JP3885082B2 - Game console field unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a field unit of a game machine having a lower running surface and an upper running surface.

A self-propelled body and a model are arranged on the lower traveling surface and the upper traveling surface provided in the field unit, respectively, and the self-propelled body and the model are attracted to each other by magnetic force while the self-propelled body is self-propelled on the lower traveling surface. Thus, there is known a game machine in which a model runs following a self-running body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this type of game machine, a guide line, a measurement line, or the like serving as an index for controlling the traveling direction or progress of the self-propelled body is provided on the lower traveling surface.
JP 2003-38841 A

  In the above-described game machine, an error occurs in the traveling control of the self-propelled body due to dirt on the lower traveling surface or adhesion of foreign matter, so it is necessary to periodically inspect the lower traveling surface and clean it as necessary. However, in the structure in which the upper travel surface is arranged above the lower travel surface, the lower travel surface is hidden, so that maintenance management work cannot be performed efficiently. When a power supply surface for the self-propelled body is provided on the back side of the upper travel surface, the same problem occurs in maintenance management of the power supply surface.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a field unit of a game machine that can efficiently perform maintenance management of a lower stage running surface on which a self-propelled body is installed.

  The field unit (11) of the game machine of the present invention includes a lower traveling surface (18) on which the self-propelled body (30) travels, and an upper traveling surface (19) on which the model (31) following the self-propelled body travels. A lower unit (14) provided with the lower running surface and an upper unit provided with the upper running surface, which is combined with the lower structure so as to be movable up and down. By providing the structure (15) and the elevating drive device (21) for raising and lowering the upper structure, the above-described problems are solved.

  According to the field unit of the present invention, the upper structure is raised by the elevating drive device, thereby expanding the space between the back surface side of the upper traveling surface and the lower traveling surface, thereby accessing the lower traveling surface. Can improve sex. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently perform maintenance management work on the lower traveling surface.

  In an embodiment of the present invention, the upper structure is provided with a power feeding surface (20) that faces the lower travel surface, and the self-propelled body contacts the power feeding surface in a state where the upper structure is lowered. In this way, a downward movement range of the upper structure may be set. According to this form, the power feeding surface can be brought into contact with the self-propelled body by lowering the upper structure, and power can be reliably supplied to the self-propelled body. Regardless of the height dimension of the self-propelled body, it is possible to easily inspect or clean the lower stage running surface and the power feeding surface by creating a sufficient space between the lower stage running surface and the feeding surface.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the elevating drive device includes a hydraulic cylinder (22) attached between the lower structure and the upper structure with an operation direction directed vertically, and the hydraulic cylinder And a hydraulic pressure generator (23) for supplying hydraulic pressure. By using a hydraulic cylinder as an actuator for raising and lowering the upper structure, the raising and lowering drive device can be configured relatively simply.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the elevating drive device is provided with a space around the field unit, and each of the elevating drive devices is attached between the lower structure and the upper structure so that an operation direction is directed vertically. A plurality of hydraulic cylinders (22) may be provided, and a hydraulic pressure generator (23) for supplying hydraulic pressure to each hydraulic cylinder. By providing a plurality of hydraulic cylinders around the field unit, the upper structure can be raised and lowered smoothly even in a large field unit.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the lower structure and the upper structure may be divided into the same number of subunits, and in that case, the hydraulic cylinder may be provided for each subunit. As a result, the force of the hydraulic cylinder can be distributed and acted on the subunits evenly, and the burden applied to the connecting portion of the subunits during lifting can be reduced.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the cylinder tube (22b) of the hydraulic cylinder is attached to one of the lower structure and the upper structure, and the piston rod (22a) of the hydraulic cylinder is the other structure. It may be connected to the other structure via an adjuster device (24) that provides play to the body. By using such an adjuster device, it is possible to move up and down the upper structure smoothly by operating a plurality of hydraulic cylinders without receiving mutual interference.

  In addition, in the above description, in order to make an understanding of this invention easy, the reference sign of the accompanying drawing was attached in parenthesis, but this invention is not limited to the form of illustration by it.

  As described above, according to the field unit of the present invention, the space between the back surface side of the upper travel surface and the lower travel surface is expanded by raising the upper structure with the lifting drive device. As a result, the accessibility to the lower travel surface can be improved, so that the maintenance management work for the lower travel surface can be performed efficiently.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a game system in which a game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention is incorporated. The game system 1 is for executing a horse racing game, and a plurality of game machines 2A, 2B, 2C, a center server 3, a maintenance server 4, a maintenance server, and a maintenance server connected to each other via a communication network 6. And a client 5. Each of the game machines 2A to 2C in the game system 1 has the same configuration. Therefore, hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, the game machine 2 will be referred to. Although three game machines 2 are shown in FIG. 1, the number of game machines 2 included in the game system 1 is not limited to this.

  The center server 3 mainly processes data related to the game in response to a request from the game machine 2. The maintenance server 4 stores and manages data related to maintenance such as error log information of the game system 1 in the maintenance storage unit 4a which is its own storage unit. The maintenance client 5 is provided, for example, in a maintenance service unit that centrally manages the maintenance of the game system 1, and performs analysis and analysis related to the maintenance of the game system 1 using data stored in the maintenance storage unit 4a. As an example, the Internet is used for the communication network 6.

  The game machine 2 is installed in a store and is configured as a commercial game machine that plays a game in exchange for economic value. A housing (game machine body) 10 of the game machine 2 includes a field unit 11, a plurality of station units 12... 12 arranged so as to surround the field unit 11, and a monitor unit arranged at one end of the field unit 11. 13. The field unit 11 provides the running surfaces 18 and 19 for the self-propelled vehicle (self-propelled body) 30 and the racehorse model 31 shown in FIG. A plurality of self-propelled vehicles 30 and models 31 are installed on the field unit 11, and a horse racing game is realized by competing them. The station unit 12 accepts various operations of the player relating to the horse racing game, and executes a game value payout to the player. The monitor unit 13 includes a main monitor 13a that displays game information and the like.

  2 is a perspective view of the field unit 11, and FIG. 3 is a side view thereof. As shown in these drawings, the field unit 11 includes a base 14 as a lower structure and a stage 15 as an upper structure that covers the base 14. Both the base 14 and the stage 15 have a frame structure in which steel materials are combined. Top plates 16 and 17 are attached to the upper surfaces of the base 14 and the stage 15, respectively. A lower travel surface 18 on which the self-propelled vehicle 30 travels is provided on the top surface of the top plate 16 of the base 14. On the other hand, an upper traveling surface 19 on which the model 31 travels is provided on the upper surface of the top plate 17 of the stage 15, and a power feeding surface 20 for the self-propelled vehicle 30 is provided on the lower surface of the top plate 17.

  The stage 15 is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the base 14. 2 and 3 show a state where the stage 15 is raised. The state where the stage 15 is lowered is shown in FIGS. 4 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a side view corresponding to FIG. The raising / lowering range of the stage 15 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 5, there is a space SP between the lower stage running surface 18 and the power feeding surface 20 in a state where the stage 15 is lowered until it comes into contact with the receiving portion 14 a of the base 14. At this time, the height Hd of the space SP (see FIG. 5) is a value suitable for accommodating the self-propelled vehicle 30. On the other hand, the height Hu (see FIG. 3) of the space SP when the stage 15 is raised is expanded to such an extent that an operator can put at least the upper body in the space SP. As a guide, the height Hu should be secured at least 400 mm. For convenience of loading and unloading the field unit 11, the base 14 and the stage 15 can be divided into three subunits 14A to 14C and 15A to 15C in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. The top plate 16 of the base 14 is divided into three according to the subunits 14A to 14C. The subunits 14A to 14C are joined to each other by connecting means such as bolts. The same applies to the subunits 15A to 15C.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the field unit 11 is provided with a stage driving device (elevating drive device) 21 for driving the stage 15 in the vertical direction. The stage driving device 21 includes a plurality of hydraulic cylinders (actuators) 22 arranged around the field unit 11 at an appropriate interval, and a hydraulic pressure generating device 23 as a power source that supplies hydraulic pressure to each hydraulic cylinder 22. It has. The hydraulic cylinder 22 is provided with the piston rod 22a facing upward. A total of six hydraulic cylinders 22 are provided, one on each side of each of the subunits 14A to 14C. However, the number is not limited to this. It is sufficient that at least one hydraulic cylinder 22 is arranged for each of the subunits 14A to 14C. As shown in FIG. 7, the cylinder tube 22 b of the hydraulic cylinder 22 is fixed to the base 14, and the tip of the piston rod 22 a is connected to the stage 15 via the adjuster device 24. Accordingly, the stage 15 is raised by supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder 22 and extending the piston rod 22a.

