sensor 12 detects the distance from the sensor (the lower surface of the gripping member 6 main body) to the vertically lower portion thereof, and sends this signal to the signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit sends a signal according to the situation to the display monitor 11 by comparing the elapsed time of the constant distance state or a reference value. The display monitor 11 displays various characters, graphics, moving images, etc. on the screen according to the transmitted signal. Before the coin is inserted, a moving image of characters or graphics such as a product name or a picture of a UFO is displayed on the display monitor 11 in a constant flow.

In such a signal processing circuit, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, a signal from the sensor 12 is processed, and a screen display signal corresponding to a situation is transmitted to the display monitor 11. That is, when a coin is inserted (S1), the screen displays "READY". Next, when the first switch 7a is pressed, the game starts (S2), and "G
O ”is displayed. From this point, the sensor operates. Then, after positioning the desired position in the left-right direction of the crane, the support member 5 is temporarily stopped by releasing the second switch at the desired position in the front-rear direction, and extends downward while opening the two arms 6a. At the prize position, the arm 6a is closed to perform a prize holding operation. At this time, the sensor is connected to the arm 6a
Detects the success (S3) of whether or not has grasped the prize.

Here, when the prize for which the successful gripping (S3) is YES is grasped, the support member 5 shrinks upward and the prize 3 is lifted or after a certain time has elapsed.
It is checked whether or not the prize has fallen (S4). If the prize has not fallen on the way, an effect screen (such as "V mark", "UFO flight", "smile", etc.) on the display monitor praising the prize is secured. S5) is displayed. Further, the success of the transport (S6) is detected at the upper portion of the receiving portion 4 to determine whether or not the transport was successful. If it can be carried, the operation of the sensor ends (S7).
Becomes After the end, a moving image of characters or figures such as a product name or a picture of a UFO is displayed on the display monitor 11 in a fixed flow, as in the case before the introduction.

On the other hand, when the nipping succeeds (S3) is NO, an effect screen (S8) such as "skull mark" or "suck face" is displayed on the display monitor to notify the failure. This is the end (S6). In addition, when the prize is dropped (S4), the display screen (S9) for displaying a failure screen on the display monitor, such as a "skull mark", "a UFO crash", or "a beveled face", when the prize falls (S4). And terminates (S7). Also,
When it is detected that the transport has failed in the successful transport (S6), the prize has fallen, and the prize has dropped (S4).
Dispose in the same way as if you have fallen.

(3) Effects of the Embodiment As described above, in the present embodiment, the sensor 12 and the information from the sensor 12 are processed on the gripping member 6 of the crane game machine, and the screen display corresponding to the situation is displayed. By providing the display monitor 11 that can be provided, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, since the display monitor 11 is provided on the gripping member 6 where the player's line of sight concentrates, the display monitor 11 can be easily seen by the player even during the game.
With such a display monitor 11, when the arm 6a grasps the prize and lifts it up, that is, when the player feels that the prize has been secured, the arm 6a is uplifted.
An effect screen for “V mark”, “UFO flight”, etc. that matches the emotion is displayed. This feels to the players that the crane gaming machine is delighted together and cheering so that they can be acquired safely.

On the other hand, when the prize is not grabbed or transported, that is, when the player feels disappointed, a screen suitable for the feeling is displayed. In particular, when a prize falls on the way, a screen similar to the player's disappointing emotions is displayed, such as "UFO crash", which is displayed so that the UFO that was flying well until then falls down Is displayed. This is what makes a crane game machine feel sorry together.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the situation during the game is detected by the sensor 12, and at the same time, the display corresponding to the situation can be displayed on the display monitor 11. As a result, the display on the display means can be changed to the same content as the change in the emotion of the player, and the player can not only enjoy the conventional prize acquisition but also become enthusiastic about the game due to the sense of unity with the game machine. be able to. Also, they will not get tired easily and will be motivated to try again. In addition, onlookers around the player can similarly feel a sense of unity in cheering.
Therefore, many people are interested and play a game, so that the place where the game machine is installed can be activated.

(4) Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the specific shape, or the mounting position and method of each can be appropriately changed.

For example, the detecting means is not limited to the ultrasonic sensor, and the mounting position thereof can be appropriately changed. This can be another sensor, such as an infrared sensor, or a microswitch 13 that is switched on by the weight of the prize, as illustrated in FIGS. In FIG.
The microswitch 13 is provided at a connection portion between the arm 6a and the claw portion 6b, and is configured to be turned on by its weight when the claw portion 6b is engaged with the premium. Also,
In FIG. 5, a microswitch 13 is provided at a connection portion between the gripping member and the support member, and when the arm 6a grips the prize and rises, the gripping member 6 is slid downward by its weight to switch on. ing. When the switch is turned on, the prize is held by the arm 6a, and when the switch is not turned on, the prize is not held, and the screen is displayed on the display monitor accordingly.

