JP4666668B2 - Game ball circulation system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a game ball circulation system in a pachinko game room or the like, and more particularly to a game ball circulation system for exchanging game balls between game islands and appropriately holding the amount of game balls held on each game island.

Amusement machines such as pachinko machines in amusement halls are provided side by side on one or both sides of a facility called a game island or a game machine installation island (hereinafter simply referred to as an island), and are usually held and circulated in this game island. It is operated by a playing ball. In addition, a plurality of the game islands are usually installed in parallel on the game floor. In recent years, game modes in pachinko machines and the like are extremely diversified. For this reason, for example, it may be a big hit continuously, and on the gaming island where the gaming machine in such a state is installed, a lot of balls are generated, so the amount of gaming balls held (in some cases, It is simply called “the amount of balls”), and it is necessary to replenish a large number of game balls paid out as prize balls as quickly as possible. On the other hand, if there is no big hit or there are few players, the game balls discharged from the game island will be extremely small, and the game balls held on the game island will tend to be excessive obtain.
Accordingly, the game balls that are paid out as prize balls and collected from the counter are provided with facilities for returning the game balls to the respective game islands (that is, game games) so that the ball quantity of each game island is kept in an appropriate range as much as possible. The importance of the ball circulation system has increased in recent years.

By the way, as this kind of equipment in the previous game hall, a large tank (so-called Tamaba) is provided under the floor of the game hall, and the game balls collected from the counter provided in the counter of the game hall, etc. It was common to collect the ground once at this Tamaba, polish it, and supply it to each amusement island as needed from this Tamaba.
However, in this case, it takes a lot of construction costs to install Tamaba and game ball circulation routes in the hall, and it is difficult to quickly replenish game islands with a shortage of balls. There are various problems such as inability to positively discharge game balls from the surplus game island.

For this reason, in recent years, as seen in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example, a counter is provided at the end of the game island, and the game balls paid out from the game island are either It is configured to be directly returned to the game island, and exchange of game balls between each game island (usually between adjacent game islands) as necessary (hereinafter, simply referred to as a circulation operation), and within a group of game islands In the island, an island circulation system is widely used which keeps the game ball possession of each game island within an appropriate range while circulating the game balls.
Among these, the system of Patent Document 1 moves a game ball from a game island with a large amount of possession to a game island with a small amount when the difference in the amount of game balls possessed between the respective game islands is greater than or equal to an upper limit value (a predetermined range or more). The circulation operation is started, and this circulation operation is continued until the difference in the amount of game balls held between these game islands becomes less than the upper limit value (within a predetermined range).
Further, the system of Patent Document 2 performs a circulation operation of moving a game ball from a game island adjacent to the game island when it is determined that the possession amount of the game ball of any game island is lower than a certain target level. This circulation operation is continued until the possession amount of game balls on the game island reaches the target level.

In the above island circulation system, each game island is provided with one or a plurality of large storage tanks that can store a large amount of game balls in the island. Adjacent islands communicate with each other using a kite or the like, and game balls are supplied from the island with the remaining game balls to the shortage island via this kite.
In addition, the storage tank is provided with mechanical switches (ball volume switches) having a configuration like a so-called limit switch that detects the presence of a game ball at that position, arranged at predetermined intervals in the height direction. By reading the detection signal from the sphere amount switch, the current sphere amount can be detected at several levels (for example, 10 levels).
In addition, the main control process for exchanging game balls between game islands to circulate game balls and maintaining the amount of game balls held on each game island as much as possible is to control the entire group of game islands. Was done in the system controller.

JP-A-9-313714 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-5428

However, the conventional game ball circulation system disclosed in the above publication has the following problems.
That is, as an evaluation value of the ball quantity of each game island for determining whether or not to perform the circulation operation, the number of ball quantity switches outputting detection signals among the ball quantity switches provided in the storage tank (Hereinafter referred to as the “ON number”) was used as it was, and it was difficult to perform the minimum necessary rapid circulation operation according to the equipment configuration unique to each amusement island in consideration of noise and vibration problems. It was.

This is because the recent amusement shop floors come in various sizes and shapes to emphasize design. Therefore, the game islands installed in the game store also vary depending on the layout of the game store, so the number of game ball storage tanks and the number of counters provided on the island may be different on each island. Yes, the maximum amount of balls that can be stored in each island is not constant, and the number of balls per ball switch varies from island to island.
However, in the conventional system, the ON number of the above-mentioned ball volume switch is used as it is as an evaluation value of the ball volume of each island, the ON number is compared between the islands, and the game ball is circulated based on the comparison result. For this reason, there is a fear that the actual circulation operation is not necessarily performed.

For example, in an island with only one storage tank and a small maximum ball volume, the absolute ball volume (the number of the ball switch switches on) is naturally less than in an island with multiple storage tanks. Even though the possession ratio of the balls is sufficient, the circulation operation for taking in game balls from other islands having multiple storage tanks is frequently executed, and vibration and noise due to the circulation operation are unnecessarily generated. There is a risk that the game balls in the storage tank will remain stored in the tank for a long time and corrosion of the balls may occur.
On the other hand, for example, in an island with two storage tanks and a large maximum amount of balls, the absolute amount of balls (the number of turns on the ball switch) is naturally larger than an island with only one storage tank. Despite the fact that the ratio of game balls to the number of gaming machines is insufficient, the circulation operation to take game balls from other islands that have only one storage tank is not performed easily, and the big hit is concentrated In such a case, there is a risk that serious troubles may occur in the management of the amusement store, such as a shortage of the balls and the prize balls cannot be paid out.

  In addition, the island where the counter is provided is more easily refilled with game balls as much as it is collected from the counter than the island where the counter is not provided, and the circulation operation between the islands is performed under the same conditions. There is a high possibility that the circulation operation between the island provided with the counter and the island adjacent thereto is frequently performed. For example, if an island with a counter has less actual possession than an island without an adjacent counter, it simply executes a circulation operation to take a game ball from the adjacent island to the island with the counter. If this happens, game balls are immediately collected via the counter, and there is a high possibility that the amount of balls on the island with the counter will be excessive. The circulation operation to move the game ball from the island you have to the adjacent island must be executed immediately afterwards, and there is often a meaningless circulation operation that the game ball moves back and forth between the same islands in a short time after all It will be repeated.

