JP6080661B2 - GAME SYSTEM AND GAME SYSTEM CONTROL METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is a game system, and a control how the game system.

  Conventionally, communication from a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine or pachislot machine to an external device such as a CR unit or a sand that is connected to each gaming machine is generally based on a relay system using a relay (for example, Patent Document 1).

  The reason why the relay system has been generally used is that the interpretation that game machines should not always be connected to external devices under the laws on customs business and the law on the appropriateness of business (custom law) It was because it was made. In other words, in the relay system, the relay is physically opened and closed each time it is transmitted, so that the constantly connected state between the gaming machine and the outside is not maintained.

  On the other hand, in recent years, the optical communication system is expanding as a communication form. In Patent Document 2, one data analysis device is connected to dozens of gaming machines through optical communication, and gaming data (the number of detected out balls, the number of detected safe balls, the number of operating hours, the total number of starts) is determined by optical signals from the gaming machines. It is disclosed that the number of entered balls, the number of starts, the total number of winnings, the number of winning prizes) are transmitted to the data analysis device and displayed on the data analysis device.

JP 2008-173202 A JP 09-051984

  However, when the relay method is used as in Patent Document 1, the amount of data transfer is small, and there are switching contacts in the signal path, so noise is easily added, encryption is difficult, and a relay is required for each type of signal to be transmitted. Therefore, there is a problem that the relay is a one-to-one communication, which causes an increase in cost, and is not scalable and cannot flexibly respond to user requests.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, it is described that it is not easy to perform integrated management with a hall computer using a wireless system due to problems of radio interference and transmission reliability (see paragraph 0004). We paid attention to the fact that the optical communication method was adopted, and the signal could be transmitted without always connecting the gaming machine and the external device as in the relay method.

  In the case of the relay system, not only the type of signal to be transmitted is limited by the number of pins for parallel communication, but also because it is a relay connection, it is difficult to encrypt and the signal to be transmitted is limited to those that are not affected by leakage. There was a problem of being.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can manage information of a plurality of gaming machines in an integrated manner, further reduce the size of gaming machines and perform encryption in communication. easily and possible to achieve prevention of fraud gaming systems, and aims to provide a control how the game system.

The present invention
A gaming system having a gaming machine, an external device provided individually in the gaming machine, and a game hall management device connected to the external device so as to be able to perform data communication,
The gaming machine is
A gaming machine housing,
A control board that converts game data into an optical signal and outputs the optical signal as a serial signal to an optical cable;
A gaming machine-side connection terminal plate that has a light emitting section, receives the game data from the control board via the optical cable, and emits signal light based on the game data to the outside of the housing;
And having
At least one of the control board and the gaming machine side connection terminal plate is
A storage unit storing an encryption program in advance;
An encryption unit that encrypts the game data by executing the encryption program;
Have
Wired connection that is arranged in the traveling direction of the signal light emitted from the gaming machine side connection terminal plate, receives the signal light, converts the signal light into an electrical signal, and enables data communication with the external device Further comprising a transducer,
The external device is
An external device side receiving unit for receiving the game data from the converter;
An external device-side transmitter that transmits the received game data to the game hall management device;
Have

According to the above configuration, the game data is output as a serial signal from the control board to the gaming machine side connection terminal board, and is emitted as signal light to the gaming machine side connection terminal board to an external device for each gaming machine. The signal light is received by the converter and transmitted as an electrical signal to an external device. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a relay for each type of game data on the gaming machine side connection terminal plate, and it is only necessary to provide one device that modulates a serial signal into signal light, thereby reducing the size. The converter that receives the signal light may be provided with one device that receives and demodulates the signal light. As a result, costs can be reduced as compared to conventional gaming machines. In addition, expandability can be expected for optical communication. Further, in the case of optical communication, since no physical operation occurs, the occurrence of failure and noise can be reduced. Furthermore, the data transfer amount can be increased compared to the conventional case.
In addition, in the conventional gaming machine, the plurality of types of signals in the game data are transmitted by parallel communication, but since the game data is transmitted by serial communication, the game data can include a plurality of types of signals. Transmission is possible after encryption. Thereby, encryption can be easily performed, the confidentiality of game data output to the outside of the gaming machine can be improved, and illegal acts can be prevented.

In the gaming system of the present invention, the gaming data is transmitted in one packet,
The control board is
A storage unit for storing a transmission execution program for adding control board identification information for identifying the control board to the packet;
A transmission execution unit that generates the packet based on the transmission execution program and transmits the packet to the game side connection terminal board may be included.

  According to the above configuration, the control board identification information is added to each game data to be transmitted. Therefore, in the game hall management device that receives the game data, it is possible to authenticate the game data and prevent fraud. .

Further, the external device in the gaming system of the present invention,
A storage unit for storing a transmission execution program for adding external device identification information for identifying the external device to the packet of game data;
A transmission execution unit that transmits the packet to the game hall management device based on the transmission execution program;
You may have.

  According to the above configuration, the external device identification information is added to each game data received by the game hall management device. Therefore, in the game hall management device that receives the game data, it is possible to perform collation using the two identification information. , It is possible to further prevent fraud.

The present invention also provides:
A gaming machine having a gaming machine housing, a control board, and a gaming machine side connection terminal plate connected to the control board by an optical cable so as to be able to perform data communication, an external device individually provided in the gaming machine, and the external A game system control method having a game hall management device connected to a device so as to be capable of data communication,
The gaming machine is
Converting the gaming data into an optical signal in the control board, and outputting the optical signal to the gaming machine side connection terminal board by serial communication via the optical cable;
Receiving the game data at the gaming machine side connection terminal plate, and emitting signal light generated based on the game data from the gaming machine side connection terminal plate to the outside of the housing;
Encrypting the game data by executing an encryption program stored in advance on at least one of the control board and the gaming machine side connection terminal board;
Run
The step of receiving the signal light emitted from the gaming machine side connection terminal plate and converting the signal light into an electric signal is arranged in the traveling direction of the signal light and is capable of data communication with the external device. Performed by a wired connected transducer,
The external device is
Receiving the game data from the converter; and
Transmitting the received game data to the game hall management device;
Execute.

