JP4538065B2 - Amusement facility rental equipment and sales management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gaming facility lending device and a sales management system for accurately and objectively grasping sales in gaming devices such as pachinko machines and slot machines.

    2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, among gaming systems such as pachinko halls that are used in gaming facilities, as shown in FIG. 2, the ball lending is a fixed value of the amount of cash inserted into the cash receiving means 22, as shown in FIG. Based on the above, the pachinko balls of the same value quantity are lent out from the game medium lending means 23 which is a ball lending mechanism of the lending machine 19. In this case, the control circuit 21 may perform a conversion operation from the fixed amount of money to the number of balls to be lent. However, a predetermined unit of balls is lent out mechanically to the game medium lending means 23 which is simply a ball lending mechanism. Some of them send a lending command signal.

  In addition, a management computer is installed in the store and connected to each gaming machine so that operation information can be aggregated (see Patent Document 1).

In addition to the gaming equipment corresponding to cash, gaming equipment corresponding to a prepaid card, which is a so-called money substitute medium, is also installed in the gaming facility, and operation information is aggregated by the management computer.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-77622

  However, in the gaming machine corresponding to cash, in the ball lending mechanism, there is no effective fraud prevention check mechanism in any of the cash receiving means 22, the control circuit 21, and the game medium lending means 23. For example, neither the validity check in the process of determining the received amount nor the check of the provided quantity count in the game medium lending means 23 nor the check of the valid numerical relationship between them. Moreover, control such as lending control based on this is not performed.

  In addition, for gaming machines that support cash, there is no system in which fraud is checked by an external organization that is independent of store operations.

  Therefore, gaming machines that support cash do not have an effective fraud check mechanism, and as a result, fraud cannot be effectively prevented in sales accounting.

  For this reason, as a result, it is not possible to dispel doubts about the correctness and authenticity of the sales management data of the management computer that aggregates the data recorded by these.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming facility lending apparatus and a sales management system capable of ensuring the validity and authenticity of sales management data.

This invention determines the amount of cash or money substitute medium that has been input, cash receiving means for outputting the original amount of money data according to the determined amount,
A game medium lending unit that lends a quantity of game media corresponding to the determined amount and outputs original provided quantity data of the quantity to be lent.
Received amount data processing means for receiving the received amount data, encoding the received amount data, and outputting the processed received amount data after the encoding process ;
Provided quantity data processing means for receiving the original provided quantity data, encoding the original provided quantity data, and outputting the encoded provided processed quantity data;
When the processed receipt amount data and the original receipt amount data are received , the consistency between the received processed receipt amount data and the original receipt amount data is confirmed, and when it is determined that they are consistent, A received amount check means for accumulating processed received amount data and storing it in a storage medium;
When the processed provided quantity data and the original provided quantity data are received , the consistency between the received processed provided quantity data and the original provided quantity data is confirmed, and when it is determined that they are matched, A game medium quantity check means for accumulating processed provided quantity data and storing it in a storage medium is provided.

  According to this invention, the legitimacy and authenticity of sales management data can be ensured.

Hereinafter, an embodiment which is an embodiment of a gaming facility rental apparatus and a sales management system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

    FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the game facility sales management system.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is a cash acceptance means, 2 is an acceptance amount data processing means, 3 is an acceptance amount check means, 4 is a game medium lending means, 5 is a provided quantity data processing means, 6 is a game medium quantity check means, 7 Is a received money / game medium quantity managing means, 8 is a totaling / transmitting means for each gaming facility, and 9 is a third party data processing system.

  The cash accepting means 1 and the gaming medium lending means 4 are lending means 10 that lends pachinko balls as gaming media (for example, a table machine arranged between pachinko machines or a ball lending set in a hall) Machine). The lending unit 10 may be a gaming machine main body, a device that is physically connected directly to the gaming machine, or a device that manages gaming machines in a store. Also, the cash receiving means 1, the received amount data processing means 2, the received amount check means 3, the game medium lending means 4, the provided quantity data processing means 5, the game medium quantity check means 6, the received amount / game medium quantity management. The means 7 may be integral or physically separate in any combination.

  The cash receiving means 1 includes a cash input mechanism 11 of the lending means 10, a cash type determination sensor (not shown), and a money identifying means 12 for determining the amount of cash received.

  When the customer inserts cash into the cash input slot of the cash input mechanism 11, the cash type determination sensor determines the type of cash and the true / fake currency, and the amount of cash inserted by the money identifying means 12 is determined.