Further, in the display monitor 11 of the above-described embodiment, as one of displaying the effect screen according to the situation, it is possible to provide a game property. this is,
For example, when the success of the clamping (S3) is NO, the display monitor 11 is displayed as follows. That is,
As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of "pictures" scroll to display an effect screen (S10) such as roulette indicating "hit" or "losing", and if "hit" is displayed, the game is resumed. "GO" is displayed as a challenge is possible, or "FREE TIME" is displayed for a fixed time, and the game can be challenged any number of times during the time. On the other hand, when "out" is displayed, the operation of the sensor ends (S7). Such a display makes it possible for the player to recover the loser even if the prize cannot be grasped at first sight, and the game machine becomes popular.

In the present invention, the display means is not limited to a display monitor using a dot matrix, but can be changed to a screen such as a liquid crystal as needed. Further, the display means is not limited to being provided on the gripping member, and may be provided on the base 1 or the accommodation section 2 of the crane game machine, for example. In addition, an image according to the situation can be projected on the rear wall surface of the accommodation section.
In particular, when display means is provided on the rear wall surface of the accommodation section, it is possible to produce an effect as if cheering toward the player. Thereby, even if there is no spectator, the player can feel as if he or she is being noticed and can enjoy the game. In addition, an LED lamp that lights a color according to the situation may be provided around the upper part of the storage unit. As a result, even a person who is away from the game machine can be informed of the situation, which has an effect of attracting the person. And it is also possible to combine such various display means. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to generate a sound effect according to the situation in conjunction with the display means simultaneously with the display. As a result, the visual and auditory effects are more integrated with the player's emotions. By such an effect, the presence of the game machine can be promoted, and the store where the game machine is installed is activated.

The game device of the present invention is not limited to a crane game machine, but can be applied to another prize acquisition game device for acquiring a prize. In this case, the same effect can be obtained.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, the acquisition means for acquiring a prize is provided with a sensor, and the display means for performing display in accordance with the detection content of the sensor is provided. The display on the display means can be changed to the same content as the change in emotion, and a prize acquisition game device in which the player can get absorbed can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a prize acquisition game apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a holding member provided with a display unit and a detection unit.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a double sound detection ultrasonic sensor which is a detection unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing, as another embodiment, a microswitch provided as a detecting means at a connection portion between an arm of a gripping member and a claw portion.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing, as another embodiment, a microswitch provided as a detecting means at a joint portion between a supporting member and a gripping member.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a crane game machine as an example of a prize acquisition game device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Base 2 ... Housing part 3 ... Premium 4 ... Receiving part 5 ... Support member 6 ... Grasping member 6a ... Arm 7 ... Button switch 8 ... Outlet 11 ... Display monitor 12 ... Ultrasonic sensor 13 ... Micro switch

Claims (11)

(57) [Claims] An accommodating portion for accommodating a prize, a takeout opening for taking out a prize, a receiving portion connected to the takeout opening, and an acquisition means provided inside the accommodating portion for acquiring a prize. A prize obtaining game device comprising: a detecting unit that detects whether or not the obtaining unit and the prize are in contact with each other until the prize is transported to the receiving unit; and A prize acquisition game device, comprising: display means for displaying an image corresponding to a signal from the detection means. 2. The prize acquisition game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition means is configured to hold a prize. 3. The prize obtaining game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining means comprises two open-and-close crab-footed arms. 4. The prize obtaining game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is provided in said obtaining means. 5. The prize obtaining game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means is an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor. 6. The prize acquisition game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means performs detection based on a weight of the prize. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means detects the success of grasping the prize, the presence or absence of the prize, and the success of transporting the prize.
Or the prize acquisition game device according to 4. 8. The detecting means has failed to grasp a prize.
When it is detected, the display means is selectively hit or missed.
The prize acquisition game device according to claim 7, wherein 9. The prize acquisition when a hit is displayed.
9. The prize obtaining game apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the player can retry the game. 10. The prize obtaining game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processing circuit for supplying a signal corresponding to contact with the prize to the display means based on a result of the detection means. 11. The prize obtaining game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: sound means for generating a sound effect in conjunction with said display means.