In addition, the number and setting position of the ball quantity switch, or the judgment standard about the ball quantity for performing the circulation operation (judgment standard such as how much the ball operation between islands will perform the circulation operation) Depending on the facility configuration of each island, it may be possible to deal with the above-mentioned problems by setting it for each island, but it requires practical work and complicated control processing. Not.
For example, when 20,000 game balls are accumulated in the storage tank, the first ball switch is activated, and when 20,000 are accumulated, the second ball switch is activated. Even though it is extremely difficult and impossible to perform even if a ball switch is installed accurately for each fixed amount of game balls, the installation position (relationship between the number of ball switches on and the ball amount) is stored. Changing the installation according to the number of tanks and the presence or absence of a counter is a very difficult task, and in reality it is difficult to realize in consideration of the fact that game balls are stored to some extent in the tank. Because .
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a game ball circulation system capable of quickly executing the minimum necessary circulation operation corresponding to the equipment configuration unique to the game island.

In order to achieve the above object, the game ball circulation system according to claim 1 exchanges game balls used in the game machines between the game islands in a game hall where a plurality of game islands in which a plurality of game machines are installed are arranged. A game ball circulation system comprising: a circulation means for controlling and a control means for operating the circulation means to perform a circulation operation in order to appropriately hold the possession amount of game balls on each game island,
Each game island is provided with one or more storage tanks for storing game balls,
The storage tank is provided with a plurality of ball amount switches for detecting the amount of balls in the storage tank,
The control means includes
The sphere volume information of due on the number of the game island the ball amount switch, calculates the spherical storage ratio information indicating the holding ratio of the maximum holding amount of the game island amount sphere are held in the game island,
Based on the ball storage ratio information, determine the ball information for evaluation for each game island,
Activating the circulation means based on the difference in the ball information for evaluation between amusement islands,
The control means includes
If it is determined that a counter is placed based on the counter presence / absence information indicating whether or not a counter that discharges the received game balls to the storage tank is placed on each game island, the ball While performing an addition operation to add a predetermined margin value to the storage ratio information, while using this addition result as the evaluation ball amount information,
When it is determined from the counter presence / absence information that a counter is not installed, the ball storage ratio information is used as it is as the evaluation ball amount information.

In the present invention, the ball amount information from the ball amount detecting means (ball amount switch) for detecting the amount of game balls held in the storage tank of each game island, and the counter for discharging the received and counted game balls to the storage tank The amount of ball for evaluation for each game island is determined based on the margin value added when the game is installed on the game island, and the game ball is moved between the game islands based on the difference in the ball information for evaluation between the game islands. Activating the circulation means to communicate with.
For this reason, on the game island where the counter is installed, the amount of ball information for evaluation is set to be large, and it is relatively difficult for the circulation operation to take in the game ball from other game islands via the counter. A circulation operation corresponding to the characteristic that game balls are easily replenished can be realized. That is, the trouble that the circulation operation related to the game island where the counter is installed is frequently performed is avoided, and the vibration and noise due to the circulation operation can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A. First, a schematic configuration of the entire system will be described. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the entire system, and FIG. 1B is a side view of each game island as seen from the direction. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, the state where three game islands 10a, 10b, 10c are installed in parallel is illustrated. On each gaming island, gaming machines 11 such as pachinko machines where games are played using gaming balls are arranged side by side in a long direction.

And the counter 12 is installed in the one end side of a specific game island (in this case, game islands 10a and 10c of both ends). The counter 12 is a known machine that receives paid game balls (that is, prize balls), counts the quantity thereof, records information on the quantity, etc. on a predetermined medium (receipt, card, etc.) and outputs it. The game balls received from the counters 12 are directly collected in the game island where the counters 12 are installed. Usually, this type of counter is provided for every two or three amusement islands from the viewpoint of reducing equipment costs and maintenance costs.
Needless to say, the arrangement and number of game islands, the arrangement of counters, and the like are not limited to those shown in FIG.

On the center upper surface side of each game island, a circulation tank 13 is provided in which the transported internal game balls are temporarily stored for intra-island circulation or inter-island circulation. It comprises a circulation main tank 13a and a circulation auxiliary tank 13b. Among them, the circulation auxiliary tank 13b is a part for temporarily storing game balls for circulation operation for exchanging game balls with adjacent game islands, and an inclined rod 14 for connecting adjacent game islands. , 15 are connected to this auxiliary circulation tank 13b.
In addition, the inclined rods 14 and 15 constitute a rod in both directions for moving a game ball down by its own weight and moving it from one game island to the other game island. Of these, the inclined rod 14 is shown in FIG. ) To move the game ball in the left direction (for example, from the island 10b to the island 10a), and the inclined rod 15 moves the game ball in the right direction in FIG. 1B (for example, from the island 10a to the island 10b). It should be moved.

A shutter 16 (opening / closing means) for opening and closing the entrance is provided at the game ball entrance at the lower end in the receiving direction of the inclined rods 14 and 15. The shutter 16 includes an opening / closing body (not shown) that opens and closes the game ball entrance, a motor (not shown) that drives the opening / closing body, and a sensor that detects whether the opening / closing body is open or closed. (Not shown).
The game ball entrance and the shutter 16 are provided on both sides of the auxiliary circulation tank 13b in the island having the adjacent island on both sides (island 10b in FIG. 1), but the islands located on both ends in the group of game islands ( In FIG. 1, since the islands 10a and 10c) have only one adjacent island connected to each other by the inclined rods 14 and 15, only one game ball entrance and the shutter 16 are provided on one side.
Further, the inclined rods 14 and 15 and the shutter 16 constitute the circulation means of the present invention.

  Next, what is indicated by reference numerals 20a, 20b, and 20c in FIG. 1 (a) is an island control device provided on each island. In this example, a normal device of each island including the shutter 16 is provided. Control is performed by these island controllers 20a, 20b, and 20c, respectively. These island control devices 20a, 20b, and 20c are connected to each other as shown in FIG. 5 described later, and are connected to the system control device 22 via the relay device 21. The system control device 22 is composed of a personal computer system including a monitor, an input keyboard, and the like, and is installed in a control room or the like in a game store. A device for monitoring and controlling. The monitor of this system control device 22 can normally display the operation and state of each part of the entire game island in an easy-to-understand manner, and by operating this system control device 22, The operation can also be controlled manually.