According to the above configuration, the game data is output as a serial signal from the control board to the gaming machine side connection terminal board, and is emitted as signal light to the gaming machine side connection terminal board to an external device for each gaming machine. The signal light is received by the converter and transmitted as an electrical signal to an external device. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a relay for each type of game data on the gaming machine side connection terminal plate, and it is only necessary to provide one device that modulates a serial signal into signal light, thereby reducing the size. The converter that receives the signal light may be provided with one device that receives and demodulates the signal light. As a result, costs can be reduced as compared to conventional gaming machines. In addition, expandability can be expected for optical communication. Further, in the case of optical communication, since no physical operation occurs, the occurrence of failure and noise can be reduced. Furthermore, the data transfer amount can be increased compared to the conventional case.
In addition, in the conventional gaming machine, the plurality of types of signals in the game data are transmitted by parallel communication, but since the game data is transmitted by serial communication, the game data can include a plurality of types of signals. Transmission is possible after encryption. Thereby, encryption can be easily performed, the confidentiality of game data output to the outside of the gaming machine can be improved, and illegal acts can be prevented.

The present invention also provides:
A game hall management device for managing game data from a gaming machine having a control board and a gaming machine side connection terminal board connected to the control board by an optical cable,
In the gaming machine, serial communication is performed as an optical signal from the control board to the gaming machine side connection terminal board via the optical cable, and as signal light from the gaming machine side connection terminal board of the gaming machine to the outside of the gaming machine housing. Ejected and encrypted by executing an encryption program stored in advance by at least one of the control board and the gaming machine side connection terminal board, and for an external device provided individually in the gaming machine A management device-side receiving unit that receives the game data received by the converter connected in a wired manner so that data communication is possible, converted into an electrical signal, transmitted to the external device, and output from the external device;
A storage unit for storing the game data;
Have

According to the above configuration, the game data is transmitted as an optical signal from the control board to the gaming machine side connection terminal board through the optical cable inside the gaming machine, and the gaming machine individual connection terminal board as a signal light for each external device of the gaming machine Is emitted. The signal light is received by the converter and transmitted as an electrical signal to an external device. Thus, it is not necessary to provide a relay for each type of game data on the gaming machine side connection terminal plate, and it is only necessary to provide one device for simply modulating a serial signal to signal light. The converter that receives the signal light may be provided with one device that receives and demodulates the signal light. As a result, costs can be reduced as compared to conventional gaming machines. In addition, expandability can be expected for optical communication. Further, in the case of optical communication, since no physical operation occurs, the occurrence of failure and noise can be reduced. Furthermore, the data transfer amount can be increased compared to the conventional case.
In addition, in the conventional gaming machine, the plurality of types of signals in the game data are transmitted by parallel communication, but since the game data is transmitted by serial communication, the game data can include a plurality of types of signals. Transmission is possible after encryption. Thereby, encryption can be easily performed, the confidentiality of game data output to the outside of the gaming machine can be improved, and illegal acts can be prevented.

  The present invention can integrate and manage information of a plurality of gaming machines.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the whole structure of a game system. It is a block diagram of a game system. It is explanatory drawing which shows the radiation | emission pattern by the light emission part of a game machine side connection terminal board. It is a block diagram of a game system. It is a block diagram of a game system. It is a block diagram of a game system. It is explanatory drawing of an identification information table. It is explanatory drawing of a setting time table. It is a flowchart of a cheating detection processing routine. It is a block diagram of a communication LSI. It is explanatory drawing which shows a positioning mechanism. It is a front view of a positioning mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows a communication monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows the display part of a communication monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows a modification.

(Outline of gaming system)
As shown in FIG. 1, the gaming system 100 according to this embodiment includes a gaming machine 10, an external device (game medium management device) 20, a converter 30, and a converter 30, which are individually provided for the gaming machine 10. It has a display device 40 and a game hall management device 50 for a plurality of these. That is, the gaming system is configured with one or more of a set of gaming machines 10, a game medium management device 20, a converter 30, and a display device 40, and a game hall management device 50.
In such a gaming system 100, game data output from the gaming machine 10 is transmitted to the game hall management device 50. In the present embodiment, game data output from the gaming machine 10 is transmitted to the game medium management device 20 via the converter 30. The game data output from the external device game medium management device 20 is transmitted to each of the display device 40 and the game hall management device 50. The game data transmitted to the display device 40 is transmitted to the game hall management device 50. Thus, the game data from the gaming machine 10 is transmitted to the game hall management device 50 via the converter 30 and the external device game medium management device 20, and the converter 30, the external device game medium management device. 20 and the display device 40 to the game hall management device 50. In the following description, the game data transmitted directly from the external device game medium management device 20 to the game hall management device 50 is referred to as first game data, and the game device management is performed from the external device game medium management device 20 via the display device 40. The game data transmitted to the device 50 is referred to as second game data.

  The gaming machine 10 is a game device such as a so-called pachinko machine 10a and a pachislot machine 10b. The game medium management device 20 is a so-called CR rental unit or a ball lending unit called a medal sand (sand), and the game medium such as a ball game ball or a medal is lent to a player when a valuable value is input. It has become. The game medium management device 20 is provided on the side of the gaming machine 10. As shown in FIG. 1, in the case of the pachinko machine 10a, the gaming medium management device 20 is installed on the left side of the casing 15 of the gaming machine 10, and in the case of the pachislot machine 10b, the gaming medium management device 20 is connected to the gaming machine 10. Installed on the right side of the housing 15. In this embodiment, the game medium management device 20 is configured to be installed on either side of the gaming machine. The above-mentioned ball rental unit is provided with a payout unit for game media such as medals. When the gaming machine 10 increases the gaming value (credits, etc.) of the gaming machine 10 by inserting the gaming media as described above, the gaming media management device 20 is also provided with such a payout unit. Also good. Further, when the gaming value of the gaming machine 10 is increased by the lending operation in the gaming medium management device 20, the above payout unit may not be provided. That is, since it is not necessary to increase the gaming value of the gaming machine 10 via the gaming medium, a payout unit is not necessary. In this case, since it is not necessary to consider the difference of game media according to the gaming machines, the game media management device 20 can be easily applied to both pachinko machines and pachislot machines.