  Since these points are configured in the same manner as a commercially available lending machine, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The cash receiving means 1 is connected with a received money data processing means 2 and a received money check means 3. The received amount data processing means 2 and the received amount check means 3 may be provided at a position distant from the lending means 10 and connected by a wireless transmission path including optical communication. Both the received amount data processing means 2 and the received amount check means 3 are constituted by a computer including a microcomputer.

  The money identification unit 12 outputs the original received amount data to the received amount check unit 3 and outputs the original received amount data for calculation processing to the received amount data processing unit 2.

  The received amount data processing means 2 adds data to this original received amount data or performs data processing such as encoding into a command message and outputs the processed received amount data to the received amount check means 3.

  The received amount check means 3 checks the consistency between the original received amount data from the cash receiving means 1 and the processed received amount data from the received amount data processing means 2. In this verification, the received amount check means 3 performs a code analysis of the processed received amount data from the received amount data processing means 2 and then performs a comparison with the original received amount data. When the consistency is confirmed in the verification process, the received amount check means 3 accumulates the received amount data for which the consistency has been confirmed in a storage medium such as an HDD or a semiconductor memory device, and stores the received amount accumulated data. -It outputs to the game medium quantity management means 7 and outputs a game medium lending command to the game medium lending means 4.

  Since the game medium lending means 4 is the same as that found in currently used ball lending machines, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, pachinko balls arranged in the pachinko hall, etc. A game medium such as a pachinko ball can be stored from the game medium supply line, and the control circuit 13 receives a game medium lending command from the received amount check means 3. The control circuit 13 opens and closes the lending mechanism 14 only on the basis of the game medium lending command, and releases the game medium until the target value is reached while measuring the game medium with the quantity counter 15.

  The game medium quantity counter 15 feeds back the measured quantity to the control circuit 13 and stops the lending mechanism 14 when the target value is reached. The count result of the quantity counter 15 is output to the game medium quantity check means 6 and the provided quantity data processing means 5 as original provided quantity data.

  The provided quantity data processing means 5 is constituted by a computer including a microcomputer, and adds data to the original provided quantity data of the released game medium or performs data processing such as encoding into a command message. The processed provided quantity data is output to the game medium quantity check means 6.

  The game medium quantity check means 6 checks the consistency between the original provided quantity data from the game medium lending means 4 and the processed provided quantity data from the provided quantity data processing means 5. In this verification, the game medium quantity check means 6 performs code analysis of the processed provided quantity data processed by the provided quantity data processing means 5 and then checks the original provided quantity data. When the consistency is confirmed in this collation process, the game medium quantity check means 6 accumulates and stores the provided quantity accumulated data for which the consistency has been confirmed in a storage medium such as an HDD or a semiconductor memory device. The data is output to the received money / game medium quantity management means 7.

  The received amount / game medium quantity management means 7 is composed of a computer including a microcomputer, and totals the received amount accumulated data of the received amount check means 3 and the provided quantity accumulated data of the game medium quantity check means 6. To do.

  The received amount / game medium quantity management means 7 aggregates the received amount accumulated data and the provided amount accumulated data and checks the consistency between them. After the consistency check, a calculation process for adding a sign to the received amount accumulated data and the provided quantity accumulated data is performed and stored together with the result of the consistency check. The code data added in this calculation is, for example, an error correction code, a hash value, or an electronic signature.

  The received amount / game medium quantity management means 7 is connected to a game facility unit totaling / transmission means 8 for totaling data in a game facility unit through a communication line or network. This communication line may be a wireless transmission line including appropriate optical communication.

  The aggregating / transmitting means 8 for each amusement facility comprises a computer including a microcomputer, and is connected to a third party data processing system 9 through a communication line or network including a wireless transmission path.

  The third party data processing system 9 can analyze the calculation process added by the received money / game medium quantity management means 7 and decode it to authentic data, or at least one of which can verify the authenticity of the data. Computation processing program is provided, and it is now possible to store and accumulate "Accepted amount accumulated data and provided amount accumulated data before or after analysis" or "Accepted amount accumulated data and provided amount accumulated data before and after analysis". ing.

  The third-party data processing system 9 discloses the result of guaranteeing the authenticity of the received amount accumulated data and the provided quantity accumulated data to be stored and stored to the requester who requests the authenticity of the data, and transmits the result. It has a function.