B. Next, the internal configuration of each amusement island will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a front view of the gaming island 10a on which the counter is provided (with the gaming machine removed), and FIG. 3 is a front view simply showing the internal configuration of each gaming island. In addition, each game island 10a, 10b, 10c in the case of this example has the same configuration except for the presence or absence of a counter and the difference depending on the arrangement position (whether inclined rods 14, 15 described later are connected to both sides). It is.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, each game island incorporates storage tanks 32a and 32b, a lifting device 33, and discharge devices 34a and 34b into the island frame 31, and for the circulation of game balls in the island. In this way, game balls are configured to circulate in the island as follows.
That is, game balls (out balls, etc.) discharged from each gaming machine are first collected by the ball collecting baskets 35a, 35b provided in a state inclined in the left-right direction at the lower part of the island (under each gaming machine). At the bottom of the center of the island. At this position, an inlet on the lower end side of the lifting device 33 is arranged, and the game balls collected at this position enter the lifting device 33 in an orderly manner by an alignment device (not shown). It is lifted while being polished, and is discharged from the outlet on the upper end side of the lifting device 33 into the main tank 13 a in the above-described circulation tank 13.

The game balls received by the counter 12 also flow down onto the ball collection basket 35a from a discharge port (not shown) protruding to the back side of the counter 12 (inside the side wall of the island). As long as the ball collection basket 35a is not filled with game balls, it is collected in the same manner as the game balls discharged from the gaming machine and sent to the lifting device 33. When the ball collection basket 35a is filled with game balls, the game balls received by the counter 12 flow down from an opening (not shown) provided in a part of the side wall of the ball collection basket 35a. Thus, it is directly collected in the storage tank 32a.
Next, a part of the game balls discharged from the lifting device 33 to the upper part in the circulation main tank 13a flows into the circulation auxiliary tank 13b and further flows into the above-mentioned inclined rod. The remaining game balls flow downward in the circulation main tank 13a, are distributed to the left and right by a mountain-shaped distribution member (not shown), and are inclined in the left-right direction at the upper part of the island (the upper side of each gaming machine). It is supplied to each gaming machine by the ball supply rods 36a and 36b provided in the state. Here, the ball supply baskets 36a and 36b are provided with a game ball distributor called a chute at a plurality of locations corresponding to each gaming machine, and the game machine that needs to be appropriately supplied by the operation of this distributor Game balls are supplied from the supply basket.

When the inside of the circulation auxiliary tank 13b is filled with game balls, all of the game balls discharged from the lifting device 33 flow down to the inside of the circulation main tank 13a.
In addition, when the upper surface side of the sorting member below the circulation main tank 13a (that is, the entrance of the ball replenishment basket) is filled with game balls, it is discharged from the lifting device 33 and is stored in the circulation main tank 13a. The game ball that flows down flows through the overflow pipe (not shown) to the lower side of the distributing member, and is distributed to the left and right by another distributing member provided further below the distributing member. , 37b to the both ends of the island, and further flow down into the storage tanks 32a, 32b via the first overflow hoses 38a, 38b provided at the both end positions.
In addition, when the upper surface side (that is, the overflow rod 37a, 37b) of the other sorting member further below is filled with game balls, the game balls flowing down through the overflow pipe are Through the second overflow hose 39, it flows down to the inlet of the lifting device 33 (on the downstream end side of the ball collection basket 35a).

The island frame 31 is a framework of the island, and is a support member for fixing the plurality of gaming machines 11 in a parallel state and fixing the various devices and flow path members.
In addition, the lifting device 33 includes, for example, a conveyor belt (not shown) that is arranged in the vertical direction and circulates, an abrasive cloth (not shown) opposed to one side of the conveyor belt, and an outer diameter of the game ball. Corresponding semicircular grooves are formed in the vertical direction, and a guide member (not shown) arranged in a state holding the back side of the polishing cloth, and a drive mechanism such as a motor for driving the conveyor belt, The apparatus is equipped with a game ball sandwiched between the transport belt and the polishing cloth, and rolling the game ball upward while keeping the game ball aligned, so that the game ball is polished and lifted up in an orderly manner.
In addition, the storage tanks 32a and 32b are tanks in which the empty spaces on both sides and below the ball collection baskets 35a and 35b are used as internal spaces, and game balls discharged from the first overflow hoses 38a and 38b and the like are evenly distributed. A member for distribution (so-called a ball-flow lower shelf or a rolling member) or the like is provided inside.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, ball volume switches 41 a to 44 a (for detecting the amount of game balls on the island) are provided at a plurality of locations of the storage tanks 32 a and 32 b. Alternatively, 41b to 44b) are installed. These ball amount switches are mechanical ball detectors that actuate the internal contacts and output a detection signal when a contact (not shown) is pressed by pressure due to contact with a game ball. It constitutes a quantity detection means.

The discharge devices 34 a and 34 b are devices that lift the game balls stored in the storage tanks 32 a and 32 b from the bottom, discharge them onto the ball collection baskets 35 a and 35 b, and send them out to the lift device 33. The basic structure is the same as that of the lifting device 33.
In FIG. 3, reference numerals 45 and 46 denote a limit switch and an upper bulb amount switch provided in the circulation main tank 13a. The limit switch 45 and the upper ball amount switch 46 (island information detecting means) have the same structure in principle as the ball amount switches of the storage tanks 32a and 32b described above, and also detect the presence of a game ball. It is a vessel. Here, the limit switch 45 is disposed on the upper part of the circulation main tank 13a (near the upper end discharge port of the transport device 33), and the circulation main tank 13a is filled with game balls up to this level. It is for detecting that there is. Further, the upper bulb amount switch 46 is disposed at a position slightly above the above-mentioned sorting member in the circulation main tank 13a (a little higher position near the entrance of the ball replenishing rod), and the circulation main tank up to this level. This is to detect that the inside of 13a is filled with game balls.