  The adjuster device 24 includes an adjuster 24 a that is fixed to the tip of the piston rod 22 a and an adjuster receiver 24 b that is fixed to the stage 15. The adjuster 24a is inserted into the adjuster receiver 24b with some play without being fixed to the adjuster receiver 24b. Accordingly, misalignment of the piston rod 22a during the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 22 is allowed, and the stage 15 can be moved up and down smoothly by operating the plurality of hydraulic cylinders 22 without mutual interference. The hydraulic pressure generator 23 is driven by electric power supplied to the game machine 2 and generates a hydraulic pressure suitable for the hydraulic cylinder 22. The operation of the hydraulic pressure generator 23 is controlled by a main controller 100 (see FIG. 19) for managing the overall operation of the game machine 2.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing a cross section of the top plates 16 and 17 and a self-propelled vehicle 30 and a model 31 that travel on the traveling surfaces 18 and 19 thereof. The top plate 16 of the base 14 is formed of a white resin plate, and a line sheet 32 is provided on the lower traveling surface 18 on the upper surface, and a magnet (permanent magnet) 33 is provided on the lower surface. As shown in FIG. 9, the line sheet 32 is for forming a plurality of guide lines 34 for guiding the self-propelled vehicle 30 on the lower travel surface 18. The guide wire 34 is colored in a color (for example, black) having a contrast in the visible light range with respect to the ground color (white) of the top plate 16. The width Wg of the guide wire 34 is ½ of the mutual pitch (interval) Pg of the guide wires 34. For example, Wg = 6 mm and Pg = 12 mm. As shown in FIG. 10, the guide wire 34 is provided so as to form a peripheral circuit 35. The peripheral circuit 35 is configured by connecting a straight section 35a in which the guide lines 34 extend in parallel with each other and a corner section 35b in which the guide lines 34 are curved in a semicircular shape. In both of the straight section 35a and the corner section 35b, the width Wg and the pitch PTg of the guide wire 34 are constant. The curvature centers CC of the guide lines 34 in the corner section 35b coincide with each other.

  In the game machine 2, the guide wire 34 is positioned as an index indicating the lane of the peripheral circuit 35. For example, the innermost guide line 34 corresponds to the first lane, and the guide line 34 and the lane number are associated with each other in the following manner, such as the second lane, the third lane,. In the game machine 2, the position of the self-propelled vehicle 30 in the transverse direction of the peripheral circuit 35 (direction orthogonal to the guide line 34) is identified by the lane number. The self-propelled vehicle 30 controls its own operation so as to travel along the guide line 34 corresponding to the current lane unless the main control device 100 instructs to change the lane. In FIG. 10, the number of guide lines 34 is 6, but the number may be changed as appropriate according to the number of horses to be used in the horse racing game.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the magnets 33 are arranged so that S poles and N poles are alternately arranged. In the straight section 35a, the magnet 33 has a strip shape extending in the transverse direction, and in the corner section 35b, the magnet 33 has a fan shape extending toward the outer periphery. Accordingly, a large number of magnetic measurement lines 36 extending in the transverse direction of the peripheral circuit 35 are repeatedly formed along the longitudinal direction of the peripheral circuit 35 on the lower traveling surface 18 at the boundary position between the S pole and the N pole. The magnetic measurement line 36 is used as an index indicating the position or progress of the self-propelled vehicle 30 in the peripheral circuit 35. That is, in the game machine 2, the progress of the self-propelled vehicle 30 in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral circuit 35 is managed by the number of the magnetic measurement lines 36 based on a specific position on the peripheral circuit 35 (for example, the position Pref in FIG. 10). Is done. For example, when the traveling vehicle 30 is positioned on the 100th magnetic measurement line 36 from the reference position Pref, the progress of the traveling vehicle 30 is recognized as 100 by the game machine 2.

  The pitch (interval) of the magnetic measurement lines 36 in the straight section 35a is set to a constant value PTm. Hereinafter, this pitch PTm is referred to as a reference pitch. As shown in FIG. 11, the pitch of the magnetic measurement lines 36 in the corner section 35b is set so that the pitch PTin of the magnetic measurement lines 36 in the innermost guide line 34 matches the reference pitch PTm. Accordingly, the pitch of the magnetic measurement lines 36 in the corner section 35b is increased toward the outer periphery. As an example, when the reference pitch PTm is 8 mm, the pitch (maximum pitch) PTout in the outermost guide wire 34 is approximately 30 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 10, an absolute position indicating device 37 is provided at an appropriate position of the peripheral circuit 35 (in the illustrated example, both ends of the straight section 35a and the apex position of the corner section 35b). As shown in FIG. 8, the absolute position indicating device 37 includes an indicating lamp 38 disposed on the lower surface of the top plate 18. The indicator lamp 38 is an infrared LED that emits infrared light. As shown in FIG. 9, one indicator lamp 38 is provided on the lower surface of each guide wire 34, and in one indicator device 37, the indicator lamps 38 are arranged in the transverse direction of the peripheral circuit 35. An opening is provided in each of the top plate 18 and the magnet 33 immediately above the indicator lamp 38. The guide wire 34 is made of IR ink that transmits infrared light at least immediately above the indicator lamp 38.

  The position of the indicator lamp 38 in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral circuit 35 is set in the gap between the magnetic measurement lines 36. Data indicating the absolute position and lane number of the indicator lamp 38 on the peripheral circuit 35 is superimposed on the infrared light emitted from each indicator lamp 38 of the absolute position indicator 37. That is, the absolute position indicating device 37 functions as means for providing information indicating the absolute position and lane in the peripheral circuit 35, respectively. In this case, the absolute position of the indicator lamp 38 may be associated with the progress using the magnetic measurement line 36. For example, the position of the absolute position pointing device 37 positioned at the reference position Pref is set to a progress of 0, and then clockwise (or counterclockwise) between the 100th magnetic measurement line 36 and the 101st magnetic measurement line 36. The progress indicator 100 may be transmitted as position information from the arranged indicator light 38. However, the number of absolute position indicating devices 37 from the reference position Pref may be sent as position information from the indicating lamp 38, and the number of absolute position indicating devices 37 may be replaced with progress using the internal table of the game machine 2. Good.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the self-propelled vehicle 30 is disposed between the lower travel surface 18 and the power feeding surface 20, and the model 31 is disposed on the upper travel surface 19. A magnet 40 is disposed on the upper part of the self-propelled vehicle 30. The model 31 is self-supporting on the upper travel surface 19 via the wheels 31a, but does not have an independent driving means, and the self-propelled vehicle 30 is drawn to the self-propelled vehicle 30 by the magnet 40 of the self-propelled vehicle 30. It travels on the upper travel surface 19 so as to follow. That is, the traveling of the model 31 on the upper traveling surface 19 is realized through the traveling control of the self-propelled vehicle 30.

  12 to 14 show details of the self-propelled vehicle 30. 12 and 13 corresponds to the front-rear direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30. Further, the right side of FIGS. 12 and 13 corresponds to the front of the self-propelled vehicle 30. As shown in FIG. 12, the self-propelled vehicle 30 includes a lower unit 41A and an upper unit 41B. As shown in FIG. 13, the lower unit 41 </ b> A includes a pair of drive wheels 42 for self-traveling the lower travel surface 18, a pair of motors 43 that drive the drive wheels 42 independently of each other, and the self-propelled vehicle 30. Auxiliary wheels 44F and 44R respectively disposed at the front end portion 30a and the rear end portion 30b. The self-propelled vehicle 30 can change its moving direction by giving a difference in the rotation speed of the motor 43. The lower unit 41 </ b> A is provided with four guide shafts 45 extending in the vertical direction, and the upper unit 41 </ b> B is provided so as to be movable up and down along the guide shaft 45. A coil spring 46 is provided on the guide shaft 45, and the upper unit 41 </ b> B is urged upward by the repulsive force of the coil spring 46 so that the wheel 47 and the power supply brush 48 are pressed against the power supply surface 20. When the power supply brush 48 contacts the power supply surface 20, power is supplied from the housing 10 to the self-propelled vehicle 30. However, FIG. 12 shows a state in which the stage 15 is lowered. When the stage 15 is raised, the power supply surface 20 is sufficiently separated from the power supply brush 48 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the auxiliary wheel 44 </ b> F on the front side of the lower unit 41 </ b> A is slightly biased upward with respect to the drive wheel 42. Auxiliary wheels 49F and 49R are also provided before and after the upper unit 41B. However, the rear auxiliary wheel 49R is disposed slightly below the wheel 47. Accordingly, the self-propelled vehicle 30 can swing up and down about the drive wheel 42 as an axis, and the swing is transmitted to the model 31 via the magnet 40. This expresses the racehorse running while swinging up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a line sensor 50, an absolute position detection sensor 51, and a magnetic sensor 52 are provided on the lower surface of the self-propelled vehicle 30. The line sensor 50 is provided for detecting the guide wire 34, the absolute position detection sensor 51 is provided for detecting the light emitted from the indicator lamp 38, and the magnetic sensor 52 is provided for detecting the magnetic measurement line 36. ing.

