JP3949898B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine, a swivel type gaming machine, an arrangement ball machine, or a sparrow ball gaming machine, and more particularly to a gaming machine in which countermeasures against power outages are perfect.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In pachinko halls, power is supplied from a single transformer to a group of 4 to 5 pachinko machines, so a large number of pachinko machines in the group enter the jackpot game all at once. When a situation that exceeds the power supply capacity of the transformer occurs, the DC voltage generated based on the AC voltage from the transformer also decreases.
[0003]
For this reason, the solenoid that opens and closes the big prize opening cannot operate normally, and there is a possibility that a game in a big win state cannot be realized. Also, in the award ball payout operation, the payout motor may not be driven and the award ball may not be paid out.
[0004]
In addition, the entire pachinko hall may be in a power outage due to lightning strikes, etc., but if appropriate measures are not taken, all ongoing game states will be erased, especially if it is a big hit game There was also a risk of unnecessary troubles between the pachinko hall and the player.
[0005]
Therefore, in order to prevent the above-mentioned situations from occurring, when the voltage value of the power supply becomes an abnormal level, the game operation is immediately interrupted to save necessary data, and when the power supply is restored It is necessary to resume the interrupted game operation without any trouble. Therefore, for example, a countermeasure described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-011729 can be considered.
[0006]
In the invention of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-011729, when the voltage value of the supplied AC power supply becomes an abnormal level, data backup processing is performed on the main control board and the payout control board. While the state processing is being performed, the CPU waits for the CPU to be in an inoperative state due to a decrease in the supply voltage.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such processing, there is a risk that the data that is backed up at any time will be destroyed. In other words, the CPU fetches a machine language instruction consisting of an operation code and an operand from the ROM, decodes the fetched instruction and executes a predetermined operation, but the power supply voltage of the CPU is actually lowered due to a power failure or the like In some cases, the CPU fetches the operation code or operand by mistake, and the program may run out of control.
[0008]
For example, when the CPU is Z80 (made by Zilog or equivalent), it is conceivable that after the backup process is completed, an infinite loop process is realized by an instruction such as L1: JP L1, but the CPU is assumed to be an operand part. Is misread, the program jumps to a completely different location from L1, and the backed up RAM area data may be destroyed.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of these points, and provides a gaming machine capable of reliably storing necessary data by suspending gaming control without fail when the power supply voltage becomes an abnormal level. This is the issue.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the gaming machine according to the present invention performs a lottery to alternatively generate a first state that is advantageous to the player and a second state that is disadvantageous to the player in relation to the game. A main control means capable of controlling a game operation based on the lottery result, and a payout control means for realizing a payout operation for a player based on a command from the main control means, The main control means and the payout control means function by receiving supply of a DC voltage from a power supply circuit that receives an AC voltage and outputs a DC voltage, and the AC voltage or the DC voltage drops in the power supply circuit. Upon detection of the abnormal situation, the operation stop unit that outputs the main control means and the dispensing control means after the other separate operation stop signal, the abnormality when the situation is restored, the main reset signal due to Control means and the withdrawal It provided a system reset unit for outputting the control means, wherein the main control means and the dispensing control means and to interrupt the game control based on the operation stop signal, the information necessary to resume the game control was interrupted And a backup unit that retains the backup voltage based on a backup power supply different from the DC voltage, and after the storing operation by the backup unit, the CPU is suspended without accompanying a machine language instruction fetching operation. A pause means for waiting for the DC voltage to finish decreasing by executing a HALT command for setting the state, and the backup means of the main control means function first, followed by the backup means of the payout control means structure but to function, whereas the operation stop signal to the main control unit above is outputted, the reset signal, the payout control means After being supplied to that CPU, following which, are supplied to the CPU of the main control unit.
[0011]
In the present invention, the CPU enters a sleep state by executing a predetermined HALT instruction after the operation of the backup means. Therefore, no matter how the power supply voltage drops, the program will not run out of control. When recovered from an abnormal situation, a reset signal is generated due to this, and the operation of the CPU in the dormant state is resumed by supplying the reset signal.
[0012]
The information necessary for resuming the interrupted game control in the present invention does not necessarily have to be information that can completely resume the game before the interrupt, but at least the game control in the big hit state with the highest game value can be resumed. It is.
[0013]
In the present invention, the backup means of the main control means functions first, followed by the backup means of the payout control means. Therefore, there is no possibility that the payout control board reads out the command output from the main control board.
[0016]
The reset signal is supplied to the CPU constituting the payout control means, and subsequently supplied to the CPU constituting the main control means. Therefore , there is no possibility that the payout control board reads out the command output from the main control board.