  It should be noted that the above-described received amount data processing means 2, received amount check means 3, gaming medium lending means 4 microcomputer and computer, provided quantity data processing means 5 microcomputer and computer, gaming medium quantity check means 6 computer The microcomputer, the computer of the received amount / game medium quantity managing means 7, the computer, the computer of the aggregating / transmitting means 8 of the game facility unit, the computer of the third party data processing system 9, the predetermined procedure and password. Of course, it is set so that data and programs cannot be rewritten unless they are used.

  Next, the processing flow of this system will be described.

  Step (1): First, when the lending means 10 is turned on, the cash receiving means 1 and the game medium lending means 4 first transition to this cash insertion waiting state when the initial self-diagnosis is normally completed.

  In step (8), which will be described later, after completion of a series of operations from the insertion of cash, the next cash input standby state is entered. In this state, when a data transmission command to the outside of the store described in step (8) is detected, the process proceeds to step (9).

  Step (2): Cash, that is, money or banknotes, or money substitute medium is inserted into the insertion slot of the cash input mechanism 11 of the cash receiving means 1 in the lending means 10, and this is determined by the money identifying means 12. From the monetary identification means 12 to the received money amount checking means 3, a route for directly sending the original received money amount data to the received money amount checking means 3, and the original received money amount data are sent to the received money amount data processing means 2 for processing, and then received. Processing is performed through at least two routes, that is, a route to be transmitted to the amount check means 3.

  Step (3): In the received amount check means 3, the original received amount data transmitted directly from the money identifying means 12 without changing the data and the processed received amount data from the received amount data processing means 2. Consistency is checked, and processed received amount data determined to be consistent by the consistency determination is stored (recorded) in an external storage element such as an HDD or a semiconductor memory device. The processed received amount data to be stored is a cumulative value from at least the previous total (processing in step (9) described later), but may be a cumulative value from the start of operation. The processed receipt amount data whose consistency is not recognized can be stored in another folder or the like of the external storage element.

  Step (4): When the results of the cash amount determination results are consistent with the results of the plurality of methods, the game medium lending means 4 having a mechanism for lending game media such as balls or medals for games is provided. A game medium lending instruction is output indicating that a game medium such as a pachinko ball may be lent.

  Here, the game medium lending means 4 is a pachinko machine main body, a device that is physically connected directly to the pachinko machine, or a pachinko machine installed separately from the pachinko machine in the store. It may be a device, mechanism or means for lending a ball.

  Step (5): The game medium lending unit 4 lends a game medium such as a pachinko ball only in accordance with the aforementioned game medium lending instruction. The quantity provided of the rented game media is measured by the quantity counter 15. The original provided quantity data of the quantity counter 15 is sent to the provided quantity data processing means 5 and the game medium quantity check means 6. The provided quantity data processing means 5 performs arithmetic processing such as encoding on the original provided quantity data.

  The processed provided quantity data processed by the provided quantity data processing means 5 and the original provided quantity data without any change from the quantity counter 15 are transmitted to the game medium quantity checking means 6.

  The game medium quantity check means 6 determines the consistency between the original provided quantity data and the processed provided quantity data after performing the code analysis of the processed provided quantity data, and determines that they match by the consistency judgment. The processed provided quantity data is stored (recorded) in an external storage element such as an HDD or a semiconductor memory device. The processed provided quantity data to be stored is a cumulative value from at least the previous total (processing in step (9) described later), but may be a cumulative value from the start of operation. The processed provided quantity data whose consistency is not recognized can be stored in another folder or the like of the external storage element.

  Step (6): The received amount accumulated data of the received amount check means 3 and the provided amount accumulated data of the game medium quantity check means 6 are periodically transmitted to the received amount / game medium quantity management means 7. The received money / game medium quantity management means 7 checks the consistency by comparing the received money accumulated data with the provided quantity accumulated data.

  Step (7): The received amount / game medium quantity management means 7 stores the received amount accumulated data and the provided amount accumulated data together with the count result of step (6) and the information of the consistency determination result in a confidential manner. Store (record) on a medium. In this step (7), a series of lending processes starting with cash input ends.

  Here, the stored data is at least the cumulative value from the aggregation processing of step (7) for the previous time, but may be the cumulative value from the start of operation.

  Step (8): In step (8), the presence or absence of a data transmission request command to the third party data processing system 9 is checked at the time of step (7). If there is no data transmission request to the outside of the store, the process proceeds to step (1) and waits for the insertion of cash. If there is a data transmission request, the process proceeds to step (9).

  Step (9): If there is a data transmission command from the third party data processing system 9 to the aggregating / transmitting means 8 in units of gaming facilities, the amount received / the amount of game media from the aggregating / transmitting means 8 in units of gaming facilities The data transmission command is transmitted to the management means 7.