  The line sensor 50 includes a pair of light emitting units 53 provided symmetrically at the front end 30 a of the self-propelled vehicle 30, and a light receiving unit 54 disposed between the light emitting units 53. The light emitting unit 53 emits visible light having a predetermined wavelength range toward the lower traveling surface 18, and the light receiving unit 54 receives reflected light from the lower traveling surface 18. The detection wavelength range of the light receiving unit 54 is limited to the wavelength range of visible light emitted by the light emitting unit 53 so that the emission light of the indicator lamp 38 is not erroneously detected. 15 and 16 show details of the line sensor 50. FIG. The light emitting part 53 is provided symmetrically with respect to the center plane CP that bisects the self-propelled vehicle 30 in the left-right direction, and the respective emission directions are directed obliquely inward.

  The light receiving unit 54 detects a sensor array 55 provided so as to extend equally in the left-right direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30 across the center plane CP, and an image of the lower travel surface 18 formed by reflected light from the lower travel surface 18. An imaging lens 56 that forms an image on the array 55 is provided. The sensor array 55 is configured, for example, by arranging a large number of CMOS light receiving elements in a line, and detects the luminance distribution in the left-right direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30 with a fine resolution compared to the width Wg of the guide wire 34. The resolution is set so that, for example, a width that is 1.5 times the pitch PTg of the guide wire 34 is divided into 128 dots. In other words, when the center plane CP is located at the center of the guide line 34 in the width direction, an area constituted by the guide line 34 and a blank portion adjacent thereto is set as a detection area, and the detection area is set to 128 dots. The resolution of the sensor array 55 is set so as to detect with the resolution of. For example, if the pitch PTg of the guide wire 34 is 12 mm, the detection width by the sensor array 55 is 18 mm, and the luminance distribution is detected with a resolution of 0.14 mm per dot.

  The imaging lens 56 is provided to separate the sensor array 55 upward from the lower travel surface 18. The reason is to suppress the influence of the vertical swing of the self-propelled vehicle 30 caused by the displacement of the positions of the auxiliary wheels 44F and 44R on the detection accuracy of the luminance distribution.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the absolute position detection sensor 51 includes a light receiving unit 58 disposed on the center plane CP of the self-propelled vehicle 30. The absolute position detection sensor 51 receives the infrared light transmitted from the indicator lamp 38 and outputs a signal corresponding to the absolute position and lane number included in the infrared light.

  The magnetic sensor 52 includes a plurality of detection units 60 arranged at a constant pitch PTms in the front-rear direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30. In the following, the detection unit 60 may be distinguished from the # 1 detection unit, the # 2 detection unit,... Each detection unit 60 detects magnetism in the lower travel surface 18 and outputs a signal corresponding to each of the S pole and the N pole. For example, the detection unit 60 outputs a Low signal when the S pole is detected, and outputs a High signal when the N pole is detected. Therefore, the magnetic measurement line 36 can be detected by inversion of the signal of each detection unit 60. Thereby, the magnetic sensor 52 functions as a measurement line detection unit. As shown in FIG. 17A, the number of detection units 60 and the pitch PTms in the front-rear direction are associated with the reference pitch PTm of the magnetic measurement line 36. That is, the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 is set to ½ of the reference pitch PTm of the magnetic measurement line 36. In other words, the reference pitch PTm is twice the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60. The number of detection units 60 is set so that the product of the number and the pitch PTms of the detection units 60 is larger than the pitch (maximum pitch) PTout on the outermost periphery of the corner section 35b. In the illustrated example, the reference pitch PTm is set to 8 mm, the maximum pitch PTout is set to 30 mm, the detection unit pitch PTms is set to 4 mm, and the number of the detection units 60 is set to eight.

  An example of the output signal of the magnetic sensor 52 when the magnetic sensor 52 is traveling at the speed Vact along the guide line 34 in the straight section 35a or the guide line 34 in the first lane in the corner section 35b is shown in FIG. Shown in At time t1, the # 1 detector 60 reaches the magnetic measurement line 36 and its output signal is inverted from Low to High. At time t3, the # 1 detector 60 reaches the next magnetic measurement line 36 and the output signal is output. Assume that the signal is inverted from High to Low. In this case, at time t2 between times t1 and t3, the output signal of the # 2 detector 60 is inverted from low to high. The output signal of the # 3 detector 60 is inverted from Low to High at time t3. However, since the pitch PTms is ½ of the reference pitch PTm, the output signal of the # 1 detector 60 is also inverted at the same time. Accordingly, in the case of FIG. 17B, the progress and speed of the self-propelled vehicle 30 are controlled with a resolution of 1/2 of the reference pitch PTm using only the output signals of the detection units 60 of # 1 and # 2. be able to. It is not necessary to use the output signal of the detector 60 after # 3. For example, the current speed Vact of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is determined by dividing the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 by the inversion time intervals (t1 to t2, t2 to t3) of the output signals of the detection units 60, and the current speed Vact and the game When the traveling of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is controlled based on the difference from the target speed required in step 1, only the output signals of the detection units 60 of # 1 and # 2 may be used.

  However, when the self-propelled vehicle 30 is traveling in a lane other than the first lane in the corner section 35b, the pitch of the magnetic measurement lines 36 is larger than the reference pitch PTm, so there is a situation with FIG. 17 (b). Different. An example of this will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 (a) and 18 (b). In FIG. 18A, the self-propelled vehicle 30 travels at a speed Vact along the guide line 34 of the second lane or the lane outside the second lane in the corner section 35b, and the pitch of the magnetic measurement lines 36 in the lane is PTx. (However, it is assumed that Pm <PTx ≦ PTout). In this case, as shown in FIG. 18B, from the time t1 when the # 1 detection unit 60 reaches the magnetic measurement line 36 and the output signal is inverted from Low to High, the # 1 detection unit 60 applies # to the next magnetic measurement line 36. The time interval (t1 to t6) from time t6 when the first detection unit 60 reaches and the output signal is inverted from High to Low is extended by an increase of the pitch PTx. On the other hand, the time interval (t1 to t2) between the time t2 and the time t1 when the output signal of the # 2 detection unit 60 is inverted from Low to High is the same as that in the case of FIG. Therefore, when the time interval between times t1 and t2 is compared with the time interval between times t2 and t6, the latter becomes larger. Therefore, if the current speed Vact of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is calculated from the inversion time interval of the output signals of the detection units 60 of # 1 and # 2 and the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60, the speed obtained in the latter is PTms = PTm / Since the precondition 2 is not satisfied, an error is included. If this is used, the speed of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is erroneously controlled.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 18B, between time t1 and t6, the # 2 to # 5 detectors 60 sequentially reach the same magnetic measurement line 36, and their output signals are inverted from time t2 to time t5. To do. Each time interval between the times t2 and t5 is equal to a value obtained by dividing the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 by the current speed Vact. Therefore, in the case of FIG. 18B, if the current speed Vact is detected using the output signals of the detection units 60 of # 1 to # 5, the above-described speed detection error does not occur. In order to enable such speed detection in all lanes, as described above, the product of the number of detection units 60 and the pitch PTms is larger than the maximum pitch PTout of the magnetic measurement line 36 in the outermost periphery of the corner section 35b. It only needs to be set large. In the above example, since the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 is 4 mm and the maximum pitch PTout of the magnetic measurement line 36 is 30 mm, the condition is satisfied if the number of detection units 60 is set to eight.