[0017]
Moreover, it is preferable that the storage devices for the payout control board and the main control board are always supplied with voltages for maintaining the stored contents regardless of the interruption of the game control. In this case, even if it takes time until the power supply voltage is restored due to a power failure or the like, no adverse effect is caused. In addition, if an initialization switch that can be operated manually is provided and the stored contents of the storage device are lost on condition that the initialization switch is operated, the previous day's data will be canceled at the start of business. So there is no risk of unnatural behavior.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on a card-type ball game machine which is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pachinko machine 2 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the pachinko machine 2.
[0019]
The pachinko machine 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a rectangular frame-shaped wooden outer frame 3 that is detachably mounted on the island structure and a hinge H that is fixed to the outer frame 3 before being pivotably mounted. It consists of a frame 4. A plurality of pachinko machines 2 are arranged in the length direction of the island structure of the pachinko hall while being electrically connected to the card-type ball lending machine 1.
[0020]
A game board 5 is detachably attached from the back side to the front frame 4 pivotally attached to the outer frame 3 via a hinge H, and a glass door 6 having a window portion and a front side corresponding to the front side of the game board 5. A face plate 7 is pivotally attached to each other so as to be freely opened and closed. The front plate 7 is provided with an upper plate 8 for storing game balls for launching, and a lower plate 9 for storing game balls overflowing or extracted from the upper plate 8 and launching means 10 at the lower part of the front frame 4. And a firing handle 11 are provided.
[0021]
The launching means 10 includes a launching handle 11 that can be rotated, and a launching motor that launches a game ball with a striking rod 12 (FIG. 4) with a striking force corresponding to the pivoting angle of the launching handle 11. . On the right side of the upper plate 8, there is provided an operation panel 13 for a ball lending operation for the card-type ball lending machine 1, and on this operation panel 13, a card remaining amount display portion 13a for displaying the remaining amount of the card with a three-digit number. And a ball lending switch 13b for instructing lending of game balls for a predetermined amount, and a return switch 13c for instructing to return the card at the end of the game.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 3, the game board 5 is provided with a guide rail 15 made of a metal outer rail and an inner rail in a substantially annular shape, and a color liquid crystal is provided in the game area 5 a inside the guide rail 15. Display 16, symbol starting means (symbol starting and winning means) 17, open / close type winning means (large winning means) 18, a plurality of normal winning means 19 (in addition to the upper normal winning means 19, both the left and right sides of the opening / closing type winning means 18 Six normal winning means 19) and two gates 20 (passage openings) are arranged at predetermined positions.
[0023]
The liquid crystal display 16 functions as a first symbol display means 22 that displays a changing symbol and also displays a background image, moving images of various characters, and the like. The first symbol display means 22 displays background images and characters in an animated manner, and has three (left, middle, and right) symbol display portions 22a to 22c arranged in the left-right direction. On the condition that the ball wins, the display symbols of the symbol display units 22a to 22c are variably displayed (scrolled) for a predetermined time, and based on the lottery result corresponding to the winning timing of the game ball to the symbol starting means 17. Stop at the determined stop symbol pattern.
[0024]
A normal winning means 19 and a second symbol display means 23 are provided immediately above the liquid crystal display 16. The second symbol display means 23 has a normal symbol display unit for displaying one normal symbol. When a game ball that has passed through the gate 20 is detected, the display symbol of the normal symbol display unit fluctuates for a predetermined time, A stop symbol determined by a random number for lottery drawn at the time the game ball passes through the gate 20 is displayed and stopped. The symbol starting means 17 is an electric tulip having a pair of left and right opening and closing claws 17a that can be opened and closed. When the stop symbol after the change of the second symbol display means 23 hits and the symbol is displayed, the opening and closing claws 17a It is easy to win a prize by opening for a predetermined time.
[0025]
The open / close-type winning means 18 includes an opening / closing plate 18a that can be opened forward, and when the stop symbol after the fluctuation of the first symbol display means 22 is a winning symbol such as “777”, a special game called “big hit” is started. The opening / closing plate 18a is opened to the front side. There is a specific area 18b inside the openable winning means 18, and when the winning ball passes through the specific area 18b, the special game is continued. Here, the special game state corresponds to a state advantageous to the player.
[0026]
After the opening / closing plate 18a of the open / close winning means 18 is opened, when a predetermined time elapses, or when a predetermined number (for example, 10) of gaming balls wins and the opening / closing plate 18a is closed, the gaming ball is in the specific area 18b. If it has not passed, the special game ends. However, if it has passed the specific area 18b, the special game is continued up to, for example, 16 times, and is controlled in a state advantageous to the player.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 4, on the back side of the front frame 4, a back mechanism plate 30 that presses the game board 5 from the back side is detachably mounted. The back mechanism plate 30 has an opening 30a formed on the top side thereof. A prize ball tank 33 and a tank rail 34 extending from the prize ball tank 33 are provided. Dispensing means 35 connected to the tank rail 34 is provided on the side of the back mechanism plate 30. A passage unit 36 connected to 35 is provided. The game balls paid out from the payout means 35 are paid out to the upper plate 8 from the upper plate discharge port 8a (FIG. 1) via the passage unit 36.