C. Next, the configuration of the control system (mainly the island control device) will be described.
The island control devices 20a, 20b, and 20c described above are connected as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example, so that signals can be exchanged between them. The island control devices 20a, 20b, and 20c are connected to the relay device 21. The system control device 22 is connected to be able to send and receive signals. When there are a large number of game island groups, a relay device may be provided for each game island group, and each relay device may be connected to the system control device 22 so as to form a network as shown in FIG.
Note that the present invention is characterized by a control process of a circulation operation for exchanging game balls between game islands, and the hardware configuration of the control system is not particularly limited. In the case of this example, the characteristic control processing is performed for each island control device (hereinafter referred to as “self island”). Therefore, the following description will focus on the configuration example of the island control device 20b. The control system will be briefly described. The configuration of the island control devices 20a and 20c is basically the same as that of the island control device 20b, and the number and types of input / output devices are different depending on the location of the game island and the presence or absence of a counter as will be described later. Only.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the island control device 20b includes a microcomputer system including a CPU 51, a ROM 52, a RAM 53, an EEPROM 54, a clock oscillation circuit 55, and an I / O interface (input / output interface) 56. An operation changeover switch 57, a setting switch 58, and an operation indicator 59 are provided on an operation unit (not shown) formed on the surface of 20b.
Here, the EEPROM 54 is a ROM in which data can be electrically written or erased, and is, for example, a non-volatile memory that stores data set by the setting switch 58. On the other hand, the ROM 52 is, for example, a mask ROM in which a processing procedure (program) of the CPU 51 including processing of a flowchart described later is recorded in advance. The RAM 53 is a volatile memory that can be read and written as needed to store data and programs that need to be temporarily stored during the control process.
The clock oscillation circuit 55 is a circuit that outputs a clock (pulse signal having a constant cycle) necessary for the operation of the CPU 51.

The operation changeover switch 57 is a switch for inputting a command for switching the operation state of the island control device 20b to the normal mode or the setting change mode. The setting switch 58 is a switch for inputting various setting data in the setting change mode. The operation indicator 59 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like, and appropriately displays the operation state (normal mode or setting change mode) of the island control device, setting items or setting data in the setting change mode, etc. under the control of the CPU 51. is there.
When the normal mode is commanded by the operation changeover switch 57, a control process (control process other than the setting change) described later is executed, and when the setting change mode is commanded, various settings input by the setting switch 58 are executed. The CPU 51 accepts data (for example, data as shown in FIG. 7), and has a program configuration in which processing for writing to a predetermined address in the EEPROM 54 is executed. In the various setting data, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, island facility information (for example, the number of ball switches, the number of storage tanks, the presence / absence of a counter, an inclination) Data such as the presence or absence of wrinkles).

In FIG. 7, the setting content “no ball amount SW” means that the corresponding tank (T1 or T2) is not provided. The “counter stop signal output reference value” is an evaluation standard that is a criterion for determining whether or not to stop accepting game balls to the counter when a counter is installed on the own island. This means the value of the ball quantity information, and the “counter stop signal output lower limit value” is the value of the ball quantity information for evaluation that serves as a reference for judging whether or not to accept the game ball to the counter on its own island. Mean value. In addition, “counter cancellation request” means the setting of information for identifying the opponent's game island that outputs a command to stop accepting the counter on other islands when the own island has a small amount of ball. “Counter stop time” means the setting of the maximum time to stop accepting the counter on its own island.
Moreover, in FIG. 7, the setting content shown by the thick line is an example of the setting content in the case of a game island having the following equipment configuration. In other words, there are adjacent islands on both sides (the slopes are on both sides), two storage tanks, each storage tank is provided with 4 ball switches, and no game machines are installed. It is.

As shown in FIG. 4, the island control device 20b receives detection signals from various switches through the I / O interface 56, and outputs control signals to various devices to be controlled. Yes.
Here, as the various switches for inputting the detection signal, the above-described ball amount switches 41a to 44a (tank one ball amount SW), the above-described ball amount switches 41b to 44b (tank two ball amount SW), and the above-described upper part Ball quantity switch 46, limit switch 45 described above, shutter sensors 61 and 62 (shutter sensor A or B) for detecting the open / close state of the shutter 16, and thermal for detecting overload of the motor of the lifting device 33 There is Trip 63.

In addition, the control targets from which the island control device 20b outputs control signals include the discharge devices 34a and 34b (first and second ball discharge devices) and motors 64 and 65 that drive the shutter 16 described above. (Shutter motor A or B), a lift motor 66 that drives the lifting device 33, and an operation state indicator 68.
Among these, the operation state indicator 68 is composed of, for example, an LED or the like provided in the vicinity of the operation unit on the surface of the island control device 20b. In addition, an abnormal display or the like is appropriately displayed under the control of the CPU 51.

  In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1, the gaming island 10b provided with the island control device 20b is provided with shutters 16 on both sides, so there are two shutter sensors and shutter motors. They are distinguished by reference signs A and B. However, in the case of the game islands 10a and 10c located at both ends, the shutter 16 is provided only on one side, so in the case of the island control devices 20a and 20c, there is only one shutter sensor as a signal input device. In addition, the game islands 10a and 10c are provided with a counter 12. In the case of the island controllers 20a and 20c, the control unit 67 (counter control unit) of the counter 12 is also controlled. In addition, each game island illustrated in FIG. 1 has storage tanks on both the left and right sides, and two types of ball quantity switches and discharge devices are provided on both the left and right sides accordingly. For this reason, in FIG. 4 or FIG. 6 described later, the left storage tank is represented by tank 1 or T1, and the right storage tank is represented by tank 2 or T2. In FIG. 4, the left discharge device is shown as a first ball discharge device, and the right discharge device is shown as a second ball discharge device.

D. Control Processing Next, control processing performed by the island control devices 20a, 20b, and 20c will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
First, FIG. 8 shows a main routine. When the apparatus is activated, first, in step S2, a process for initializing various parameters in the control process is performed.
Next, in step S4, control processing of the lifting device 33 is performed. That is, if no detection signal is input from the limit switch 45, the game ball is not sufficiently filled to the predetermined level of the circulation tank 13 on the upper part of the island. If the detection signal is input, the lifting device 33 is stopped. Even if the detection signal is not input, if the signal from the thermal trip 63 (thermal trip signal) is input, the motor 66 is overloaded, and the lifting device 33 is stopped. When the operation is stopped due to overload in this way, the stop control state is not restored unless a reset signal is input by the input of the setting switch 58.