  Next, the control system of the game machine 2 will be described. FIG. 19 shows a schematic configuration of a control system of the game machine 2. The game machine 2 includes a main control device 100 that controls the overall operation of the game machine 2, a plurality of communication units 101 for communicating information between the main control device 100 and the self-propelled vehicle 30, and a communication unit 101 and a relay apparatus 102 that relays between the main control apparatus 100. The main control device 100 is constituted by a personal computer, for example. The main control device 100 controls the progress or development of the horse racing game executed on the game machine 2 according to a predetermined game program, and instructs the progress and lane of each vehicle 30 via the communication unit 101. For example, the progress and lane number that the self-propelled vehicle 30 should reach after a predetermined unit time is instructed from the main control device 100 to each self-propelled vehicle 30. As described above, the progress is a value expressed by the number of the magnetic measurement lines 36 from the reference position Pref in FIG. Self-propelled vehicles 30 are individually managed with numbers (# 1, # 2,...).

  Further, the main control device 100 exchanges information with the center server 3 and the maintenance server 4 via the network 6 shown in FIG. The relay apparatus 102 can be configured by a switching hub, for example. As shown in FIG. 10, the communication units 101 are arranged around the peripheral circuit 35 with a certain interval. The number of communication units 101 is 10 in the illustrated example. However, as long as the entire circumference of the peripheral circuit 35 can be covered by these communication units 101, the number may be changed as appropriate. Communication between the communication unit 101 and the self-propelled vehicle 30 may use radio waves or infrared rays.

  FIG. 20 shows a control system provided in the self-propelled vehicle 30. The control system of the self-propelled vehicle 30 includes a self-propelled vehicle control device 110. The self-propelled vehicle control device 110 is configured as a computer unit including a microprocessor, and executes the travel control of the self-propelled vehicle 30 or the communication control with the main control device 100 according to a predetermined self-propelled vehicle control program. . The above-described line sensor 50, absolute position detection sensor 51, and magnetic sensor 52 are connected to the self-propelled vehicle control device 110 as an input device for travel control via an interface (not shown). Further, a gyro sensor 111 is connected to the self-propelled vehicle control device 110 as an input device. The gyro sensor 111 is built in the self-propelled vehicle 30 in order to detect the attitude of the self-propelled vehicle 30, in other words, the direction in which the self-propelled vehicle 30 is facing. The gyro sensor 111 detects the angular acceleration around the turning axis of the self-propelled vehicle 30 (for example, the vertical axis passing through the intersection of the axis of the drive wheel 42 and the center plane CP), and integrates the angular acceleration twice. The angle change amount is converted and output to the self-propelled vehicle control device 110. However, the angular acceleration may be output from the gyro sensor 111 and converted into the angle change amount by the self-propelled vehicle control device 110.

  In addition, a transmitting unit 112 and a receiving unit 113 for performing information communication with the communication unit 101 are connected to the self-propelled vehicle control device 110 via a communication control circuit 114. As described above, information indicating the target progress and target lane of the self-propelled vehicle 30 during the game is repeatedly given from the main control device 100 at a constant cycle. The self-propelled vehicle control device 110 calculates the target speed, the direction correction amount, etc. of the self-propelled vehicle 30 based on the given target progress and target lane and the output signals of the various sensors 50 to 52, 111. Based on the calculation result, speed instructions VL and VR are given to the motor drive circuit 115. The motor drive circuit 115 controls the drive current or voltage to each motor 43 so that the given speed instructions VL and VR are obtained.

  FIG. 21 shows the concept of travel control of the self-propelled vehicle 30 by the self-propelled vehicle control device 110. In FIG. 21, the current progress of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is ADcrt, the target progress given by the main control device 100 is ADtgt, the lane direction, that is, the direction of the guide line 34 is Dref, and the direction in which the self-propelled vehicle 30 is facing is Dgyr. Suppose that The self-propelled vehicle control device 110 reaches the target position Ptgt given by the intersection of the center line of the target lane and the target advancement ADtgt from the current position Pcrt to a predetermined time, and reaches the target position Ptgt. Thus, the speed of the motor 43 is controlled so that the direction Dgyr of the self-propelled vehicle 30 matches the lane direction Dref. That is, the self-propelled vehicle control device 110 increases / decreases the drive speed of each motor 43 according to the progress deficiency ΔAD between the current progress ADcrt and the target progress ADtgt, and from the current position Pcrt to the center line of the target lane. The self-propelled vehicle 30 moves in the transverse direction of the circuit 35 by the lane correction amount ΔYamd given as the distance of the vehicle, and the direction Dgyr of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is the amount of deviation of the current direction θgyr from the lane direction Dref at the target position Ptgt. The speed ratio between the motors 43 is controlled so as to be corrected by an angle correction amount Δθamd given as follows.

  The advance deficiency amount ΔAD is given as the number of magnetic measurement lines 36, and can be obtained by subtracting the current advancement ADcrt from the target advancement ADtgt in any of the straight section 35a and the corner section 35b. However, in the corner section 35b, the distance Ltr corresponding to the insufficient advance amount ΔAD varies depending on the position of the self-propelled vehicle 30 in the transverse direction of the peripheral circuit 35, and thus speed control in consideration thereof is necessary. The lane correction amount ΔYamd is obtained by subtracting a deviation amount ΔY between the current position Pcrt of the self-propelled vehicle 30 and the current lane from the lane interval Ychg corresponding to the distance between the lane where the self-propelled vehicle 30 is currently traveling and the target lane. Is required. When the target lane matches the current lane, that is, when the lane change is not instructed, the lane correction amount ΔYamd = ΔY. The lane direction Dref and the self-propelled vehicle direction Dgyr can be specified as the angles θref and θgyr with respect to the absolute reference direction Dabs, with the straight direction from the reference position Pref in FIG. 10 as the absolute reference direction Dabs. In the straight section 35a, θref = 0 ° or 180 °. In the corner section 35b, the angle formed by the tangential direction of the guide line 34 with respect to the advance ADcrt with respect to the absolute reference direction Dabs can be specified as θref. The tangential direction is uniquely determined by the progress, and is constant regardless of the lane if the progress is the same.

  FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of the self-propelled vehicle control device 110. The self-propelled vehicle control device 110 analyzes the game information given from the main control device 100 to determine the target progress ADtgt and the target lane of the self-propelled vehicle 30, and the current progress of the self-propelled vehicle 30. A progress counter 121 that stores ADcrt, a progress management unit 122 that updates the value of the progress counter 121 based on the outputs of the absolute position detection sensor 51 and the magnetic sensor 52, and calculates the current speed Vact of the vehicle 30; The lane counter 123 that stores the lane number in which the traveling vehicle 30 is currently traveling, and the lane in which the traveling vehicle 30 is traveling are determined based on the outputs of the line sensor 50 and the absolute position detection sensor 51 to determine the lane counter 123. A lane management unit 124 for updating the value of the vehicle and detecting the lane shift amount ΔY of the self-propelled vehicle 30 with respect to the lane; A gyro counter 125 that stores an angle θgyr indicating the direction of 30 and a direction management unit 126 that determines the angle θgyr of the vehicle 30 based on the output of the gyro sensor 111 and updates the value of the gyro counter 125. Yes.

  In addition, the self-propelled vehicle control device 110 calculates the target speed calculation unit 127 that calculates the target speed Vtgt of the self-propelled vehicle 30 based on the target progress ADtgt, the progress ADcrt stored in the progress counter 121, and the lane number stored in the lane counter 123. A speed setting unit 128 that sets the driving speed of the motor 43 of the self-propelled vehicle 30 based on the target speed Vtgt, and a speed that feedback-corrects the set driving speed according to the difference between the target speed Vtgt and the current speed Vact. Lane that calculates the lane correction amount ΔYamd of the self-propelled vehicle 30 based on the FB correction unit 129, the target lane, the lane number of the lane counter 123, and the lane shift amount ΔY of the self-propelled vehicle 30 determined by the lane management unit 124. Progression A stored in the correction amount calculation unit 130, the progress counter 121, and the gyro counter 125, respectively. A direction correction amount calculation unit 131 that calculates the direction correction amount Δθamd of the self-propelled vehicle 30 based on Dtgt and the angle θgyr, and a speed ratio that sets a speed ratio between the motors 43 based on the lane correction amount ΔYamd and the direction correction amount Δθamd A setting unit 133. The speed ratio setting unit 133 determines speed instructions VL and VR for the left and right motors 43, and these instructions are output to the motor drive circuit 115 in FIG. Furthermore, the self-propelled vehicle control device 110 determines the line width of the guide wire 34 based on the output of the line sensor 50, the progress ADcrt stored in the progress counter 121, and the direction correction amount Δθamd calculated by the direction correction amount calculation unit 131. A line width inspection unit 136 for inspection is provided.