Here, game data will be described. Data output to the outside in pachinko games and pachislot games includes the following. That is, the game data in the pachinko game is a jackpot signal, a ball signal, a start signal, a payout signal, and the like. The game data in the pachislot game includes medal insertion signal output, medal payout signal output, BB (big bonus) winning signal, RB (regular bonus) winning signal, CBB winning signal, CBB winning signal, lower door opening signal, and the like. It is. In this way, the gaming machine 10 can include various information such as a signal indicating the number of subtractions of game balls or medals, which are game media, a signal indicating the increase in the number of game media, a prize type, and a game state. Although data is output, game data is not limited to these.
In the present embodiment, gaming machine identification information for identifying the gaming machine 10 and gaming machine timing information counted in the gaming machine 10 are output as gaming data. The gaming machine identification information and gaming machine timing information will be described in detail later.

  The gaming machine 10 includes a control board 11 that executes a game, and a gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 having a light emitting unit 13. The control board 11 outputs game data related to the pachinko game or pachislot game executed in the gaming machine 10 to the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12. In the gaming machine 10, the control board 11 and the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 are connected by an optical cable 14 so that data communication can be performed by serial communication. That is, the control board 11 transmits game data to the game machine side connection terminal board 12 by an optical signal. In a gaming machine that executes a pachinko machine or a pachislot machine, the control board 11 incorporates a control circuit that determines payout in the game. In this type of gaming machine, the input of signals to a main control board such as the control board 11 is generally restricted from the viewpoint of countermeasures against fraud. In addition, from the same viewpoint, it is common that input of signals to the gaming machine itself is also restricted. Therefore, communication between the control board 11 and the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 is limited to one direction from the control board 11 to the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12. Although not described in detail, communication between the control board 11 that executes the game and other peripheral boards is restricted to only one direction from the control board 11 to other peripheral boards in the gaming machine 10. Has been. In this way, the gaming machine 10 is configured such that no signal is input to the control board 11. That is, the control board 11 does not have a function of a receiving unit for receiving an external signal. Further, the gaming machine side connection terminal plate 12 emits an optical signal from the control board 11 to the outside of the housing 15 as signal light. In other words, for wireless communication between the gaming machine and the outside, optical wireless communication is limited to only one direction from the gaming machine to the outside. As described above, the gaming machine 10 is connected so as to be able to perform data communication with the outside. However, in the data communication, no signal is input to the gaming machine 10 from the outside. In other words, the gaming machine 10 has a function of only a data transmission unit that transmits data to the outside with respect to data communication, and does not have a function of a data reception unit that receives data from the outside. In the present embodiment, the communication is limited to one-way communication as described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and bidirectional communication may be used.

  The converter 30 modulates communication data, receives signal light emitted from the gaming machine 10 to the outside of the housing 15, converts it into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the game medium management device 20. . In the present embodiment, the converter 30 is provided in the housing of the game medium management device 20, but is not limited to this and is disposed separately from the game medium management device 20. Also good.

  Although not shown, the display device 40 is a so-called data display provided at the upper part of the gaming machine 10, and performs display based on game data from the gaming machine 10. Specifically, a history of the number of hits such as big hits and other small hits, the number of unit games executed on the day, and the like are displayed. The display device 40 may be provided separately from the casing 15 of the gaming machine 10 or may be provided in the casing 15 of the gaming machine 10. The game hall management device 50 is a so-called hall computer, and receives and manages game data from one or more gaming machines 10.

  As described above, the gaming machine 10 includes the gaming machine housing 15, the control board 11 that outputs game data as a serial signal, and the light emitting unit 13, and emits signal light based on the game data received from the control board 11. And a gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 that is emitted to the outside of the housing 15 by the unit 13, and the signal light emitted to the outside is wired to the external device (game medium management device) 20 so that data communication is possible. The connected converter 30 receives the light and then converts it into an electrical signal.

  In addition, the gaming system 50 includes the gaming machine 10 as described above, an external device 20 provided individually in the gaming machine 10, and a game hall management device 50 connected to the external device 20 so as to be able to perform data communication. The external device 20 receives game data from the converter 30 and transmits the received game data to the game hall management device 50.

  In addition, the game hall management device 50 that manages game data from a gaming machine is emitted as signal light from the gaming machine 10 to the outside of the casing 15 of the gaming machine 10 and is externally provided on the gaming machine 10 individually. The game data received by the converter 30 connected in a wired manner so that data communication is possible, converted into an electrical signal, and output from the external device 20 is received and stored.

  In other words, the gaming system 100 outputs the game data to the gaming machine 10 as a serial signal from the control board 11 to the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12, and a signal based on the gaming data received from the control board 11 A step of emitting light from the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 to the outside of the housing 15 by the light emitting unit 13 is executed. In addition, the gaming system 100 receives the signal light emitted from the gaming machine side connection terminal plate 12 to the converter 30 that is arranged in the traveling direction of the signal light and is wired to the external device 20 so that data communication is possible. Then, the step of converting the signal light into an electrical signal is executed. In addition, the gaming system 100 causes the external device 20 to execute a step of receiving game data from the converter 30 and a step of transmitting the received game data to the game hall management device 50. In addition, the gaming system 100 causes the game hall management device 50 to execute a step of receiving and storing game data output from the external device 20.

  With such a configuration, the game data is output as a serial signal from the control board 11 to the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12, and is emitted as signal light from the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 to the individual converter 30 of the gaming machine 10. The Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the relay used conventionally for every type of game data in the game machine side connection terminal board 12, and it is only necessary to provide one device that modulates a serial signal into signal light. The converter 30 on the signal light receiving side may be provided with one device that receives and demodulates the signal light. As a result, the cost can be reduced as compared with the conventional gaming machine 10. Moreover, since optical communication is used, expandability can be expected. In addition, since optical communication is used, physical operation does not occur unlike relays, so that failure and noise generation can be reduced. Furthermore, the data transfer amount can be increased compared to the conventional case. More specific description will be given below.