  In step S6, a balance control process described later shown in FIG. 10 is executed, and in step S8, a counter control process is executed. In this example, the counter control process does not accept the game ball when the evaluation ball amount information indicating the virtual hold amount of the game ball held on the island exceeds a preset reference value. Assuming that it is possible, the control signal for setting the state of the counter 12 to stop counting is output, and the acceptance of the game ball should be resumed when the evaluation ball amount information falls below a preset lower limit value. Assuming that there is a process, the state of the counter 12 is set to a countable state. Note that the evaluation ball amount information in this example is calculated from the ball amount information as described later. Here, the ball quantity information is the number (1 to 4) of switches that output detection signals among the ball quantity switches 41a to 44a (or 41b to 44b), and the left and right storage tanks 32a and 32b (T1, T2). There are two types corresponding to T2). Further, in this case, as shown in the setting example of FIG. 7, when the evaluation ball amount information becomes 8 or more, for example, the counter 12 is controlled to stop counting, and the evaluation ball amount information becomes 4 or less, for example. When this happens, the counter 12 is returned to a countable state. Further, here, the counting stop state means a state where the shutter of the game ball receiving port of the counter 12 is closed and counting (game ball reception) cannot be performed.

  Next, in step S10, control processing of the discharge devices 34a and 34b is performed. Here, first, if the detection signal is not input from the upper ball amount switch 46, the game balls are not sufficiently filled to the predetermined level of the circulation tank 13 on the upper part of the island, so that both the discharge devices 34a and 34b are operated. The game balls in the storage tank are supplied to the circulation tank 13. On the other hand, if the detection signal is input, both the discharge devices 34a and 34b are stopped.

  In addition, here, when the right and left storage tanks have a poor ball balance, control is also performed to operate the discharge device so as to adjust this balance. That is, for example, when the difference in the number of bulb switches on the left and right storage tanks (ie, the ball quantity information) is 2 or more, the discharge device of the storage tank with the larger ball quantity information is removed until the difference disappears, for example. Operate. Further, when the information on the ball quantity of the storage tank on the counter installation side is one or more more than the other, the discharge device for the storage tank on the counter installation side is operated until the difference disappears, for example.

Next, in step S12, trouble monitoring processing is performed. That is, for example, when the discharge devices 34a and 34b are operated because no detection signal is input from the upper bulb quantity switch 46 in step S10, the detection signal of the upper bulb quantity switch 46 is monitored and the operation is started. If the time from when the detection signal is input exceeds a preset threshold value, it is estimated that the circulation of the game balls in the island is poor, so an abnormal signal indicating this is output. For example, if a signal from the thermal trip 63 is input, the lift motor 66 is overloaded, and an abnormal signal indicating the abnormality is output.
The abnormal signal here is output to the system control device 22 and other island control devices in step S18, which will be described later, and the abnormality display on the operating state indicator 68 is executed, for example, in step S22, which will be described later. .

Next, in step S14, after confirming that the above-described setting change mode is instructed, processing for accepting the above-described setting change input is performed.
In step S16, display control on the operation indicator 59 is performed. Next, in step S18, a communication process to be described later shown in FIG. 9B is executed. After this process is completed, the process returns to step S4, and the above series of processes is repeated as long as the apparatus is activated.

Next, FIG. 9A shows a timer interrupt process periodically performed by a timer interrupt separately from the main routine.
First, in step S22, display control to the operating state indicator 68 is performed.
In step S24, an input signal from each input device (the above-described various switches and sensors shown in FIG. 4) is read and the stored value is updated. Then, a series of timer interrupt processing ends. Note that the latest data of the input signal read here is used in other processing.

Next, FIG. 9B shows communication processing.
First, in step S32, after confirming that it is the transmission timing to the system control device, the island information of the own island (hereinafter referred to as own island information in some cases) is transmitted to the system control device. Here, the island information includes detection signal or set value data input from each input device, data generated by internal processing from the input data, a determination result, or a state of a control command. Specifically, the following are included, for example. That is, input signals (ball amount information) from the ball amount switches 41a to 44a (or 41b to 44b), evaluation ball amount information calculated in step S42 in FIG. 10, and input signals (abnormality determination) from the limit switch 45 Information), an input signal from the upper bulb amount switch 46 (circulation preparation information), an abnormality determination result in the processing of step S12 in FIG. 8, the input signals from the shutter sensors 61 and 62 (ball intake information), and discharge Operation information of the devices 34a and 34b and the lifting device 33 (whether in operation or stopped) is included.

Next, in step S34, after confirming that it is the transmission timing to the island control device of the adjacent island, the self-island information is transmitted to the island control device.
Next, in step S36, control information addressed to the self-island from the system control device is received and stored.
In step S38, the island information addressed to the own island from the adjacent island is received and stored, and the process returns to the main routine.

Next, FIG. 10 shows balance control processing.
First, in step S42, a self-island evaluation value calculation process, which will be described later, shown in FIG. 11 is performed, and a process for calculating evaluation ball quantity information from the above-described ball quantity information (the number of turns on the ball quantity switch) is performed.
Next, in step S44, adjacent island invalidity determination processing is executed.
That is, here, the information of the signal of the limit switch 45 is read from the island information received from both adjacent islands. And when the limit switch 45 of any adjacent island is not act | operating, both adjacent islands are validated regarding the circulation operation | movement of a game ball.

  On the other hand, when the limit switch 45 of any adjacent island (or both adjacent islands) is activated, the adjacent island is invalidated with respect to the circulation operation of the game ball, and the shutter 16 of the own island (usually When the shutter 16 on the adjacent island side where the limit switch 45 is operating is currently open, the control content of the shutter 16 is set to be closed. With this closed setting, in the process of step S62, the shutter motor is controlled and the shutter 16 is actually closed. Further, in this case, the information on the shutter 16 on the own island side among the shutters 16 on the adjacent island where the limit switch 45 is operating (that is, information on the signal of the shutter sensor) is set to be invalid. With this setting, even if the shutter 16 of the adjacent island is in the open state, the setting of the circulation assist operation determined in step S60 is ignored, and in step S62, the discharge device is used to assist the circulation operation of the adjacent island. The control to activate is not actually performed.

  Note that the fact that the limit switch 45 is operating means that the upper part of the circulation tank 13 is filled with game balls and the lifting device 33 is not operating, and some circulation of game balls in the island. It is presumed that a defect has occurred and there is an abnormality that prevents circulation between islands. Therefore, in the above process, the adjacent island where the limit switch 45 is operated is invalidated, and in the process of step S62 in FIG. The operation is not performed.

Next, in step S46, it is determined whether or not both adjacent islands are invalid in the determination in step S44. If both islands are invalid, the process proceeds to step S62, and if not, the process proceeds to the next step S48. .
In step S48, the evaluation ball quantity information of the adjacent island is read from the island information sent from the adjacent island.

