JP3857594B2 - Player management system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a player management system for managing a player based on an image obtained by shooting the player.
[0002]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Conventionally, as a means for managing a player who plays with a gaming machine in a game room, a camera is provided for each gaming machine, and by identifying a player's face photographed with the camera, It has been proposed to manage the number of players staying in the hall or the game history for each player.
[0003]
However, although the recognition rate of a face based on an image taken by a camera has increased in recent years, it may be erroneously recognized due to a subtle change in facial expression or face orientation. For this reason, even if the same player continues to play the game, if it is erroneously recognized, the management device may determine that the player has changed. The staying number of players managed by the management device is different from the actual staying number, and the burden on the management device due to misrecognition increases.
Also, if the player leaves the seat for a short time for a break, for example, and resumes the game, the management device will divide the management data based on the fact that the player cannot be recognized. This increases the burden on the management device.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the purpose of the present invention is to reduce the management burden due to misrecognition and to manage the management data when managing by recognizing the photographed player. An object of the present invention is to provide a player management system that can prevent such a situation.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is provided with a photographing means for photographing a player playing a game on the gaming machine corresponding to the gaming machine, and an image for recognizing a player playing a game based on the image of the player photographed by the imaging means. In the case where it is determined that the first player has been replaced with the second player based on the recognition result of the image processing means, the second player has the first player within the predetermined time from the timing. When it is determined that the player has been replaced, a determination means is provided for determining that the first player continues to play the game (claim 1).
[0006]
According to such a configuration, when the player starts a game, the photographing unit photographs the player, so that the image processing unit recognizes the player who is playing based on the image photographed by the photographing unit. Can do. This makes it possible to manage the number of players who are playing in the game hall.
[0007]
By the way, in recent years, although the image recognition rate of the face has increased, it may be erroneously recognized, and when it is erroneously recognized, management of the number of staying persons becomes uncertain.
Therefore, the judging means determines that the second player is replaced with the first player within a predetermined time after the first player is replaced with the second player based on the recognition result of the image processing means. When the determination is made, it is considered that the first player continues to play games, so that it is possible to prevent the staying number of players from differing from the actual staying number.
[0008]
In addition, the present invention provides a shooting means for shooting a player who plays with the gaming machine corresponding to the gaming machine, and recognizes the player playing the game based on the image of the player shot by the shooting means. When it is determined that the player no longer exists based on the recognition result of the image processing means, and when it is determined that the same player has resumed the game within a predetermined time from that timing In addition, a judging means for considering that the player continues to play the game is provided (claim 2).
According to such a configuration, if the determination unit cannot recognize the presence of the player for a predetermined time, it is assumed that the same player continues to play, so the management data is divided. Can be prevented.
[0009]
In each of the above configurations, it is desirable that the image processing means recognizes a player based on a plurality of images obtained by photographing the same player by the photographing means.
According to such a configuration, the player is recognized based on a plurality of images obtained by photographing the same player, so that the accuracy of image recognition by the image recognition means can be increased.
[0010]
Further, the image processing means and the determination means may be provided in the periphery for each gaming machine (claim 4).
According to such a configuration, since the image processing means and the determination means are provided in the periphery for each gaming machine, the image processing means and the determination means can be operated locally, and the upper management device Can be reduced.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a pachinko hall will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire system. In FIG. 1, a control device 3 is provided above (periphery) the gaming machine 1 and the ball lending machine 2. This control device 3 manages the operation information of the gaming machine 1 to be managed and the sales of the ball rental machine 2, and sends the management information to the gaming machine management device 4 installed in the pachinko hall. ing.
[0012]
Here, the control device 3 is provided with a CCD camera (corresponding to the photographing means) 5 and has a function of recognizing a player's face based on an image photographed by the CCD camera 5. Is transmitted to the gaming machine management device 4 and the customer management device 6.
A multi-store management device 7 is installed in the headquarters that controls the group stores to which the pachinko hall belongs, and the control device 3 can transmit management information from the router 8 to the multi-store management device 7 through the Internet 9. ing.
[0013]
FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a control device 3 provided corresponding to the gaming machine 1 and the inter-ball ball lending machine 2. In FIG. 2, the control device 3 includes an operation unit 10, a lamp display unit 11, and a data display unit 12 in addition to the CCD camera 5. The CCD camera 5 is installed so that the face of the player seated on the chair is a subject to be photographed.
[0014]
FIG. 3 shows the electrical configuration of the control device 3. In FIG. 3, the control device 3 includes a control unit (corresponding to an image processing unit and a determination unit) 13, a data communication unit 14, an operation unit 10, a lamp display unit 11, a data display unit 12, and a CCD camera 5. Yes.