  Next, processing of each part of the self-propelled vehicle control device 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing processing of the progress management unit 122. The progress management unit 122 monitors the output of the magnetic sensor 52, manages the progress ADcrt of the progress counter 121, and calculates the current speed Vact of the vehicle 30. That is, the progress management unit 122 determines whether or not the output of the # 1 detection unit 60 of the magnetic sensor 52 is inverted in the first step S101, and if it is inverted, 1 is added to the value ADcrt of the progress counter 121 in step S102. In subsequent step S103, 2 is set to the variable m for determining the detection unit number. When the output of the # 1 detector 60 is not inverted, steps S102 and S103 are skipped. In a succeeding step S104, it is determined whether or not the output of the detection unit 60 of #m is inverted. When reversed, the process proceeds to step S105 to calculate the current speed Vact. The current speed Vact is obtained by setting the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 to the time interval tact (an example) when the time interval from the output inversion of the previous detection unit (# m-1) 60 to the output inversion of the current sensor is defined as tact. As a time interval between t1 and t2 in FIG. That is, Vact = PTms / tact.

  After calculating the current speed Vact, 1 is added to the variable m in step S106. In subsequent step S107, it is determined whether or not the absolute position detection sensor 51 has detected the absolute position, that is, whether or not infrared light from the indicator lamp 38 has been detected. If not detected, the process returns to step S101. On the other hand, if the absolute position detection sensor 51 detects infrared light from the indicator light 38 in step S107, the progress information coded in the infrared light is determined, and the determined progress and the progress ADcrt of the progress counter 121 are determined. The progress counter 121 is corrected so as to match, and the process returns to step S101. If the signal of the #m detection unit 60 is not determined in step S104, the process skips steps S105 and S106 and proceeds to step S107.

  According to the above processing, the value ADcrt of the progress counter 121 increases by 1 each time the # 1 detection unit 60 measures the magnetic measurement line 36. In addition, the progress ADcrt is appropriately corrected when the absolute position detection sensor 51 detects a signal from the absolute position pointing device 37. Thereby, the position of the self-propelled vehicle 30 in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral circuit 35 can be grasped from the value of the progress counter 121. Further, the current speed Vact of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is calculated every time the self-propelled vehicle 30 moves by the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 of the magnetic sensor 52.

  FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing a procedure by which the target speed calculation unit 127 calculates the target speed. The target speed calculator 127 obtains the value ADcrt of the progress counter 121 in the first step S121, and determines whether or not the progress counter 121 has been updated since the previous processing in the next step S122. If not updated, the process returns to step S121. If updated, the process proceeds to step S123. In step S123, the progress deficit amount ΔAD (= ADtgt−ADcrt) is obtained by subtracting the progress counter value ADcrt from the target progress ADtgt. In the subsequent step S124, the current lane is acquired from the lane counter 123.

  In the next step S125, the current progress ADcrt and the self-propelled vehicle 30 are currently traveling based on the number of output reversals (reversal count) Nx of the magnetic sensor 52 to be detected before the self-propelled vehicle 30 reaches the next progress. Estimate based on the current lane. That is, a value (quotient) obtained by dividing the pitch PTx of the magnetic measurement line 36 between the current advancement ADcrt and the next advancement ADcrt + 1 by the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 is estimated as the inversion count number Nx. If the quotient has a fractional part, it is rounded up to the nearest whole number by rounding up, rounding down or rounding. The lane number is used to specify the pitch PTx. When the self-propelled vehicle 30 is traveling on the innermost lane of the straight section 35a and the corner section 35b, the reference pitch PTm shown in FIG. On the other hand, if it is determined from the progress ADcrt that the self-propelled vehicle 30 is traveling in the corner section 35b, the pitch PTx corresponding to the lane number may be acquired from data such as a table prepared in advance.

  After the inversion count number Nx is estimated, the process proceeds to step S126 to calculate the inversion reference time tx. As shown in FIG. 25, the remaining time from the current time to the time when the self-propelled vehicle 30 should reach the target progress ADtgt is Trmn, and the output of each detection unit 60 of the magnetic sensor 52 is a certain time within the remaining time Trmn. Assuming that the inversion is sequentially performed every tx, the remaining time Trmn is given by the product of the time tx, the inversion count number Nx, and the advance deficiency ΔAD. In other words, in order for the self-propelled vehicle 30 to reach the target advance ADtgt at the target advance arrival time, the distance at which the self-propelled vehicle 30 corresponds to the advance deficiency ΔAD at such a speed that the output of the detection unit 60 is reversed every time tx. Must run. From such a relationship, the inversion reference time tx is obtained by a quotient (tx = Trmn / (Nx · ΔAD)) obtained by dividing the remaining time Trmn by the product of the inversion count number Nx and the advance deficiency ΔAD. In other words, if Nx output inversions are detected every inversion reference time tx, the advancement is advanced by one, and if this is repeated a number of times corresponding to the insufficient advancement amount ΔAD, the self-propelled vehicle will reach the target advancement arrival time. 30 reaches the target progress ADtgt. As an example, the target progress arrival time can be a time when the next target progress and target lane are given from the main control device 100 of the game machine 2 or a time when a certain delay time is given to the time. . However, the target progress achievement time needs to be consistent among all the self-propelled vehicles 30 used in the same race.

  Returning to FIG. 24, after calculating the inversion reference time tx, the process proceeds to step S127, and a quotient obtained by dividing the pitch PTms of the detection unit 60 by the inversion reference time tx is obtained as the target speed Vtgt. This target speed Vtgt is the speed of the self-propelled vehicle 30 that is necessary for the output of the magnetic sensor 52 to be sequentially reversed at intervals of the reversal reference time tx. After obtaining the target speed Vtgt in step S127, the process returns to step S121. Therefore, every time the value ADcrt of the progress counter is updated, the progress shortage amount ΔAD is updated, and the inversion count number Nx is estimated based on the number of lanes at that time to obtain the target speed Vtgt. That is, the target speed Vtgt is updated every time the progress of the self-propelled vehicle 30 advances.

  As described in FIG. 22, the target speed Vtgt calculated by the target speed calculation unit 127 is given to the speed setting unit 128 and the speed FB correction unit 129. The speed setting unit 128 sets the driving speed of the motor 43 so that the given target speed Vtgt is obtained, and the speed FB correction unit 129 responds to the difference between the target speed Vtgt and the current speed Vact with respect to the driving speed. FB correction amount is given. Note that speed control accuracy, responsiveness, and the like may be improved by feedback control or feedforward control of speed using a differential value or integral value of the speed difference.

  FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the direction management unit 126 manages the value of the gyro counter 125. The direction management unit 126 acquires the angle change amount output from the gyro sensor 111 in the first step S141, and in the subsequent step S142, the value of the gyro counter 125 is obtained by adding or subtracting the angle change amount to the value θgyr of the gyro counter 125. Update θgyr. Thereby, the angle θgyr indicating the current direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is stored in the gyro counter 125. In order to set the angle θgyr of the gyro counter 125 when the self-propelled vehicle 30 faces the absolute reference direction Dabs to 0 °, it is desirable to perform calibration at an appropriate timing. The calibration determines, for example, whether or not the self-propelled vehicle 30 is traveling in the straight section 35a from the reference position Pref in parallel with the lane direction based on the progress ADcrt of the progress counter 121 and the output of the line sensor 50, and in parallel. This can be realized by resetting θgyr to 0 ° when traveling. Such calibration may be performed during the race of the horse racing game, or may be performed at an appropriate timing before the race, for example, when the game machine 2 is activated.

  FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a procedure by which the direction correction amount calculation unit 131 calculates the direction correction amount Δθamd. The direction correction amount calculation unit 131 acquires the value ADcrt of the progress counter in the first step S161, and determines the angle θref in the reference direction from the progress ADcrt in the subsequent step S162. As described above, the angle θref in the reference direction is uniquely determined in association with the progress AD, and is 0 ° or 180 ° in the straight section 35a and the tangential direction of the guide line 34 in the corner section 35b. If the correspondence between the advance degree AD and the reference direction θref is stored in advance in data such as a table, the reference direction angle θref can be immediately determined from the value ADcrt of the advancement counter. In the next step S163, the value θgyr of the gyro counter 125 is acquired, and in the subsequent step S164, the difference between the angles θref and θgyr is calculated as the direction correction amount Δθamd (see FIG. 21). Thereafter, the process returns to step S161. The direction correction amount Δθamd obtained here is supplied not only to the speed ratio setting unit 133 but also to the lane management unit 124 and the line width inspection unit 136.

  FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing processing of the lane management unit 124. The lane management unit 124 obtains the lane deviation amount ΔY (see FIG. 21) of the self-propelled vehicle 30 by referring to the output of the line sensor 50 and the direction correction amount Δθamd, and uses the lane deviation amount ΔY to lane counter 123. Manage the value of. That is, the lane management unit 124 acquires the direction correction amount Δθamd from the direction correction amount calculation unit 131 in the first step S181, and in the subsequent step S182, captures the output of the line sensor 50 to detect the lane shift amount ΔY. An example of the relationship between the output of the line sensor 50 and the lane shift amount ΔY is shown in FIG. An analog signal corresponding to the reflected light intensity is output from the line sensor 50. If this is binarized with an appropriate threshold value, a rectangular wave corresponding to the guide wire 34 and the blank portion therebetween can be obtained. From the rectangular wave, the number of dots ΔNdot between the center of the detection area of the line sensor 50 and the center of the luminance value range (lane center) corresponding to the guide line 34 corresponds to the lane shift amount ΔY, and the number of dots ΔNdot By multiplying the line width per dot, the lane shift amount ΔY can be obtained. However, when the direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is deviated from the reference direction Dref (see FIG. 21), the line sensor 50 is also inclined obliquely with respect to the direction orthogonal to the guide line 34. As a result, the number of dots ΔNdot also increases according to the slope. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain the correct lane shift amount ΔY by multiplying the lane shift amount ΔY obtained from the number of dots ΔNdot by the cosine value cos Δθamd of the direction correction amount. This is why the direction correction amount Δθamd is acquired in step S181 in FIG. In FIG. 29, the width Wg (see FIG. 9) of the guide line 34 can be detected by similarly correcting the number of dots Ndot included in the luminance value range corresponding to the guide line 34 by Δθamd.

  Returning to FIG. 28, after detecting the lane shift amount ΔY in step S182, the process proceeds to step S183, and it is determined whether or not the self-propelled vehicle 30 has moved to the next lane. For example, when the lane shift amount ΔY is larger than ½ of the pitch PTg of the guide line 34, it can be determined that the self-propelled vehicle 30 has moved to the adjacent lane. Alternatively, the distances to the guide lines 34 detected on both sides of the center of the line sensor 50 may be compared in size, and it may be determined that the lane has moved when the magnitude relationship is reversed. If it is determined in step S183 that the vehicle has moved to the next lane, the value of the lane counter 123 is updated to a value corresponding to the next lane. If a negative determination is made in step S183, step S184 is skipped.

  In a succeeding step S185, it is determined whether or not the absolute position detection sensor 51 has detected the absolute position. If the absolute position is not detected, the process returns to step S181. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S185 that the absolute position has been detected, the lane number coded in the infrared light from the absolute position indicating device 37 is determined, and the determined lane number matches the value of the lane counter 123. As described above, the value of the lane counter 123 is corrected, and the process returns to step S181. The lane shift amount ΔY obtained in the above processing is given to the lane correction amount calculation unit 130.

  FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the lane correction amount calculation unit 130 calculates the lane correction amount ΔYamd. The lane correction amount calculation unit 130 acquires the target lane from the game information analysis unit 120 in the first step S201, acquires the value of the lane counter 123 (current lane number) in the subsequent step S202, and further acquires the lane management unit in step S203. The lane shift amount ΔY is acquired from 124. In step S204, it is determined whether the target lane matches the current lane. If they match, the process proceeds to step S205, the lane shift amount ΔY is set to the lane correction amount ΔYamd, and the process returns to step S201. On the other hand, when the lanes do not match in step S204, the process proceeds to step S206, and a value obtained by adding the lane interval Ychg (see FIG. 21) to the lane shift amount ΔY is set as the lane correction amount ΔYamd, and the process returns to step S201. The lane shift amount Ychg is obtained by multiplying the number difference between the target lane and the current lane by the pitch PTg of the guide line 34 (see FIG. 10).

  With the processing in FIG. 30, the distance in the transverse direction that the self-propelled vehicle 30 should move to the target lane is calculated as the lane correction amount ΔYamd. As described in FIG. 22, the calculated lane correction amount ΔYamd is given to the speed ratio setting unit 133. The speed ratio setting unit 133 determines a speed ratio to be generated between the motors 43 based on the given lane correction amount ΔYamd and direction correction amount Δθamd, and is given from the speed FB correction unit 129 according to the speed ratio. The speed instructions VL and VR for the left and right motors 43 are determined by increasing or decreasing the driving speed. At this time, a speed difference corresponding to the speed ratio is generated in each motor 43, and the speed instruction VL is set so that the drive speed obtained by combining these speeds matches the drive speed given from the speed FB correction unit 129. VR is generated. The generated speed instructions VL and VR are given to the motor drive circuit 115 shown in FIG. When the drive circuit 115 drives the motor 43 at the instructed speed, the self-propelled vehicle 30 is controlled so as to reach the target advance ADtgt at a predetermined time and the direction Dgyr coincides with the reference direction Dref. It should be noted that the speed ratio is feedback-controlled using the differential value and integral value of the lane correction amount ΔYamd and the direction correction amount Δθamd, and also the angular acceleration detected by the gyro sensor 111, or the feed-forward control is performed to follow the target lane. You may make it improve the control precision, responsiveness, etc. of direction correction.

  According to the series of processes described above, the target speed Vtgt of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is given each time the progress of the self-propelled vehicle 30 increases, and the current speed Vact of the self-propelled vehicle 30 is determined by the self-propelled vehicle. Since 30 is sequentially calculated every time when 30 moves by a distance corresponding to the pitch PTms of the detector 60, the speed of the self-propelled vehicle 30 can be controlled quickly and with high accuracy. Further, since the magnetic sensor 52 is provided with a number of detection units 60 that can cover the maximum pitch PTms of the magnetic measurement line 36, even if the self-propelled vehicle 30 is traveling in any lane of the corner section 35b, the magnetic sensor 52 is magnetic. The current speed Vact can be detected with high resolution corresponding to the pitch PTms regardless of the pitch PTx of the measurement line 36. Accordingly, an error in speed control using the current speed Vact can be suppressed to a small level, and fluctuations in speed when the self-propelled vehicle 30 is traveling in the corner section 35b can be effectively suppressed.

  Also, since the gyro sensor 111 is provided to detect the direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30 and the deviation between the direction and the direction of the target lane is given to the speed ratio setting unit 133 as the direction correction amount Δθamd, the output of the line sensor 50 As compared with the case where the position and direction in the transverse direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30 are controlled based only on the control accuracy, the control accuracy is improved. Furthermore, by using the output of the gyro sensor 111 to determine the amount of change in angle, change in angular velocity, or angular acceleration, and using these physical quantities for direction control of the self-propelled vehicle 30, the self-propelled vehicle 30 can be made smoother. It is possible to quickly and quickly converge to the target lane and to make the direction coincide with the target direction accurately and quickly.

  Furthermore, the direction correction amount Δθamd with respect to the target direction of the self-propelled vehicle 30 can be immediately determined from the output of the gyro sensor 111, and the direction correction amount Δθamd is used in the determination of the lane deviation amount ΔY using the output of the line sensor 50. Thus, the shift amount ΔY can be accurately detected. Therefore, the lane following accuracy of the self-propelled vehicle 30 or the accuracy of the movement control to the target lane can be improved.

  FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing processing in the line width inspection unit 136. The line width inspection unit 136 acquires the value ADcrt of the progress counter 121 in the first step S221 of FIG. 31, acquires the value of the lane counter 123 in the next step S222, and further acquires the direction correction amount Δθamd in step S223. To do. In the subsequent step S224, the line width in the current lane is calculated from the output of the line sensor 50. As described with reference to FIG. 29, in order to obtain the line width, the number of dots Ndot is obtained from the output of the line sensor 50, multiplied by the line width per dot, and this is corrected according to the direction correction amount Δθamd. That's fine. In the following step S225, it is determined whether or not the calculated line width is within a predetermined allowable range. If it is within the allowable range, the process returns to step S221. On the other hand, if the line width exceeds the allowable range, the process proceeds to step S226, and the data corresponding to the detected position, that is, the value ADcrt of the progress counter and the value of the lane counter is used as the line width inspection data. It memorize | stores in the memory | storage device of the self-propelled vehicle control apparatus 110, and returns to step S221 after that. The allowable range of the line width may be determined in consideration of the frequency of occurrence of an error in the traveling control of the self-propelled vehicle 30 caused by the line width of the guide line 34 being increased or decreased with respect to the original line width Wg. . For example, if the original width Wg of the guide wire 34 is 6 mm and the actual line width is within ± 2 mm, the allowable range is set to 4 to 8 mm if there is no practical problem in the travel control of the self-propelled vehicle 30. You only have to set it.

  By performing the above processing, it is possible to detect an increase or decrease in the apparent width of the guide wire 34 due to dirt on the lower travel surface 18, contamination of foreign matter, peeling of the guide wire 34, or the like. Alternatively, the occurrence of linear stains, scratches and the like that are erroneously detected as guide lines can also be detected as abnormal line widths. Further, it becomes possible to identify an abnormal part of the line width by the progress and the lane in the peripheral circuit 35 using the stored data. In this embodiment, the output of the line sensor 50 is referred to in the detection of the lane deviation amount ΔY, the determination of the current lane, and the calculation of the lane correction amount ΔYamd. As a result, the followability of the self-propelled vehicle 30 with respect to the guide line 34 may deteriorate, and malfunctions such as unstable behavior at the time of lane change may occur. For this purpose, periodic check and cleaning of the lower traveling surface 18 are necessary. It becomes. The data created by the line width inspection unit 136 for such work can be used effectively.

  In the above description, the dot number Ndot is converted into the line width. However, it may be determined whether the line width is within the allowable range using a value obtained by correcting the dot number Ndot with the angle Δθamd. The angle correction may be omitted and it may be determined whether it is within the allowable range based on the number of dots Ndot. For example, when traveling control is performed to limit the direction correction amount Δθamd of the self-propelled vehicle 30 to a certain range, the line sensor 50 corresponding to the guide line width Wg when the direction correction amount Δθamd is the maximum value. The dot number Ndot may be obtained in advance, and if the detected dot number exceeds this, it may be determined that the allowable range has been exceeded. In this case, tilt correction using the direction correction amount Δθamd is also unnecessary. On the other hand, regarding the lower limit value of the line width, the detected dot number Ndot is the reference value based on the detected dot number corresponding to the line width Wg when the self-propelled vehicle 30 is traveling straight along the guide line 34. It may be determined that the line width is less than the allowable range when the number is smaller.

  The line width inspection by the line width inspection unit 136 may be executed at any time during the race of the horse racing game, or may be executed at an appropriate time outside the race. For example, the line width inspection is performed by instructing execution of the line width inspection from the main control device 100 at an appropriate time when the race is not performed and causing the self-propelled vehicle 30 to travel along the circuit 35 in a predetermined traveling pattern. You may implement. In the above embodiment, the signal output from the line sensor 50 is binarized and the black portion and the white portion of the traveling surface 18 are discriminated. However, the analog signal waveform is output from the line sensor 50, and this is, for example, the 256th floor. It is also possible to digitize the tone and detect a colored portion other than white or black and identify the colored portion as dirt.

  Next, a preferred mode for utilizing the line width inspection data acquired by the line width inspection unit 136 will be described. Since the self-propelled vehicle 30 does not have a function of displaying line width inspection data, the data is transmitted from the self-propelled vehicle 30 to the main control device 100, and further, the maintenance server 4 or the like via the network 6 as necessary. The line width inspection data can be effectively utilized by transmitting to The following shows such usage.

  FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing a procedure for transmitting line width inspection data from the self-propelled vehicle 30 to the main control device 100. The self-propelled vehicle control device 110 determines whether or not it is the transmission time of the line width inspection data in step S241. If it is determined that it is the transmission time, the process proceeds to step S242 and transmits the line width inspection data to the main control device 100. To do. On the other hand, the main controller 100 determines whether or not inspection data is transmitted from the self-propelled vehicle 30 in step S301. If it is determined that there is a transmission, the process proceeds to step S302, where the transmitted line width inspection data is stored in its own storage device, and the process returns to step S301. The transmission time of the line width inspection data may be set to a time that does not hinder the control of the horse racing game. For example, an appropriate time after the end of the race can be set as the transmission time.

  FIG. 33 shows a processing procedure of line width inspection data management that is executed at an appropriate time after the end of reception of the line width inspection data by the main control device 100 in order to manage the line width inspection data sent from the self-propelled vehicle 30. It is a flowchart to show. In the first step S321 in FIG. 33, the main control device 100 analyzes the line width inspection data received from the self-propelled vehicle 30 to create travel surface warning data, and in the subsequent step S322, the main control device 100 uses the travel surface warning data. Stored in the storage device. Since the line width inspection data includes the line width identified as outside the allowable range and the detection position (progress and lane number) of the line width, the number of detections is counted for each detection position. Data in which the number of detections is associated is created and stored as traveling surface warning data. The count of the number of detections may be omitted, and only the detection position may be held in the traveling surface warning data. Alternatively, the detection position may be omitted and only the number of detections may be held in the traveling surface warning data. The detection positions do not necessarily correspond to the magnetic measurement lines 36 and 1: 1, and two or more adjacent magnetic measurement lines 36 may be collectively regarded as one detection position. In this case, the amount of running surface warning data can be reduced. Alternatively, as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 10, the peripheral circuit 35 is divided into a plurality of zones Z1 to Z10, the number of times of detection for each zone is counted, and data that associates the number of times of detection with the zone is a driving surface warning. It may be created as data.

  Returning to FIG. 33, after the travel surface warning data is stored, the process proceeds to step S323, where the data amount of the travel surface warning data is confirmed, and in the subsequent step S324, it is determined whether or not the data amount exceeds a predetermined predetermined allowable amount. To do. If the allowable amount is exceeded, the warning flag is set to 1 in step S325, the traveling surface warning data is transmitted to the maintenance server 4 in the subsequent step S326, and then the process is terminated. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S324, the warning flag is set to 0 in step S327 and the process ends.

  FIG. 34 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of running surface check management executed by the main controller 100 in order to display a running surface check screen based on the running surface warning data to an operator (administrator) of the game machine 2. This process is executed based on an operator's instruction when the game machine 2 is controlled to a maintenance management mode, for example. In the first step S341 in FIG. 34, the main controller 100 determines whether or not 1 is set in the warning flag, and if 1 is set, the process proceeds to step S342 to display a predetermined warning. The warning display includes, for example, a message prompting the operator to inspect or clean the running surface. If 1 is not set in the warning flag, step S342 is skipped. In subsequent step S343, the travel surface warning data is read out, and in step S344, a travel surface check screen based on the travel surface warning data is displayed, and the process ends.

  The traveling surface check screen can be configured as shown in FIG. 35, for example. In this example, the entire course diagram 80 showing the peripheral circuit 35 in a plan view is displayed on the screen, and dots 81 are superimposed and displayed at the detection positions of the entire course diagram 80. The number of detections may be identified by changing the display mode of the dots 81 according to the number of detections. In FIG. 35, the diameter of the dot 81 is increased as the number of detections increases. However, the color of the dots 81 may be changed according to the number of detections. Furthermore, the area where the number of detections exceeds a predetermined threshold may be indicated in a different manner from the other areas, so that the area requiring inspection or cleaning may be more clearly indicated to the operator. In the example of FIG. 35, the areas Z4, Z9, and Z10 are displayed in a different manner from the other areas, which indicates that there is a high need for inspection or cleaning in these areas Z4, Z9, and Z10. Furthermore, showing zones Z4 and Z9 and zone Z10 in a different manner indicates that the need for inspection or cleaning for zones Z4 and Z9 is even higher than zone Z10.

  The traveling surface check screen is not limited to the example of FIG. The dots 81 may be omitted and only the areas that need to be inspected or cleaned may be shown. Only the detection position by the dot 81 may be shown by omitting the display change for each area. The detection position is not limited to dots, and may be indicated by an appropriate index. The entire course diagram 80 may be displayed as a perspective view, and a bar graph having a height corresponding to the number of detections may be displayed at the detection position.

  In FIG. 34, when the display of the traveling surface check screen is instructed by the operator, the warning flag is checked to determine whether the warning display is necessary. However, the warning display is not limited to this, and may be performed at an appropriate timing. For example, the data amount of the running surface warning data may be determined when the game machine 2 is activated, and a warning display may be executed when the allowable amount is exceeded. When performing the warning display, the operator may be inquired as to whether or not to display the traveling surface check screen.

  FIG. 36 is a flowchart showing a maintenance mode processing procedure executed by the main controller 100 when the operator instructs the maintenance mode for the purpose of inspecting and cleaning the lower travel surface 18. When the maintenance mode is instructed, the main controller 100 gives an activation instruction to the stage driving device 21 (see FIG. 3) in the first step S361 to raise the stage 15. Raising the stage 15 creates a sufficient space between the lower travel surface 18 and the power feeding surface 20, so that the operator can easily inspect and clean the lower travel surface 18.

  In a succeeding step S362, it is determined whether or not the operator has instructed the end of the maintenance. When there is an instruction, the process proceeds to a step S363 and the stage 15 is lowered. In a succeeding step S364, it is confirmed whether or not the traveling surface warning data is cleared, and it is determined in a next step S365 whether or not the clearing is instructed. If there is an instruction, in step S366, the traveling surface warning data is cleared, that is, deleted, and the process ends. On the other hand, if clear is not instructed in step S365, step S366 is skipped and the process ends.

  Note that the travel surface warning data is transmitted to the maintenance server 4 in step S326 of FIG. 33, but the maintenance server 4 that has received the travel surface warning data also executes the same process as the main control device 100. A traveling surface check screen as illustrated in FIG. 35 may be displayed so that the state of the traveling surface 18 can be confirmed. Alternatively, the traveling surface warning data may be analyzed in more detail by the maintenance server 4. The state of the lower running surface 18 may be confirmed by the maintenance server 4, and the server administrator may urge the operator of the store where the game machine 2 is installed to perform cleaning or the like. The line width inspection data may be transmitted to the maintenance server 4, travel surface warning data may be created by the maintenance server 4, and a travel surface check screen or warning may be displayed based on the travel surface warning data.

  In the above embodiment, the power feeding surface 20 is provided on the back surface side of the top plate 17 of the stage 15, but the present invention can also be applied to a field unit in which the power feeding surface is provided at another position. The present invention can also be applied to a field unit in which a self-propelled vehicle is driven by a built-in battery and a power feeding surface is omitted. The lifting drive is not limited to one using a hydraulic cylinder as an actuator. For example, the rotational motion of the motor may be converted into a lifting operation of the upper structure by a motion conversion mechanism such as a rack and pinion mechanism or a ball screw mechanism. The upper traveling surface may be a water surface.

  The field unit according to the present invention is not limited to one applied to a game machine that executes a horse racing game. The present invention can be applied not only to a game machine connected to a network but also to a field unit of a stand-alone game machine separated from the network.

The figure which shows schematic structure of the game system with which the game machine which concerns on one form of this invention was integrated. The perspective view of a field unit when the stage is rising. A side view of a field unit when a stage is going up. The perspective view of a field unit when the stage is falling. The side view of a field unit when the stage is falling. The disassembled perspective view of a field unit. The perspective view which shows the state which looked up at the VII part of FIG. 2 from the bottom. The figure which shows the cross section of the top plate provided in the field unit, and the self-propelled vehicle and model which drive | work those running surfaces. The figure which shows the guide wire and magnetic measurement line which were provided on the lower stage travel surface. The top view of the surrounding circuit provided in the lower stage travel surface. The enlarged view of the corner section of a circuit. The figure which shows the internal structure of a self-propelled body. The bottom view of a self-propelled body. Sectional drawing along the XIV-XIV line | wire of FIG. The enlarged front view of a line sensor. The enlarged bottom view of a line sensor. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the output of a magnetic sensor in case a self-propelled body is drive | working a linear area, and a magnetic measurement line, Comprising: (a) is a figure which shows the relationship between a magnetic sensor and a magnetic measurement line, (b) ) Is a diagram showing the output of each detection unit of the magnetic sensor. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the output of a magnetic sensor when a self-propelled body is driving | running | working lanes other than the innermost periphery of a corner area, and a magnetic measurement line, Comprising: (a) is a magnetic sensor and a magnetic measurement line. The figure which shows a relationship, (b) is a figure which shows the output of each detection part of a magnetic sensor. The figure which shows schematic structure of the control system of a game machine. The block diagram which shows the control system provided in the self-propelled vehicle. The figure which shows the concept of the control regarding the advance of a self-propelled vehicle, the position and direction of a crossing direction. The functional block diagram of a self-propelled vehicle control device. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the progress management in a progress management part. The flowchart which shows the calculation procedure of the target speed in a target speed calculating part. The figure which shows the relationship between the reversal count number, the reversal reference time, the remaining time, and the insufficient progress amount. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the direction management in a direction management part. The flowchart which shows the calculation procedure of the direction correction amount in a direction correction amount calculating part. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the lane management in a lane management part. The figure which shows the correspondence of the position shift | offset | difference of the line sensor with respect to a guide wire, and the output of a line sensor. The flowchart which shows the calculation procedure of the lane correction amount in a lane correction amount calculation part. The flowchart which shows the test | inspection procedure of the line width in a line width test | inspection part. The flowchart which shows the procedure which transmits line width inspection data from a self-propelled vehicle control apparatus to a main control apparatus. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the line width test | inspection data management in a main control apparatus. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the driving | running | working surface check management in a main control apparatus. The figure which shows an example of a running surface check screen. The flowchart which shows the process at the time of the maintenance mode in a main control apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Game system 2A, 2B, 2C Game machine 3 Center server 4 Maintenance server 5 Maintenance client 6 Network 10 Case 11 Field unit 12 Station unit 13 Monitor unit 14 Base 14A, 14B, 14C Base subunit 15A, 15B, 15C Stage Sub-unit 18 Lower travel surface 19 Upper travel surface 20 Power supply surface 21 Stage drive device 22 Hydraulic cylinder 23 Hydraulic pressure generator 24 Adjuster device 30 Self-propelled vehicle 33 Magnet 34 Guide wire 35 Circumferential circuit 35b Corner section 36 Magnetic measurement line 37 Absolute position Indicator device 38 Indicator light 40 Magnet 42 Drive wheel 43 Motor 50 Line sensor 51 Absolute position detection sensor 52 Magnetic sensor 60 Magnetic sensor detector 80 Whole course diagram 81 dots (index)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Main control apparatus 110 Self-propelled vehicle control apparatus 111 Gyro sensor 121 Progress counter 122 Progress management part 123 Lane counter 124 Lane management part 125 Gyro counter 126 Direction management part 127 Target speed calculation part 128 Speed setting part 129 Speed FB correction part 130 Lane Correction amount calculation unit 131 Direction correction amount calculation unit 133 Speed ratio setting unit 136 Line width inspection unit

Claims (6)

A field unit of a game machine having a lower running surface on which a self-propelled body travels and an upper traveling surface on which a model following the self-running body travels,
A lower structure provided with the lower running surface; an upper structure provided with the upper running surface, which is combined with the lower structure so as to be movable up and down; and a lift driving device for raising and lowering the upper structure. A game machine field unit.   The upper structure is provided with a power feeding surface facing the lower stage running surface, and the self-propelled body is brought into contact with the power feeding surface in a state where the upper structure is lowered. 2. The field unit according to claim 1, wherein a moving range is set. The elevating drive device includes a hydraulic cylinder that is mounted between the lower structure and the upper structure so that an operation direction thereof is vertical, and a hydraulic pressure generator that supplies hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder. field unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that is. A plurality of hydraulic cylinders provided at intervals around the field unit, each of which is attached between the lower structure and the upper structure so that an operation direction thereof is directed vertically. the field unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a hydraulic pressure generating device for supplying hydraulic pressure to each hydraulic cylinder. The field unit according to claim 4 , wherein each of the lower structure and the upper structure can be divided into the same number of subunits, and the hydraulic cylinder is provided for each subunit. The cylinder tube of the hydraulic cylinder is attached to one of the lower structure and the upper structure, and the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder is connected via an adjuster device that provides play to the other structure. The field unit according to claim 4 , wherein the field unit is connected to the other structure.

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