Next, in step S50, adjacent island selection processing is performed. This is a process of selecting a game island as a supply side of a circulation operation (hereinafter referred to as “ball take-in” in some cases) that takes a game ball into its own island among adjacent islands on both sides. When the amount of ball information is larger, and the evaluation ball amount information of both adjacent islands is equal, either one is selected with a probability of 1/2 using a random number. If only one of the neighboring islands on both sides is valid in the determination in step S44, the valid neighboring island is selected.
In step S52, a later-described ball circulation determination process shown in FIG. 12 is executed. Next, in step S54, it is determined whether or not it is determined to perform the ball uptake (or to continue the ball uptake) in the above-described ball circulation determination process, and if start or continue of the ball uptake is determined, the process proceeds to step S56. If not, the process proceeds to step S60.

Next, in step S56, an adjacent island ball take-in determination process is executed.
That is, the information of the signal of the upper bulb amount switch 46 is read out from the island information received from the adjacent island selected in step S50. Then, it is determined from the read information whether the upper bulb amount switch 46 of the adjacent island outputs a detection signal, and if the detection signal is output, it is determined that the circulation operation is ready. Then, it is determined to start taking in the ball from the selected adjacent island, and the shutter 16 on the adjacent island side of the own island shutter 16 is set to be opened. By these determinations and settings, in step S62, when the shutter 16 is in the closed state, the shutter motor is actually driven to control the shutter 16 to be in the open state.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the upper ball amount switch 46 of the adjacent island does not output the detection signal, it is determined to stop (or not start) the ball intake from the selected adjacent island, Furthermore, the setting which closes the shutter 16 of the adjacent island side among the own island shutters 16 (or setting which cannot open) is performed.
With these determinations and settings, in step S62, when the shutter 16 is in the open state, control is performed to actually drive the shutter motor and close the shutter 16, so that the shutter 16 is in the closed state. In this case, control is performed to keep the shutter 16 closed without driving the shutter motor.

Next, in step S58, an adjacent island ball take-in continuation determination process is executed.
Here, it is determined from the signal from the shutter sensor whether or not the shutter 16 on the adjacent island side selected among the own island shutters 16 is open (that is, whether or not the ball is taken in from the adjacent island). If it is open, the following processing is performed.
First, from the island information received from the selected neighboring island, the operation information of the lifting device of the neighboring island is read to determine whether the lifting device is operating.
And if the lifting device of an adjacent island is in operation, the setting which continues taking in the ball from the adjacent island is performed. As long as it has not been determined in the above-described adjacent island ball take-in determination process that the ball take-in from the adjacent island has been stopped, this setting causes the shutter 16 on the adjacent island side to be opened in step S62. Control to remain is performed.
On the other hand, if the lifting device on the adjacent island is not in operation, it is decided to stop the ball take-in from the selected adjacent island, and among the own island shutter 16, the shutter 16 on the adjacent island side is closed. Set up. Note that, in accordance with these determinations and settings, in step S62, the shutter motor is actually driven and the shutter 16 is closed.

Next, in step S60, an adjacent island ball taking-in assist process is executed.
That is, of the shutters 16 of both adjacent islands, the information of the shutters 16 on the own island side is read, and if any of the shutters 16 is open, the neighboring islands assist in taking the ball from the own islands. Decide to do control. Specifically, a setting is made to continuously operate the discharging device and the lifting device on the own island regardless of the state in the own island. Note that, in accordance with these determinations or settings, in step S62, when the self-island discharging device and the lifting device are not operating, control is performed to actually operate them.
On the other hand, if neither of the shutters 16 on the own island side of the adjacent island is open, the adjacent island is not taking in the ball from the own island. The device is set not to be activated to assist in the ball uptake on the adjacent island. Thereby, the discharging device and the lifting device of the own island are controlled so as to operate only in accordance with the state in the own island by the processing of steps S4 and S10 described above.

  Next, in step S62, according to the control content determined or set in the processing up to the above step S60, the shutter motor is specifically driven to open or close one of the shutters 16 or discharged to assist the circulation operation. Control is performed to operate or stop the devices 34a and 34b and the lifting device 33, and then the process returns to the main routine.

Next, FIG. 11 shows a self-island evaluation value calculation process.
First, in step S72 and step S74, from the island facility information set as shown in FIG. 7, the number of storage tanks installed in the own island (in this case, one or two), or installed in the own island. Read the data of the presence or quantity of the counter being used.
Next, in step S76, the on-number (ball quantity information) of the ball quantity switch installed in each storage tank of the own island is read from the information input in step S24.

Next, in step S78, a first condition value is set based on the number of storage tanks read in step S72. Specifically, when the number of storage tanks is one, the first condition value is set to “2”, and when the number of storage tanks is two, the first condition value is set to “1”. .
In step S80, a second condition value (margin value) is set based on the counter data read in step S74. Specifically, if there is one or more counters, the second condition value is set to “1”, and if there are no counters, the second condition value is set to “0”.
Next, in step S82, provisional ball amount information (ball storage ratio information) is calculated from the above-described first condition value and the number of turns on the ball amount switch (ball amount information) read in step S76. Specifically, the first condition value described above is multiplied by the number of turns on the ball amount switch, and the value of the calculation result is used as provisional ball amount information.

Next, in step S84, it is determined whether or not the value of the provisional ball amount information calculated in step S82 is a predetermined value (for example, 5) or more. If the value is not less than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S86. move on.
In step S86, the second condition value (margin value) set in step S80 is added to the value of the provisional ball amount information, and in the next step S90, the value of the addition result is used as the evaluation ball amount of the own island. Information.
On the other hand, in step S88, the second condition value set in step S80 is invalidated, and in the next step S90, the value of the provisional ball amount information is used as it is as evaluation ball amount information for the own island.

Next, FIG. 12 shows a ball circulation determination process.
First, in step S102, it is determined from the signal of the shutter sensor read in the input process in step S24 whether or not the own island is currently taking in the ball, that is, whether or not the shutter 16 of the own island is open. If the ball is being taken in, the process proceeds to step S124; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S104.
Next, in step S104, the evaluation-use ball amount information calculated in step S42 of FIG. 9 is read, and in steps S106 to S114 below, a predetermined value (reference value) for ball uptake determination is set.
That is, first, in step S106, it is determined whether or not the own island has a sufficient amount of ball based on the evaluation ball amount information. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the evaluation ball amount information is, for example, 8 or more. If it is 8 or more, the process proceeds to step S112, and if not, the process proceeds to step S108.