[0015]
The control device 3 is mainly composed of a CPU 15, and includes a ROM 16 that stores a program, a RAM 17 that stores work data, and an image processing unit 18 that processes an image from the CCD camera 5, and is based on the program stored in the ROM 16. A function of controlling the display of the lamp display unit 11 according to an operation on the operation unit 10 by operating, a function of displaying the operation information of the managed gaming machine 1 on the display unit 12, and a player playing a game on the gaming machine 1 And a player's misrecognition prevention function which is a feature of the present embodiment as will be described later.
[0016]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 3. In FIG. 4, the control device 3 determines whether or not the player's face has been recognized by processing the image taken by the CCD camera 5 (S101).
[0017]
When the player sits on the chair, the player's face is positioned in the image from the CCD camera 5, so that the image processing unit 18 recognizes the face (S101: YES). A feature point of the face is extracted by the recognition technique (S102), and the feature point is stored (S103). The feature points are facial eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, and the like extracted from the image, and the face can be recognized based on the positional relationship of such feature points.
[0018]
Here, although not shown in FIG. 4, the control device 3 collects a plurality of feature points regarding the player when it is determined that the player has started the game. This is because there is a possibility that the player's recognition may be uncertain with only one extracted feature point of the player's face. The face is multifacetedly recognized based on the feature points.
Subsequently, the control device 3 transmits the feature points extracted as described above to the gaming machine management device 4 and the customer management device 6.
[0019]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the gaming machine management device 4. In FIG. 5, when the gaming machine management device 4 receives the feature point (S201: YES), the gaming machine management device 4 creates a record in the gaming history file corresponding to the gaming machine 1 to be managed by the control device 3 (S202). .
[0020]
On the other hand, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the customer management apparatus 6. In FIG. 6, when receiving the feature point (S301: YES), the customer management device 6 determines that the player has started the game and increments the staying number (S303).
[0021]
Subsequently, the received feature points are compared with the feature points stored today (S304), and if they are not the same (S305: NO), it is determined that the player is not a store visitor and the number of visitors is incremented. When both feature points are the same (S305: YES), the number of visitors is not incremented by determining that the player has been processed at the store.
[0022]
Now, when a player plays with the gaming machine 1, an out ball is generated and a safe ball is generated in accordance with the winning. As these out balls or safe balls are generated, an out signal or a safe signal is output to the control device 3, so that the control device 3 indicates game information indicating the number of out balls and the number of safe balls of the managed gaming machine 1. Send. When a special prize is generated in the gaming machine 1, a special prize signal is output to the control device 3, so the control device 3 transmits game information indicating the number of special prizes of the managed gaming machine 1.
[0023]
Here, the control device 3 displays, for example, the number of special prizes in the management information described above on the data display unit 12. As a result, the player can determine the operating state of the gaming machine 1 based on the data displayed on the data display unit 12, which can be used as a guide when selecting the gaming machine 1.
[0024]
On the other hand, when the gaming machine management device 4 receives the gaming information as shown in FIG. 5 (S203: YES), it registers the gaming information in the record (S205).
Further, when the face is recognized as shown in FIG. 4 (S105: YES), the control device 3 extracts feature points (S115), and stores the feature points, that is, the features stored in step S103. It is compared with the point (S116), and it is determined whether or not they are the same (S117). At this time, since the player continues to play the game, it is determined that they are the same (S117: YES), and S105 to S117 are repeatedly executed.
[0025]
When the player finishes the game and leaves the seat, the control device 3 cannot recognize the player's face (S105: NO), and starts measuring the elapsed time at that timing (S106). When a predetermined time has passed without recognizing the face (S108: YES), it is determined that the game of the player has ended and a game end is transmitted (S109).
[0026]
When the gaming machine management device 4 receives a game end as shown in FIG. 5 (S204: YES), it ends the registration of the game information for the record of the game history file. Through the operation as described above, the game history of the player in the gaming machine 1 can be managed.
[0027]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the customer management device 6 decrements the staying number of people when the game end is received (S302: YES) (S307).
By the operation as described above, it is possible to manage the staying number of players playing in the pachinko hall.
[0028]
By the way, although the above-described image recognition of human faces has been highly accurate in recent years, there is still a possibility of erroneous recognition, and the recognition was mistaken even though the same player continued to play. In such a case, the management of the game history by the gaming machine management device 4 is mistaken, or the management of the number of staying customers or the number of visitors by the customer management device 6 is mistaken. Such misrecognition is expected to occur only for a short period of time due to a subtle facial expression change or facial orientation of the player.
[0029]
Therefore, in the present embodiment, misrecognition of the face by the control device 3 is prevented as follows.
That is, the control device 3 compares whether the extracted feature point and the stored feature point are the same in step S117 in FIG. 4 in the state of recognizing the face. When it is determined that they are not the same (S117: NO), the measurement of the elapsed time is started from the timing (S118), the feature points are extracted (S119), and whether the extracted feature points are the same as the stored feature points. Compare (S120). In this case, when both feature points become the same within a predetermined time (S121: YES), that is, the first player within a predetermined time after the first player is replaced with the second player. When it is determined that the game has been resumed, it is determined that the game has been erroneously recognized, and the feature point of the face of the second player is not transmitted.