(Game machine: Control board)
The control board 11 of the gaming machine 10 has a microcomputer as a main component. The microcomputer causes the control board 11 to include various processing units (processing functions) by causing a main CPU to execute a processing program stored in a ROM or a RAM. As shown in FIG. 2, the control board 11 includes a game execution unit 111, a game data generation unit 112, a time measurement unit 113, a storage unit 114, an optical signal modulation unit 115, and a transmission unit 116. Yes. The game execution unit 111 executes a game, and transmits various information in the game data to the game data generation unit 112 based on the game execution result and the like. The various information includes unique gaming machine identification information for each gaming machine 10. The game data generation unit 112 generates game data by adding information from the time measurement unit 113 and the storage unit 114 to various information from the game execution unit 111. The timer 113 measures the time elapsed since the game machine 10 was turned on, and transmits gaming machine time information based on the time to the game data generator 112. The storage unit 114 stores unique control board identification information for each control board 11. In other words, the game data generation unit 112 adds game machine time information and control board identification information to various information from the game execution unit 111 to generate game data. Therefore, the gaming data includes gaming machine identification information for identifying the gaming machine 10, control board identification information for identifying the control board 11, and gaming machine time information. The optical signal modulator 115 is a so-called optical modulator that modulates game data, which is an electrical signal, into an optical signal, and modulates the intensity of light generated by the transmission unit 116, which is a light source, according to the electrical signal. The transmission unit 116 causes the optical signal generated by the optical signal modulation unit 115 to enter the optical cable 14. In addition, the transmission unit 116 transmits one game data as one packet. The process of adding control board identification information and gaming machine time information to various data as described above and outputting the data as an optical signal is executed based on a program stored in the storage unit 114.

(Game machine: Game machine side connection terminal board)
The gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 of the gaming machine 10 has a microcomputer as a main component. The microcomputer causes the game machine side connection terminal plate 12 to include various processing units (processing functions) by causing a main CPU to execute a processing program stored in a ROM or a RAM. The receiving unit 121, the electric signal modulating unit 122, the communication LSIT 1 (game machine side communication LSIT 33), the signal light modulating unit 123, and the light emitting unit 13 are included. The receiving unit 121 receives an optical signal (one packet) transmitted via the optical cable 14. The electrical signal modulator 122 modulates the optical signal received by the receiver 121 into an electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal, and outputs the electrical signal to the gaming machine side communication LSIT33. The communication LSIT1 (game machine side communication LSIT33) will be described later, but the game data modulated into an electric signal is encrypted and transmitted to the signal light modulation unit 123. The encrypted game data is decrypted by a communication LSIT1 (converter-side communication LSIT34) described later included in the converter 30. The signal light modulation unit 123 is an optical modulator that modulates encrypted game data that is an electric signal into an optical signal, and modulates the intensity of light generated by the light emitting unit 13 that is a light source according to the electric signal. To do. The light emitting unit 13 includes a condensing lens (not shown), and the generated light is condensed and emitted to the converter 30 with directivity.

  The communication LSIT1 (the gaming machine side communication LSIT33) may be provided on the control board 11. For example, although not shown, the game data generated by the game data generation unit 112 may be encrypted by the communication LSIT 1 (game machine side communication LSIT 33), and this may be modulated into an optical signal by the optical signal modulation unit 115. This eliminates the need to modulate the optical signal into an electrical signal and further modulate the electrical signal into a signal light in order to perform encryption at the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12.

  Further, the light emitting unit 13 repeatedly transmits the signal light to the converter 30 until the next game data is transmitted. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, in the gaming machine side connection terminal plate 12, when the game data A is modulated in the signal light modulation unit 123, after emitting the signal light of the game data A in the light emitting unit 13, The signal light of the game data A already sent every predetermined time is repeatedly emitted to the light receiving unit 33 of the converter 30. Then, when the game data B is modulated in the signal light modulation unit 123, the emission of the signal light of the game data A is stopped, and this time, the signal light of the game data B is emitted in the light emitting unit 13, and then for a predetermined time. The signal light of the game data B already sent every time is repeatedly emitted to the light receiving unit 33 of the converter 30. Then, when the game data C is modulated, the emission of the signal light of the game data B is stopped, and this time, after the signal light of the game data C is emitted from the light emitting unit 13, the game already sent every predetermined time. The signal light of data C is repeatedly emitted to the light receiving unit 33 of the converter 30. In this way, the light emitting unit 13 repeatedly emits the Nth game data as signal light, and when the N + 1th game data is modulated, stops the emission of the Nth game data, and the N + 1th game data. Are repeatedly emitted as signal light.

(converter)
The converter 30 has a microcomputer as a main component. The microcomputer causes the converter 30 to include various processing units (processing functions) by causing a main CPU to execute a processing program stored in a ROM or a RAM. As shown in FIG. 4, the converter 30 includes a light receiving unit 33, an electric signal modulation unit 301, a communication LSIT 1 (converter side communication LSIT 34), a game data analysis unit 302, and a parallel communication unit 303. Have. The light receiving unit 33 receives signal light. The electrical signal modulation unit 301 modulates the optical signal received by the light receiving unit 33 into an electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal and outputs the electrical signal to the gaming machine side communication LSIT34. The communication LSIT1 (converter side communication LSIT34) will be described later, but the game data modulated into the electric signal is decoded and transmitted to the game data analysis unit 302. The game data analysis unit 302 analyzes various information included in the game data, breaks it down into data, and transmits the data to the parallel communication unit 303. The parallel communication unit 303 outputs various kinds of information to the corresponding signal lines of the pins, and performs parallel communication to the game medium management device 20. Thus, although this embodiment demonstrates the case where the game media management apparatus 20 is the structure which receives by the conventional parallel communication, it is not limited to this. For example, communication of game data from the converter 30 to the game medium management device 20 may be performed by serial communication.

(Game media management device)
The game medium management device 20 has a microcomputer as a main component. The microcomputer causes the game medium management device 20 to include various processing units (processing functions) by causing the main CPU to execute processing programs stored in ROM or RAM. As shown in FIG. 4, the game medium management device 20 includes a plurality of reception units 201, a game data combination unit 202, and a transmission unit 203. A plurality of receiving units 201 are provided, each receiving a signal of a different type of game data. As described above, when communication of game data from the converter 30 to the game medium management device 20 is performed by a serial signal, it is only necessary to provide one receiving unit for receiving game data. The game data combining unit 202 combines different data of the received game data to generate game data again. The transmission unit 203 transmits the generated game data to the display device 40 and the game hall management device 50, respectively. The game data directly transmitted to the game hall management device 50 is the first game data.