Next, in step S108, it is determined whether or not the ball amount on the own island is insufficient based on the evaluation ball amount information. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the evaluation ball quantity information is 1 or less, for example. If it is 1 or less, the process proceeds to step S114, and if not, the process proceeds to step S110.
Then, in step S110, the predetermined value for determining the ball uptake is set to “2”, for example, in step S112, the predetermined value for determining the ball uptake is set to “−” (none), and in step S114, the predetermined value for determining the ball uptake is set. The predetermined value for determination is set to “1”, for example, and the process proceeds to step S116.

Next, in step S116, in order to determine whether or not to start taking in the ball, the evaluation ball amount information of the own island is subtracted from the evaluation ball amount information of the neighboring island of the circulation partner selected in step S50, Find the difference.
Next, in step S118, it is determined whether or not the difference between the two pieces of evaluation ball amount information is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (reference value) for determining the ball uptake set in either step S110 or S114. If it is equal to or greater than this value, the process proceeds to step S120, and if not, the process proceeds to step S122. At this time, if the predetermined value for determining the ball take-in is set to “−” (none), the process proceeds to step S122 regardless of the magnitude of the difference. In other words, “−” here means that the predetermined value for determining the ball take-in is set to an infinite value.

In step S120, it is determined to start taking in the ball from the target adjacent island to the own island, and the process returns to the balance control process. On the other hand, in step S122, it is determined not to start the ball take-in from the target adjacent island to the own island, and the process returns to the balance control process.
FIG. 6B summarizes the determination results of the sphere uptake determined in the processes of steps S104 to S122 described above in a table format. In this figure, the vertical axis shows the evaluation ball amount information (0 to 9) of the own island, and the horizontal axis shows the evaluation ball amount information (0 to 9) of the target adjacent island. Further, “◯” in the table means that the ball uptake is started, and “−” means that the ball uptake is not started.

Next, the process after step S124 is demonstrated.
The process proceeds to step S124 when the ball has been taken in at that time. Here, first, the predetermined value for judging the ball take-in is set to “0”.
Next, in step S126, the same calculation as in steps S116 and S118 is performed. That is, the evaluation ball amount information of the own island is subtracted from the evaluation ball amount information of the selected adjacent island, and the difference between them is obtained. Then, it is determined whether or not the difference between the two pieces of evaluation ball amount information is equal to or less than the value set in step S124 (ie, “0”). If it is equal to or less than “0”, the process proceeds to step S130. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S128.
In step S128, a decision is made to continue taking in the ball, and the process returns to the balance control process. On the other hand, in step S130, it is determined to stop the ball take-in, and the process returns to the balance control process.

  The above-described ball circulation determination process (step S52 in FIG. 10) is for determining whether or not the ball should be taken in, considering the evaluation ball quantity information of the own island and the adjacent island. The final determination of whether or not to actually perform (or whether or not to continue) is performed by the processing of steps S56 and S58 of FIG. However, if it is determined in this ball circulation determination process that the ball uptake is not started or the ball uptake is not continued, the determination is valid as it is, and the stop of the ball uptake is actually controlled. (See steps S54 and S56 in FIG. 10)

E. Operation and Effect of the System According to the system configuration or control processing described above, the characteristic operation of the system is realized and the effect is achieved as follows.
First, in the processing (self-island evaluation value calculation processing) of steps S72 to S90 (FIG. 11) of the island control device (control means), island facilities preset as information indicating the facility configuration of each amusement island (self-island) From the information (the number of storage tanks and counters) and the ball information (the number of ball switches on), the ball information for evaluation for each game island is determined.

Specifically, when there is only one storage tank, the ball volume information is doubled to obtain temporary ball volume information, and when there are two storage tanks, the value of the ball volume information is used as it is. Information. If the temporary ball amount information is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (5) and there is a counter on the own island, “1” is added to the temporary ball amount information to obtain the evaluation ball amount information. In this case, the value of the provisional ball amount information is directly used as the evaluation ball amount information.
The processing contents here are represented in a table format as shown in FIG. In FIG. 6A, the numbers (0 to 4) on the vertical axis and the horizontal axis indicate the number of ball volume switches that are turned on in each storage tank (that is, ball volume information), and “−” The case where the storage tank T2 on one side is not provided is shown. And the number (0-8) in a table | surface has shown provisional ball amount information. In the case of this example, the evaluation ball amount information is an integer value of 0 to 9, and is a level value that indicates the amount of game ball possession in 10 levels.

Then, a circulation operation is executed based on the value of the evaluation ball amount information by the processing of steps S104 to S122 (FIG. 12) or step S62 (FIG. 10). In other words, when the difference in the ball quantity information for evaluation between the amusement islands (between its own island and the adjacent island) is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (reference value) for determining the ball intake, The island 16 is opened, and a circulation operation (incorporation of a ball into the own island) is performed in a direction to reduce this difference.
For this reason, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), the game is compared with the conventional case in which it is determined whether or not to start the circulation operation based on the value of the ball quantity information (the number of turns on the ball quantity switch). The circulation operation is started by the judgment under the unified condition based on the detailed information (ball quantity information for evaluation) set according to the equipment configuration of the island, and the minimum necessary according to the equipment configuration of the amusement island The quick circulation operation can be performed with simple control, and the problem of noise and vibration can be reduced, and the occurrence of a trouble such as a prize ball not being produced due to insufficient ball quantity can be more reliably avoided. In addition, since the ball volume switch can be set at the same arrangement interval in the storage tanks of any game island, there is also an effect that the installation work becomes easy.

For example, in this example, as shown in steps S78 and S82, when the number of storage tanks on the self-island is one, the ball volume information is doubled to obtain provisional ball volume information, and there are two storage tanks. Uses the value of the ball amount information as it is as the temporary ball amount information, and determines the evaluation ball amount information based on the temporary ball amount information.
For this reason, even if a similar number of ball switches are provided in the same arrangement (interval) in each storage tank, the holding ratio with respect to the maximum holding amount of game balls on each game island is related to the number of storage tanks. It will be reflected in the evaluation ball quantity information, and even if it is determined based on a unified judgment standard regardless of the difference in the number of storage tanks, unnecessary circulation operation will be performed as before. There is nothing.