[0028]
The opening 30a of the back mechanism plate 30 is fitted with a back cover 37 mounted on the back side of the game board 5 and a winning ball discharge basket (not shown) for discharging the winning game balls to the winning means 17-19. Are combined. A main control board 39 is disposed inside a case 38 attached to the back cover 37, and a symbol control board 40 is disposed on the front side thereof (FIG. 2). Below the main control board 39, a lamp control board 42 is provided in a case 41a attached to the back cover 37, and a sound control board 43 is provided in a case 41b adjacent to the case 41a.
[0029]
A power supply board 45 and a payout control board 46 are provided inside the case 44 mounted on the back mechanism plate 30 below the cases 41a and 41b. As shown in FIG. 3, a power switch 80 and an initialization switch 85 are arranged on the power board 45. Cases 44 are notched at portions corresponding to these switches 80 and 85, and each of the switches 80 and 85 can be operated simultaneously with a finger.
[0030]
A launch control board 48 is provided inside the case 47 attached to the rear side of the launch means 10. These control boards 39 to 40, 42 to 43, 45 to 46, and 48 are independent boards, and the control boards 39, 40, 42, 43, and 46 excluding the power supply board 45 and the launch control board 48 have one chip. A computer circuit equipped with a microcomputer LE2080A (made by LE / Tech) is mounted, and the main control board 39 and the other control boards 40, 42, 43, 46 are electrically connected via a connector with a plurality of signal lines. It is connected to the. Note that the one-chip microcomputer LE2080A used in this embodiment has a built-in CPU, ROM, and RAM equivalent to Z80 (Zilog).
[0031]
The main control board 39 and the other control boards 40, 42, 43, 46 are electrically connected via a connector with a plurality of signal lines, and each control board 40, 42, 43, 46 is connected from the main control board 39. In addition, various control commands for executing a predetermined game operation can be transmitted by one-way communication. By adopting the one-way communication of the control command, it is possible to reliably prevent fraud related to the symbol stop, to remarkably reduce the control load on the main control board 39, and to simplify the transmission control.
[0032]
Next, the power supply board 45 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the pachinko hall, a plurality of transformers 87 are provided for each island structure, and in the illustrated example, 24 V AC is supplied from each transformer 87 to the power supply board 45 of five pachinko machines 2. .
[0033]
The power supply board 45 includes a 24V generator 80 that generates a DC voltage 24V for driving an electric tulip, an opening / closing drive solenoid, a payout motor, and the like, and a direct current supplied to the one-chip microcomputer of each of the control boards 39 to 43, 46, etc. A 5V generator 81 that generates a voltage of 5V and a voltage supply unit 82 that supplies these DC voltages to each control board are provided.
[0034]
The power supply board 45 includes a microcomputer, and includes a power supply monitoring unit 83, a game operation stop unit 84, and a system reset unit 85. The power supply monitoring unit 83 constantly monitors the AC24V supplied from the transformer transformer 87, and outputs a voltage abnormality signal VS to the gaming operation stop unit 84 when the supply voltage drops to a limit value. The limit value is determined on the basis of a voltage value at which an actuator such as an opening / closing drive solenoid or a dispensing motor can be normally driven, and is set to, for example, AC 20V.
[0035]
When the game operation stop unit 84 receives the voltage abnormality signal VS, the game operation stop unit 84 outputs an operation interruption signal STP to the main control board 39 and the payout control board 46. On the other hand, the main control board 39 and the payout control board 46 receive the operation interruption signal STP at the XNMI terminal of the one-chip microcomputer and apply it to the NMI (non-maskable-interrupt) terminal of the CPU (FIG. 6). reference).
[0036]
The system reset unit 85 is a part that outputs a reset signal SRT to each of the control boards 39 to 43 and 46 when the supply voltage from the transformer 87 is restored to a normal value. This reset signal SRT is supplied to the XSRST terminals of the one-chip microcomputers of the control boards 39 to 43, 46.
[0037]
The power supply board 45 is further provided with a backup power supply circuit 86, and its output value DC5V is supplied to the backup power supply terminal VBB of the main control board 39 and the payout control board 46 of the one-chip microcomputer. Therefore, even when the original supply voltage (+5 V) from the voltage supply unit 82 is lowered, the data stored in the RAM is reliably held by this backup voltage. For example, the RAM of the payout control board 46 stores and holds an unexecuted payout command transmitted from the main control board 39, so that when the power is restored, the payout operation can be started normally.