(Display device)
The display device 40 has a microcomputer as a main component. The microcomputer causes the display device 40 to include various processing units (processing functions) by causing a main CPU to execute a processing program stored in a ROM or a RAM. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the display device 40 includes a reception unit 401, a game data addition unit 402, a time measurement unit 403, a storage unit 404, and a transmission unit 405. The receiving unit 401 receives game data from the game medium management device 20. The game data adding unit 402 adds the information from the time measuring unit 403 and the storage unit 404 to the received game data to generate second game data. The time measuring unit 403 measures the time elapsed since the power-on of the display device 40 that is turned on at the same time when the gaming machine 10 is turned on, and displays display device time information based on the time to the game data adding unit 402. Send. The storage unit 404 stores unique display device identification information for each display device 40. That is, the game data adding unit 402 adds the display device time information and the display device identification information to the game data to generate game data. Therefore, display device identification information for identifying the display device 40 and display device time information are added to the game data. The transmission unit 405 transmits the second game data to which the display device identification information and the display device time information are added to the game hall management device 50.

(Amusement center management device)
The game hall management device 50 has a microcomputer as a main component. The microcomputer causes the game room management device 50 to include various processing units (processing functions) by causing the main CPU to execute processing programs stored in ROM or RAM. As shown in FIG. 6, the game hall management device 50 includes a reception unit 501, a game data determination unit 502, a storage unit 503, and a notification unit 504. The receiving unit 501 receives the first game data from the game medium management device 20 and the second game data from the display device 40. The game data determination unit 502 determines whether an illegal act is being performed based on the received first game data and second game data. The storage unit 503 stores data for the game data determination unit 502 to determine fraud. Specifically, an identification information table in which gaming machine identification information, control board identification information, and display device identification information are associated with each other is stored. The storage unit 503 stores a set time table in which a winning combination is associated with a set time set for each winning combination.

(Identification information table)
Here, the above-described identification information table and set time table will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7, the identification information table has a gaming machine ID column, a control board ID column, and a display device ID column. In the gaming machine ID column, gaming machine identification information is stored in advance. Control board identification information is stored in advance in the control board ID column. Display device identification information is stored in advance in the display device ID column. Thus, the gaming machine identification information, the control board identification information, and the display device identification information are associated in advance by the identification information table. The gaming hall management device 50 includes gaming machine identification information and control board identification information included in the received first game data, gaming machine identification information, control board identification information, and display device identification information included in the second game data. The two are compared with the identification information table to determine whether or not they are inconsistent.

(Set time table)
As shown in FIG. 8, the set time table has a winning combination column, a set time column, a previous time column, and a current time column. Although not shown, the set time table is prepared for each of a plurality of gaming machines. In the winning combination column, the type of winning combination is stored in advance as specific game information indicated by information that can be included in the game data. In the set time, a set time for confirming whether an illegal act is performed is stored in advance. In the previous time field and the current time field, the latest two times of the time in which the winning combination set in the winning combination column is included in the game data are stored. If the time difference between these two latest times is shorter than the time set as the set time, it is determined that an illegal act is being performed.

(Operation of game hall management device)
Next, the operation of detecting fraud in the game hall management device 50 will be described using a flowchart.
As shown in FIG. 9, first, the game hall management device 50 determines whether or not the first game data and the second game data are received from the game medium management device 20 and the display device, respectively (S100). . If at least one of them has not been received (S100: NO), the process returns to step S100. On the other hand, if both have been received (S100: YES), it is determined whether the identification information matches (S101). Specifically, the gaming machine identification information and control board identification information included in the first game data, the gaming machine identification information, control board identification information and display device identification information included in the second game data, and the identification information table are stored in advance. The set gaming machine identification information, control board identification information, and display device identification information are collated to determine whether they match. If the identification information does not match (S101: NO), it is determined whether all the identification information of the first game data and the second game data exists in the identification information table (S102). If it does not exist (S102: NO), a fraud notification process is performed (S107). The cheating notification process can include, for example, display / audio output in the game hall management device 50, special operation of the audio output / direction device in the corresponding gaming machine 10, and the like. Although not shown, when the identification information between the first game data and the second game data does not match, the process may proceed to step S107 to perform a fraud notification process.

  On the other hand, when all the identification information of the first game data and the second game data exists in the identification information table (S102; YES), the identification information table is updated based on the received game data. (S103). For example, it is a normal process when the gaming machine 10 is connected to a different display device 40. Note that the update process of the identification information table may be performed only when the game data includes special information. For example, when the gaming machine 10 is connected to a different display device 40, the gaming machine 10 may include information indicating that only the first game data. Thereby, it can discriminate | determine that it is not an unauthorized act more reliably.

  In step S101, if the identification information matches, or after step S103, it is determined whether the time information matches (S104). Specifically, the gaming machine time information included in the first game data is compared with the gaming machine time information and the display device time information included in the second game data to determine whether or not they match. If they do not match (S104: NO), the process proceeds to step S107, and a fraud notification process is executed. In addition, as an illegal act that can be considered when the gaming machine time information and the display device time information do not match, the player may turn off the power source of the gaming machine 10 momentarily by an illegal radio wave, and aim at a random number period or the like related to determination of the gaming result. There is a so-called instantaneous disconnection. When such a fraudulent act is performed, the gaming machine time information from the gaming machine 10 is the information after the momentary interruption, and therefore it can be detected because it does not match the display device time information.

  On the other hand, when the time information matches (S104: YES), the set time table update process is executed for the gaming machine 10 corresponding to the game data (S105). Specifically, if there is a winning combination (specific game information) set in the set time table in the received game data, the time information included in this game data is set to the current time corresponding to the winning combination in the set time table. Set in the time field, and set the time information set in the current time field in the previous time field. Thereafter, regarding this winning combination in the set time table, it is determined whether or not the difference (winning interval) between the time information in the current time column and the time information in the previous time column is shorter than the set time (S106). If the winning interval is longer than the set time (S106: NO), the process returns to step S1. If the winning interval is shorter than the set time (S106: YES), the process proceeds to step S107, and the fraud notification process is executed. After completing the execution of step S107, the process returns to step S1.