[0030]
By such an operation, the control device 3 considers that the same player continues to play a game when it is determined that the player has changed to another player within a predetermined time (see FIG. 7). Since no feature points are transmitted, a new record is not created in the gaming machine history file managed by the gaming machine management device 4, and the staying number of visitors and the number of visitors managed by the customer management device 6 It will not be incremented.
Note that the control device 3 determines that the misrecognition state continues when a predetermined time has elapsed after determining that the feature point of the player's face has changed as shown in FIG. 4 (S122: YES). Then, an error is notified (S123).
[0031]
On the other hand, when the player leaves the seat, if the control device 3 determines that the game of the player has ended and transmits one game end at a time, the record of the game history file managed by the gaming machine management device 4 is It will be divided.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the control device 3 becomes unable to recognize the player's face as shown in FIG. 4 (S105: NO), when the face is recognized before the predetermined time elapses (S107). : YES), a feature point is extracted (S110), the feature point and the stored feature point are compared (S111), and it is determined whether or not they are the same (S112). In this case, when both feature points are the same (S112: YES), it is determined that the same player has resumed the game, and the process proceeds to step S105 to recognize the face without transmitting the game end. continue. If both feature points are not the same (S112: NO), it is determined that the player has changed, the feature points are stored (S113), the feature points are transmitted (S114), the game Continue to recognize the customer's face.
[0032]
If the control device 3 determines that the presence of the player cannot be recognized within a predetermined time by the above operation, it is considered that the same player continues to play (see FIG. 8), and the game Since the end is not transmitted, the record of the game history file managed by the gaming machine management device 4 can be prevented from being divided.
[0033]
According to such a configuration, when the control device 3 determines that the player has changed momentarily, when it is determined that the original player has resumed the game before the predetermined time has elapsed from that timing, Since it is assumed that the same player continues to play the game and the feature points and the game end are not transmitted, it is possible to prevent the customer management device 6 from managing mistakes in the number of players staying and the number of visitors. it can.
[0034]
In addition, when it is determined that the player has changed, when it is determined that the same player has resumed the game before the predetermined time has elapsed, the game end is not transmitted. It is possible to prevent a management error of the number of players staying by the management device 6 and to prevent the game history file records managed by the gaming machine management device 4 from being divided.
[0035]
In addition, since the control device 3 located in the periphery of the gaming machine 1 is provided with a function having such excellent effects, the gaming machine management device 4 or the customer management device 6 has such a function. Compared to the above, it is possible to perform processing locally, and the burden on the upper management apparatus can be reduced.
[0036]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
As a method for recognizing a player, a clothing feature may be added in addition to the facial feature of the player.
The gaming machine management device 4 and the customer management device 6 may have a function of preventing erroneous recognition, or the game file may be managed by the customer management device 6. By providing the multi-store management device 7 with the functions of the gaming machine management device 4 and the customer management device 6, the number of players staying and the number of visitors in the entire group store may be managed.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the player management system of the present invention, it is determined that the player has changed to another player within a predetermined time, or the player has replayed within a predetermined time. When judged, the same player is considered to continue to play, so when managing by recognizing the photographed player, the management burden due to misrecognition can be reduced. In addition, there is an excellent effect that the management data can be prevented from being divided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a gaming machine and a control device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the control device. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the gaming machine management device. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the customer management device. FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing the correction operation in a state where the player is misrecognized. 8] Timing chart showing the correction operation in the state where the player who has left the seat replayed
1 is a gaming machine, 3 is a control device, 5 is a CCD camera (photographing means), and 13 is a control unit (image processing means, determination means).

Claims (4)

Photographing means provided corresponding to a gaming machine and photographing a player who plays with the gaming machine;
Image processing means for recognizing a player who is playing based on the image of the player photographed by the imaging means;
When it is determined that the first player is replaced with the second player based on the recognition result of the image processing means, the second player is replaced with the first player within a predetermined time from the timing. A player management system comprising: a determination unit that determines that the first player is playing a game continuously when it is determined that the player has played. Photographing means provided corresponding to a gaming machine and photographing a player who plays with the gaming machine;
Image processing means for recognizing a player who is playing based on the image of the player photographed by the imaging means;
When it is determined that the player no longer exists based on the recognition result of the image processing means, when it is determined that the same player has resumed the game within a predetermined time from that timing, the player continues. A player management system, comprising: a determination means for determining that the player is playing a game. 3. The player management system according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit recognizes a player based on a plurality of images obtained by shooting the same player by the shooting unit. The player management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the image processing means and the determination means are provided in the vicinity of each gaming machine.

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