That is, conventionally, since the ball amount information is used as it is as the ball amount evaluation value for determining the circulation operation, for example, three balls out of four ball amount switches on a game island having only one storage tank. Even if the amount switch is activated and the possession ratio is about 75%, the ball amount evaluation value of the amusement island is “3”. Then, two storage tanks (4 × 2 = 8 ball quantity switches) are provided on the adjacent island of the amusement island, and the possession ratio of this adjacent island is, for example, 50% (the number of on of the ball quantity switch is 4). ), The ball quantity evaluation value of this adjacent island is “4”. For this reason, in this case, although the possession ratio of the adjacent island is small, the ball amount evaluation value of this adjacent island is larger, and depending on the setting of the reference value for determining the circulation operation, the game ball may be An unnecessary and improper circulation operation is performed in which a game ball is taken into the game island having sufficient game balls from a shortage adjacent island.
However, in the case of the configuration as in this example, in the above case, the ball amount evaluation value of the game island (that is, the ball amount information for evaluation) is “6” because the ball amount information is doubled, It becomes larger than “4” of the island, and the unnecessary and inappropriate circulation operation as described above is not executed.

In this example, as shown in steps S80 and S86, if there is a counter on each game island (own island), “1” (a margin value) is added to the provisional ball amount information to determine the circulation operation. Is increased by “1” (margin value).
For this reason, on the game island where the counter is installed, the evaluation ball amount information is set to be larger than the actual possession ratio of the game balls, and the circulation operation of taking game balls from other game islands is relatively performed. Therefore, it is possible to realize a circulation operation corresponding to the characteristic that game balls are easily replenished via a counter. That is, as described above, the problem that the circulation operation related to the game island where the counter is installed is frequently performed can be avoided, and vibration and noise due to the circulation operation can be reduced.

In addition, in this example, as shown in steps S84 and S88, the addition operation is performed only when the provisional ball amount information (ball storage ratio value) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (5), and the game island with the counter is provided. However, if the possession ratio of game balls is small, it is handled in the same way as a game island without a counting machine.
For this reason, as a result of performing the addition operation as described above, it becomes difficult to perform a circulation operation for taking a game ball into a game island with a counter, and when the game ball is not collected from the counter, the game There is an effect that an adverse effect that the amount of balls on the island is extremely short is avoided, and a necessary circulation operation according to the situation is surely performed.

In this example, a plurality of island control devices 20a, 20b, and 20c that are provided for each gaming island and are connected so as to be able to exchange signals with each other constitute the control means of the present invention. The device is in charge of control processing for the circulation operation (ball take-in) or the circulation assist operation related to the own island.
For this reason, each amusement island is in an equal and independent state, the number, arrangement and combination of amusement islands can be set completely freely, and the change can be easily made. There is an advantage that it can easily cope with the layout.

In addition, this invention is not restricted to the aspect of the said example, There can be various deformation | transformation and application. For example, the control means of the present invention comprises the island control device and the system control device 22, and the system control device 22 is connected to each game island (lifting device, discharge device, etc.) and circulation means via each island control device. By controlling the operation of the (inclined shutter), the circulation operation or the circulation auxiliary operation related to the entire game island can be executed. In this case, the system control device 22 may be configured to perform the control processing of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 8 to 12 for each gaming island from the viewpoint of each gaming island.
With such a configuration, when a change in the control content related to the circulation operation occurs, there is no need to change the program or data registered in the island control device of each game island, and the program of the system control device 22 It is easy to work because it only has to be changed.

Further, the conditions for determining the evaluation ball amount information (that is, the relationship between the information on the facility configuration of the game island and the evaluation ball amount information) are not limited to those shown in FIG. That is, for example, the numerical values “2”, “1”, “1”, “0”, “5” in steps S78, S80, and S84 in FIG. Needless to say, it can be done.
FIG. 1 illustrates the case where three game islands having two storage tanks are arranged. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a larger number of game islands may be arranged in groups. A plurality of island groups may be installed at appropriate intervals. For example, a game island having only one storage tank and a game island having two storage tanks are mixed with different types of game islands. Needless to say, it may be.
Further, the gaming machine according to the present invention is not limited to a pachinko machine, and any gaming machine that uses a gaming ball may be used.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of a game ball circulation system. It is a front view of amusement island. It is a front view which shows schematic structure of amusement island. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of a game ball circulation system. It is a connection diagram of the control device of the game ball circulation system. It is the figure which showed the possession amount information determination process and the circulation operation | movement determination process in the table format. It is a figure which shows the content of the setting information containing island equipment information. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of an island control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of an island control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of an island control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of an island control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of an island control apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Pachinko machine 12 Counting machine 10a, 10b, 10c Amusement island 13 Circulation tank 13a Circulation main tank 13b Circulation auxiliary tank 14, 15 Inclined gutter (circulation means)
16 Shutter (circulation means)
20a, 20b, 20c Island control device (control means)
21 relay device 22 system control device (control means)
32a, 32b Storage tank 33 Lifting device 34a, 34b Discharge device 41a-44a Ball amount switch (ball amount detecting means)
41b-44b Ball switch (ball detector)

Claims (1)

In a game hall where a plurality of gaming islands where a plurality of gaming machines are installed are arranged, a circulation means for exchanging gaming balls used in the gaming machines between the gaming islands, and an appropriate amount of gaming balls on each gaming island A game ball circulation system comprising: a control means for operating the circulation means to perform a circulation operation in order to hold the
Each game island is provided with one or more storage tanks for storing game balls,
The storage tank is provided with a plurality of ball amount switches for detecting the amount of balls in the storage tank,
The control means includes
The sphere volume information of due on the number of the game island the ball amount switch, calculates the spherical storage ratio information indicating the holding ratio of the maximum holding amount of the game island amount sphere are held in the game island,
Based on the ball storage ratio information, determine the ball information for evaluation for each game island,
Activating the circulation means based on the difference in the ball information for evaluation between amusement islands,
The control means includes
If it is determined that a counter is placed based on the counter presence / absence information indicating whether or not a counter that discharges the received game balls to the storage tank is placed on each game island, the ball While performing an addition operation to add a predetermined margin value to the storage ratio information, while using this addition result as the evaluation ball amount information,
When it is determined that the counter is not installed based on the counter presence / absence information, the ball storage ratio information is used as the evaluation ball amount information as it is.

Images