(Communication LSI)
Here, the communication LSIT1 (the gaming machine side communication LSIT33, the converter side communication LSIT34) will be described. The communication LSIT1 has a microcomputer as a main component. The microcomputer causes the game room management device 50 to include various processing units (processing functions) by causing the main CPU to execute processing programs stored in ROM or RAM. As shown in FIG. 10, the communication LSIT 1 has a function of encrypting game data and transmitting it to the outside. That is, the communication LSI T1 includes a receiving unit T2 that receives game data to be transmitted from the control board to the outside, an encryption unit T3 that encrypts game data received by the receiving unit T2, and an encryption unit T3. And a transmission unit T4 for transmitting the converted game data.

  The receiving unit T2 receives game data serially. Thereby, it is possible to prevent an increase in signal lines caused by mounting the communication LSIT1 on the control board.

  The receiving unit T2 includes a UART unit T11 having a UART communication function, an SPI1 unit T12 and an SPI2 unit T13 having an SPI communication function, and an I2C unit T16 having an I2C communication function. That is, the communication LSIT1 includes four receiving units T2, and the receiving unit T2 can receive game data in three types of communication modes. As a result, the communication LSIT 1 can receive game data in a plurality of communication modes, and therefore can select a communication mode that is optimal for various control devices and communication environments, so that it is highly versatile.

  Note that the communication LSIT1 may include a receiving unit T2 having a communication function according to a communication standard other than the UART communication function, the SPI communication function, and the I2C communication function. That is, the communication LSIT1 only needs to include one or more reception units T2 having one or more types of communication functions.

  The transmission unit T4 transmits game data serially. As a result, the number of signal lines for communication can be reduced as compared with the case of parallel communication, so that an increase in the outer diameter of the communication cable can be suppressed.

  The transmission unit T4 corresponds to the UART unit T11, the SPI1 unit T12, the SPI2 unit T13, and the I2C unit T16. That is, the communication LSIT1 includes four transmission units T4, and the transmission unit T4 can transmit game data in three types of communication modes. As a result, the communication LSIT 1 can transmit game data in a plurality of communication modes, and therefore can select an optimal communication mode for various control devices and communication environments, so that it is highly versatile.

  Note that the communication LSIT1 may include a transmission unit T4 having a communication function based on a communication standard other than the UART communication function, the SPI communication function, and the I2C communication function. That is, the communication LSI T1 only needs to include one or more transmission units T4 having one or more types of communication functions. In addition, the communication LSIT1 in the present embodiment is configured to include both the reception unit T2 and the transmission unit T4 because the UART unit T11, the SPI1 unit T12, the SPI2 unit T13, and the I2C unit T16 have a transmission / reception function. However, it is not limited to this. That is, the communication LSIT1 may include a reception unit T2 dedicated to reception and a transmission unit T4 dedicated to transmission. In the above communication standard, data modulation by the Manchester encoding method may be performed. That is, when applied to the present embodiment, in the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12, the gaming data encrypted and Manchester encoded by the gaming machine side communication LSIT 33 is modulated into the signal light by the signal light modulation unit 123 and the light emitting unit 13 It is emitted from. In the converter 30, the signal light received by the light receiving unit 33 is modulated into an electric signal by the electric signal modulation unit 301, and is modulated and decoded by the converter side communication LSIT 34 based on the Manchester code. Game data.

  The encryption unit T3 has an encryption function for processing game data with a conversion algorithm for conversion so that a third party cannot read without special knowledge. As the encryption function, encryption by a steganography method, a code method, or a cipher method can be employed. The steganography method is a method of recording a communication sentence such as a digital watermark that embeds game data in image data or the like in a place that is not visible to the public. The code method is a method of replacing words and phrases in correspondence with words / symbols determined in advance. The cipher method is a method of converting a communication sentence into an unreadable sentence by performing substitution or transposition for each one or more characters or bits according to a predetermined algorithm regardless of the meaning. Cipher systems include a common key encryption system that uses the same key for encryption and decryption, and a public key encryption system that uses different keys for encryption and decryption.

  According to the above configuration, since the received game data is encrypted and transmitted in the communication LSIT1, the encryption processing on the control board side that outputs the game data to the communication LSIT1 becomes unnecessary. As a result, the processing burden on the control board accompanying encryption is not increased. Furthermore, since the game data is transmitted in an encrypted state, secrecy is ensured during transmission, so that illegal acts caused by stealing game data during transmission and reading the contents can be prevented. As a result, fraud can be prevented without increasing the burden on the control board.

  Furthermore, the communication LSIT 1 according to the present embodiment has a decryption function for decrypting received game data in addition to the encryption function. In other words, the communication LSIT1 includes a receiving unit T2 that receives game data, and, when the game data received by the receiving unit T2 is plaintext, an encryption unit T3 that encrypts the game data, and a process received by the receiving unit T2. When the data is ciphertext, it has a decryption unit T5 for decrypting the game data, and a transmission unit T4 for transmitting the game data encrypted by the encryption unit T3 and the game data decrypted by the decryption unit T5. doing. Here, the decryption unit T5 may perform decryption using a common key based on a common key cryptosystem using the same key for encryption / decryption, or decryption using a secret key based on a public key cryptosystem.

  In the communication LSIT1 in the present embodiment, the AES unit T21 having an AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) function corresponds to the encryption unit T3 and the decryption unit T5. As a result, the communication LSIT1 can be encrypted and decrypted by one AES unit T21. Note that the communication LSIT1 may include an encryption unit T3 and a decryption unit T5 independently. Further, the communication LSIT1 may be configured to encrypt and decrypt by a plurality of types of encryption methods.

  Note that the encryption unit T3 is preferably encrypted by a common key block encryption method. In this case, since logical compression is possible in encryption, it is easy to implement, and the data path can be easily divided into predetermined bits, so it can be flexibly supported from small packaging to high-speed processing. It can be LSIT1. The encryption unit T3 preferably has an AES encryption algorithm as a common key block encryption method. In the communication LSIT1, the AES unit T21 has an AES function of a common key block encryption method. As a result, the communication LSIT 1 has high encryption strength and performs all internal processing in units of bytes, so that the computation efficiency during encryption processing is high, so the time required for encryption and decryption processing is shortened. Can be timed.