  In this embodiment, the received money / game medium quantity managing means 7 is provided one for each lending means 10, but one received money / game medium quantity managing means for each of the plurality of lending means 10. A configuration of 7 is also acceptable. In general, a plurality of lending means 10 are provided in a gaming facility.

  The received money / game medium quantity management means 7 is added to the accumulated value of all the count data stored (recorded) by the received money / game medium quantity management means 7 at the time of data transmission by an appropriate method. After the additional calculation of the code data, it is transmitted to the aggregating / transmitting means 8 for each gaming facility, and the aggregating / transmitting means 8 for each amusement facility aggregates the data with the additional code. This additional code data is an error correction code, a hash value, or an electronic signature. This total is based on communication using LAN in the store.

  Step (10): In the aggregating / transmitting means 8 for each gaming facility, the received amount accumulated data and the game medium provided quantity accumulated data of all the lending means 10 in the store are received by the received amount / game medium quantity managing means 7. After the data is aggregated in units of signed data, the aggregated data is sent to a third party data processing system 9 by an appropriate medium and method (protection measures such as encryption processing).

  Although transmission of this total data includes physical transport using a recording medium (such as a magnetic tape), in reality, data transmission using communication is efficient. It is desirable that transmission data is protected by an appropriate method such as communication encryption. After transmitting the aggregated data, the state transitions to step (1) and shifts to a waiting state for a series of processing by the insertion of cash.

  Up to this step (10) is the flow of processing performed in each store.

  Next, processing in the third party data processing system 9 for processing the aggregate data transmitted from each store will be described.

  Step (11): The third party data processing system 9 receives the aggregated data subjected to the processing of step (10) from each store. Protection of the aggregated data to be transmitted is analyzed by an appropriate method and the aggregated data is processed. The analysis here means that, if “encryption processing for protection” is performed in step (10), the received data is decrypted and decrypted into the original aggregated data, and this aggregated data is composed of This means that analysis is performed in units of count data with additional signs as elements.

  Step (12): When a data transmission method that can verify the integrity of the aggregated data during transmission is applied, it is confirmed that there is no data alteration (or falsification) during the transmission. .

  This can be confirmed if a numerical code that can detect (at least) that there is some change in the original data during transmission, such as error detection, is added. For example, the total data portion transmitted is calculated by an algorithm such as an error correction code, and the result is compared with the code data portion additionally sent, but the present invention is not limited to this method.

  Step (13): Check the consistency and completeness of the aggregated data by computing the additional code added by the received money / game medium quantity management means 7 in units such as the lending means 10 for each store. . In the case of a possible processing system, the validity of the data transmission source is also confirmed. The arithmetic processing of the additional code is an operation for analyzing data consistency of the additional code, such as “encryption processing” and “electronic signature”.

  Step (14): In step (14), the confirmation result in step (13) and the received data are processed and stored in a database or the like. This can be used for various verifications later.

  The lending means 10 is provided with a received money / game medium quantity management means 7 for checking the consistency of the counting data such as received money data and pachinko balls and other game media provided quantity data. Independent data processing may be achieved in one lending means 10 by incorporating a function for calculating the additional code by encryption processing in the medium quantity management means 7.

  The counting process can also be performed in a concentrated manner on all devices in the store. In the above embodiment, the aggregating / transmitting means 8 for each game facility that aggregates the signed data from the received money / game medium quantity managing means 7 is used as the management controller. However, the received money / game medium quantity managing means is used. It is also possible to manage by providing a management controller at a higher level than 7. The lending means 10 may be a built-in pachinko machine instead of a sandwich unit such as a so-called inter-story machine arranged between pachinko machines.

  Furthermore, the additional code may be an additional code such as an error detection and correction code (referred to as EDAC) in addition to the processing by encryption. There are common encryption key methods, public encryption key methods, and the like, and there are various types of error detection and correction codes.

  In the above embodiment, the pachinko hall is described as the gaming facility. However, it is needless to say that the gaming facility can be applied to a gaming facility equipped with a slot machine or the like, and in this case, the gaming medium is a medal. A gaming machine is a slot machine.