[0038]
Further, the power supply board 45 is provided with an initialization switch 85, and when this initialization switch 85 is operated, the data stored in the RAM of the main control board 39 and the payout control board 49 is erased. I have to. The initialization switch 85 is turned on when the power is turned on, for example, when the hall starts business.
[0039]
Next, an operation when an abnormal situation occurs regarding the power supply voltage will be described. As described above, when the supply voltage (AC24V) supplied from the transformer transformer 87 falls below a predetermined value, the voltage abnormality signal VS is output from the power supply monitoring unit 83. An operation stop signal STP is output to the main control board 39, and an operation stop signal STP is output to the payout control board 46 after a predetermined time.
[0040]
Since the operation stop signal STP is transmitted (as the highest priority interrupt) to the NMI terminal of the CPU built in the one-chip microcomputer of each control board 39, 46, the interrupt process is started in each control board. First, an interrupt processing program is executed on the main control board 39. In the interrupt processing, all necessary data is backed up in the RAM so that the interrupted game can be faithfully reproduced. Thereafter, the CPU executes the HALT instruction and finishes the interrupt process. When the HALT instruction is executed, the original operation of the CPU of fetch → decryption → execution is not performed thereafter. Therefore, no matter how the power supply voltage (DC5V) supplied to the CPU drops, There is no fear of the program running away.
[0041]
The operation in the payout control board 46 is the same, and necessary data is backed up, and the CPU executes the HALT instruction and finishes the interrupt process. Thus, in this embodiment, since the interruption process of the payout control board 46 is always started after the main control board 39, for example, a payout command transmitted from the main control board 39 is received by the payout control board 46. The trouble that disappears and the game ball is not paid out does not occur. However, in this embodiment, each control board receives an NMI signal and starts backup processing. Therefore, even if the operation stop signal STP is supplied to the main control board 39 and the payout control board 46 at the same time, there is a particular problem. Does not occur.
[0042]
On the other hand, when the power supply is restored to the normal state, the system reset unit 85 outputs the system reset signal SRT, so that the suspended game operation is resumed on the main control board 39 and the payout control board 46. When resuming the game control, based on the data stored in the RAM of the main control board 39 and the payout control board 46, the game state when the game control is stopped, for example, the big hit game is reliably confirmed from the stop state. Can be resumed.
[0043]
Here, since the system reset signal SRT is supplied to the CPU of the payout control board 46 first by the operation of a delay circuit (not shown), the CPU of the payout control board 46 starts the operation first, Thereafter, the operation of the CPU of the main control board 39 is started. Therefore, there is no possibility that the payout control board 46 will miss the command output from the main control board 39 after the operation is resumed.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when the power supply voltage becomes an abnormal level, it is possible to realize a gaming machine capable of reliably storing necessary data by suspending game control without fail.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pachinko machine according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the pachinko machine shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 1;
4 is a rear view of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a relationship between a power supply board and another board of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing an internal configuration of a one-chip microcomputer used in this embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
83 Abnormality detection means (power supply monitoring unit)
2 Pachislot machines (pachinko machines)

Claims (5)

Main control capable of controlling a game operation based on a lottery for selectively generating a first state advantageous to the player and a second state disadvantageous to the player in relation to the game And a payout control means for realizing a payout operation for a player based on a command from the main control means,
The main control means and the payout control means function by receiving supply of DC voltage from a power supply circuit that receives AC voltage and outputs DC voltage,
In the power supply circuit, when detecting an abnormal situation in which the AC voltage or the DC voltage decreases, an operation stop unit that outputs separate operation stop signals to the main control unit and the payout control unit, When the abnormal situation is recovered, a system reset unit that outputs a reset signal to the main control unit and the payout control unit due to this is provided,
In the main control means and the payout control means, the game control is interrupted based on the operation stop signal, information necessary for resuming the interrupted game control is stored , and a backup power source different from the DC voltage is stored. based on, and the backup unit also retains thereafter this, after the storage operation by said backup means, said DC voltage by performing a HALT instruction to hibernate CPU without fetching operation of machine instructions And a pause means to wait for the drop to finish ,
The operation stop signal is first output to the main control unit so that the backup unit of the main control unit functions first, and subsequently, the backup unit of the payout control unit functions.
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the reset signal is supplied to a CPU constituting the payout control means and subsequently supplied to a CPU constituting the main control means.   The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation stop signal is supplied to an NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of the CPU.   The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the HALT instruction is executed at the end of an interrupt processing program activated by the operation stop signal. 4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the backup means is realized by maintaining the stored contents of the RAM even after the game control is interrupted.   The gaming machine according to claim 4, further comprising a manually operable initialization switch, wherein the stored contents of the RAM are erased on condition that the initialization switch is operated.

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