  Further, the communication LSIT1 includes a storage unit T6 that rewriteably stores a common key used for encryption and decryption, and a dedicated terminal connected to a common key writing device (not shown) that writes the common key to the storage unit T6. T221. Accordingly, when writing or rewriting the common key, it is necessary to connect to the dedicated terminal T221 of the common key writing device, so that it is possible to prevent an illegal act due to the change of the common key. Moreover, a common key can be changed for every product and every model. Therefore, even if the common key is known in one product, it is possible to prevent an illegal act from being performed in other products.

  As described above, the communication LSIT1 (gaming machine side communication LSIT33, converter side communication LSIT34) has a function of executing encryption and decryption, but is not limited to this, and the gaming machine side Only the encryption function may be provided in the gaming machine side communication LSIT 33 of the connection terminal board 12, and only the decryption function may be provided in the converter side communication LSIT 34 of the converter 30. Moreover, in this embodiment, although provided in the game machine side connection terminal board 12 and the converter 30, it is not limited to this, You may provide in another structure in order to encrypt by other communication.

(Machine system mechanical configuration: switching of positioning structure and transducer)
As described above, communication between the gaming machine 10 and the game medium management apparatus 20 is performed by optical wireless communication. Therefore, it is important to align the light receiving unit 33 of the converter 30 provided in the game medium management device 20 with the optical axis of the signal light emitted from the light emitting unit 13 of the gaming machine 10. In the present embodiment, the positioning can be performed by providing the gaming machine 10 and the game medium management device 20 with a positioning structure.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the gaming machine 10 has a gaming machine side positioning structure 17 that lies in the horizontal direction on the left side surface on which the gaming medium management device 20 is installed. Further, the game medium management device 20 has a game medium management device side positioning structure 27 that engages with the game machine side positioning structure 17 at both a position corresponding to the game machine side positioning structure 17 and a position of the opposite side surface. Have. Thus, positioning can be performed even when the gaming machine 10 is installed on any side of the gaming medium management device 20. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the game medium management device 20 is provided with light receiving portions 33 of the converter 30 on both side surfaces. Which light receiving unit 33 is used can be switched by a changeover switch 28 (see FIG. 11) provided in the game medium management device 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the game medium management device side positioning structure 27 may be provided on either side.

  The gaming machine side positioning structure 17 is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and a pair of external device side joints 17a formed on the top and bottom and a pair of gaming machine side joints 17a on the gaming machine 10 side ends. And abdomen 17b connecting the two. The pair of gaming machine side joints 17a have a T-shaped cross section at the end of the game medium management device 20, and the T-shaped portion engages with the game medium management device side positioning structure 27. The abdomen 17b is positioned in the horizontal direction at the height of the light emitting unit 13, and an emission port through which the signal light emitted from the light emitting unit 13 passes is penetrated at a place where the light emitting unit 13 is disposed (not shown). )

  The game medium management device-side positioning structure 27 includes a pair of external device-side joints 27a formed vertically and an abdomen 27b that connects the ends of the pair of external device-side joints 27a on the game medium management device 20 side. Have. The external device side joint portion 27a is a groove that engages with the T-shaped portion of the gaming machine side joint portion 17a, and the game medium management device 20 is joined from the front side to the groove of the external device side joint portion 27a. By sliding and engaging so as to fit the portion 17a, the gaming machine 10 and the game medium management device 20 are positioned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

  In addition, the external device side joint portion 27a is provided with a tongue piece 27c at an end portion in the front surface direction. The tongue piece 27c is provided so as to shield the front side of the space formed by the abdomen 17b and the abdomen 27b. That is, the front side of the space having the optical path of the signal light from the light emitting unit 13 through the emission port to the light receiving unit 33 of the converter 30 can be covered by the tongue piece 27c. Further, the front end of the gaming machine side joint 17a is brought into contact with the tongue 27c, whereby the gaming machine 10 and the game medium management device 20 are positioned in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the light receiving unit 33 of the converter 30 provided in the game medium management device 20 can be aligned with the optical axis of the signal light emitted from the light emitting unit 13 of the gaming machine 10.

  The shapes of the gaming machine side positioning structure 17 and the game medium management device side positioning structure 27 are not limited to this. The shapes of the gaming machine side positioning structure 17 and the gaming medium management device side positioning structure 27 may be reversed. However, even in that case, it is preferable that the tongue piece 27c is provided in the game medium management device side positioning structure.

(Machine system mechanical configuration: communication monitor)
As described above, one-way optical wireless communication is performed from the gaming machine 10 to the game medium management device 20. A communication error occurs when the position of the gaming machine 10 and the game medium management device 20 is shifted for some reason, but optical wireless communication is monitored as means for recognizing that a communication error has occurred. Means are provided.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the gaming machine side monitor unit 18 is provided on the upper surface of the gaming machine side positioning structure 17 in the casing 15 of the gaming machine 10. In addition, an external monitor unit 22 is provided on the upper surface of the game medium management device side positioning structure 27 in the housing of the game medium management device 20. The external monitor unit 22 is provided on the front surface of the game medium management device 20 and includes a display unit 28 as a notification unit that displays a communication monitoring result.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the gaming machine side monitor unit 18 has nine light emitting units 18a arranged in three rows and three columns. In addition, the external monitor unit 22 has nine light receiving units 22a arranged in 3 rows and 3 columns. The gaming machine side monitor unit 18 and the external side monitoring unit 22 face each other when the optical wireless communication between the light emitting unit 13 of the gaming machine side connection terminal plate 12 and the converter 30 is normally performed. Placed in. Thereby, the light emitted from the nine light emitting units 18 a of the gaming machine side monitor unit 18 is received by the nine light receiving units 22 a of the external side monitor unit 22. That is, when all of the light receiving portions 22a receive light having a predetermined intensity or more, optical wireless communication between the light emitting portion 13 of the gaming machine side connection terminal plate 12 and the converter 30 is normally performed. . The light emitting unit may be provided on the external monitor unit 22 side. Moreover, the number of light-receiving parts and light-emitting parts is not limited to the above.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the display unit 28 is provided with nine LEDs 28a corresponding to the nine light receiving units 22a. When the light receiving unit 22a receives light having a predetermined intensity or more, the corresponding LED 28a is turned on. Accordingly, when the positional relationship between the light emitting unit 13 and the converter 30 is shifted in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction, one of the light receiving units 22a is turned off. Thereby, it is possible to recognize in which direction the converter 30 is displaced with respect to the light emitting unit 13.