  In this game facility sales management system, the sales amount data of the cash receiving means 1 is checked by the received amount check means 3 via a plurality of routes, and if the consistency is confirmed by this check, the gaming medium lending means 4 A game medium lending instruction is sent to the player to provide the requested amount of game media. At this time, the provided quantity data of the game medium is checked by the game medium quantity check means 6 via a plurality of paths, and the consistency of the provided quantity data is also checked. The checked received amount accumulated data and provided amount accumulated data are collated by the received amount / game medium quantity managing means 7, and then totalized, code-calculated and recorded. When the third-party data processing system 9 requests the aggregation / transmission means 8 for the aggregation of sales data, the aggregated sales data is transmitted from the received amount / game medium quantity management means 7, In the three-party data processing system 9, the sales data subjected to the code calculation is subjected to code analysis and recorded.

  As a result, gaming media is lent out only after confirming the correctness of the amount of money received, and after confirming the correctness of the count of the provided quantity data, and tallying these data Are recorded through code addition and coding operations for integrity confirmation. With the above-described series of methods, the authenticity of the total data, that is, the sales data can be secured. In addition, when the data is transmitted to an external third party data processing system 9 and an operation for analysis is performed, the proof from the applicant's system 16 for authenticity is requested and neutral. From the standpoint, it is possible to secure and guarantee the authenticity of sales data.

  In the present invention, it is needless to say that the lending means can be applied to game medium lending means such as a ball lending machine or a pedestal machine having a change processing mechanism.

  Further, in the present invention, in addition to cash, examples of money substitute media that can be used include prepaid cards such as prepaid cards, financial cards such as bank cards and credit cards, IC cards such as electronic money, and mobile phones. Payment means using such as.

  In the present invention, in order to utilize the check function by means of a plurality of means for receiving money amount data processing and gaming medium provided quantity data processing more effectively, the receiving money amount checking means 3, the gaming medium quantity checking means 6, and the receiving money amount / game use It is conceivable that the medium quantity management means 7 is supplied from an independent business entity or organization that is separate from the business operator handling the gaming machine main body and the lending device 10. In this case, even when a plurality of received amount data processing means 2 and provided quantity data processing means 5 are provided in the plurality of lending means 10, it is considered that the neutrality is enhanced by such supply from an independent organization. This independent organization may not be the same as the third party responsible for data processing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a sales management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a gaming machine lending mechanism corresponding to cash used in a conventional gaming facility.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cash acceptance means 2 Acceptance amount data processing means 3 Acceptance amount check means 4 Game medium lending means 5 Provided quantity data processing means 6 Game medium quantity check means 7 Acceptance amount / game medium quantity management means 8 Aggregation of game facility units・ Transmission means 9 Third party data processing system

Claims (5)

A cash receiving means for confirming the amount of the cash or money substitute medium that has been input, and outputting the original amount of money received according to the determined amount;
A game medium lending unit that lends a quantity of game media corresponding to the determined amount and outputs original provided quantity data of the quantity to be lent.
Received amount data processing means for receiving the received amount data, encoding the received amount data, and outputting the processed received amount data after the encoding process ;
Provided quantity data processing means for receiving the original provided quantity data, encoding the original provided quantity data, and outputting the encoded provided processed quantity data;
When the processed receipt amount data and the original receipt amount data are received , the consistency between the received processed receipt amount data and the original receipt amount data is confirmed, and when it is determined that they are consistent, A received amount check means for accumulating processed received amount data and storing it in a storage medium;
When the processed provided quantity data and the original provided quantity data are received , the consistency between the received processed provided quantity data and the original provided quantity data is confirmed, and when it is determined that they are matched, A gaming facility lending apparatus comprising: a game medium quantity check means for accumulating processed provided quantity data and storing the accumulated quantity data in a storage medium.   A main body comprising the cash receiving means, the received money data processing means, the provided quantity data processing means, the received money amount checking means, and the gaming medium quantity checking means, and the gaming medium lending means are separated. The gaming facility rental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The gaming facility lending device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the accumulated payment amount data obtained by accumulating the processed receipt amount data stored in the storage medium, and the processed provided quantity data stored in the storage medium. was configured to output and provide quantity accumulated data was accumulated,
A sales management system for a game facility, comprising: a received money / game medium quantity managing means for receiving and storing the received money accumulated data and the provided quantity accumulated data output from the lending device. The received amount / game medium quantity managing means can output the received amount accumulated data and the provided amount accumulated data,
The received amount / game medium quantity managing means stores the received amount accumulated data and the aggregated data obtained by aggregating the provided quantity accumulated data, and analyzes whether the aggregated data is authentic, 4. The game facility sales management system according to claim 3, further comprising a third-party data processing system for storing results and aggregated data.   5. The received amount / game medium quantity managing means, when outputting the received amount accumulated data and the provided amount accumulated data, encodes and outputs these data. Sales management system for amusement facilities.

Images