  As described above, whether or not the gaming machine side connection terminal plate 12 and the converter 30 are in a positional relationship in which communication is normally performed between the gaming machine side monitor unit 18 and the external side monitoring unit 22 by optical communication. Judgment can be made. In the present embodiment, the control circuit included in the gaming machine side monitor unit 18 is disabled from data communication with the control board 11 and the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12. Further, the control circuit included in the external monitor unit 22 is disabled from data communication with the converter 30.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but only specific examples are illustrated, and the present invention is not particularly limited, and the specific configuration and the like can be appropriately changed in design. Further, the actions and effects described in the embodiments of the present invention only list the most preferable actions and effects resulting from the present invention, and the actions and effects according to the present invention are described in the present embodiments. It is not limited to things.

(Modification)
For example, the functions such as the communication LSIT 33 of the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 may be provided on the control board 11 and the gaming machine side connection terminal board 12 may be eliminated.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the gaming machine 210 has a control board 211, and optical wireless communication is performed between the optical cable 214 drawn from the control board 211 and the optical cable 231 drawn from the converter 230. It has been made.
The control board 211 includes a communication LSIT 233 and a modulation unit 223. Moreover, although not shown in figure, the control board 211 has each part of the control board 11 in this embodiment, and each part of the game machine side connection terminal board 12 (refer FIG. 2). The game data encrypted in the communication LSIT 233 is transmitted to the modulation unit 223. The game data is modulated into an optical signal by the modulation unit 223 and output to the optical cable 214.
The distal end portion of the optical cable 214 and the distal end portion of the optical cable 231 are fixed on a terminal board 260 provided in the gaming machine 210. Such a terminal board for external connection is stipulated by the rules of pachinko machines and pachislot machines to be provided in gaming machines and is always necessary. Therefore, in the present modification, the terminal plate 260 is provided on the back side of the gaming machine 210 in the case of a pachinko machine, and is provided in the casing of the gaming machine 210 in the case of a pachislot machine. However, if there is no such rule restriction, the terminal board 260 can be eliminated and the optical cable 214 can be led out of the housing directly from the control board 211.
Specifically, in the terminal board 260, the fixtures 214a and 231a are fixed by screws or the like so that the tip of the optical cable 214 and the tip of the optical cable 231 face each other. The terminal board 260 shields the front ends of the optical cables 214 and 231 and the signal light path between them from the outside (not shown). The terminal board 260 itself is also fixed to the side surface of the housing of the gaming machine 210 with screws or the like (not shown). Thereby, the signal light emitted from the optical cable 214 can be incident on the optical cable 231 stably. The optical cable 214 and the optical cable 231 may be appropriately provided with a lens for emitting or entering.
Thereby, the gaming machine side connection terminal board can be made unnecessary, and on the gaming machine 210 side, the emitting part and the incident part in the optical wireless communication are firmly positioned, and the communication stability can be further improved. Furthermore, since the signal light is sealed by the terminal board 260, it is possible to prevent illegal acts such as data tampering with respect to data communication between the gaming machine 210 and the converter 130.
Although not shown, the converter 230 includes a communication LSI as in the present embodiment. The converter 230 decodes the received game data, separates the game data into various signals, and transmits these various signals to the game medium management device 220 through the parallel cable 216.

  The above detailed description includes processing executed by a computer. The above explanations and expressions are given for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to understand the most efficiently. In this specification, each step used to derive one result should be understood as a self-consistent process. In each step, transmission / reception, recording, and the like of electrical or magnetic signals are performed. In the processing in each step, such a signal is expressed by bits, values, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, etc., but these are used only for convenience of explanation. There is a need. In addition, the processing in each step may be described in an expression common to human behavior, but the processing described in this specification is executed by various devices in principle. Further, other configurations required for performing each step will be apparent from the above description.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Game machine 11 Control board 12 Game machine side connection terminal board 13 Light emission part 15 Case 20 External apparatus (game media management apparatus)
30 Converter 40 Display device 50 Game hall management device 100 Game system

Claims (2)

A gaming system having a gaming machine, an external device provided individually in the gaming machine, and a game hall management device connected to the external device so as to be able to perform data communication,
The gaming machine is
A gaming machine housing,
A control board that converts game data into an optical signal and outputs the optical signal as a serial signal to an optical cable;
A gaming machine-side connection terminal plate that has a light emitting section, receives the game data from the control board via the optical cable, and emits signal light based on the game data to the outside of the housing;
And having
At least one of the control board and the gaming machine side connection terminal plate is
A storage unit storing an encryption program in advance;
An encryption unit that encrypts the game data by executing the encryption program;
Have
Wired connection that is arranged in the traveling direction of the signal light emitted from the gaming machine side connection terminal plate, receives the signal light, converts the signal light into an electrical signal, and enables data communication with the external device Further comprising a transducer,
The external device is
An external device side receiving unit for receiving the game data from the converter;
An external device-side transmitter that transmits the received game data to the game hall management device;
A gaming system comprising: A gaming machine having a gaming machine housing, a control board, and a gaming machine side connection terminal plate connected to the control board by an optical cable so as to be able to perform data communication, an external device individually provided in the gaming machine, and the external A game system control method having a game hall management device connected to a device so as to be capable of data communication,
The gaming machine is
Converting the gaming data into an optical signal in the control board, and outputting the optical signal to the gaming machine side connection terminal board by serial communication via the optical cable;
Receiving the game data at the gaming machine side connection terminal plate, and emitting signal light generated based on the game data from the gaming machine side connection terminal plate to the outside of the housing;
Encrypting the game data by executing an encryption program stored in advance on at least one of the control board and the gaming machine side connection terminal board;
Run
The step of receiving the signal light emitted from the gaming machine side connection terminal plate and converting the signal light into an electric signal is arranged in the traveling direction of the signal light and is capable of data communication with the external device. Performed by a wired connected transducer,
The external device is
Receiving the game data from the converter; and
Transmitting the received game data to the game hall management device;
A game system control method comprising: