JP6302278B2 - Amusement system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a game room system including a recording medium issuing device that records and issues counting information by feeding out stored recording media.

  Conventionally, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, a system for recording a deposit balance and the number of counting balls on a card, paying back the balance when the game is finished, and exchanging the number of counting balls has been operated. Yes.

JP 2010-158296 A

In the case of the above system, the balance payout process is generally performed by the balance settlement apparatus, and the prize exchange process is generally performed by the prize exchange apparatus installed in the prize counter. It is necessary to perform processing.
However, for example, when the prize exchange process is first performed by the prize exchange device, both the employee and the player forget that the balance is still left, and the card is collected without returning it to the player. I had to do it. In such a case, the card with the deposit balance remaining is stored again in the stock section of the card issuing device, and the card is issued to another player who has nothing to do with it.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to issue a recording medium to a player even if the recording medium with the deposit balance remaining is erroneously stored in the recording medium issuing device. An object of the present invention is to provide a game system that does not end up.

The present invention is attached to a gaming machine, a recording medium capable of recording balance information indicating the balance of money inserted for renting out gaming media, and counting information indicating counting results of gaming media acquired by the player, When money or the recording medium is inserted, the game medium to be used for the game is lent out within the range of the amount of money or the balance information recorded on the recording medium, and the player's issue operation A lending device that issues a recording medium in which the balance information is recorded according to the game, a game medium counting device that receives and counts the game medium acquired by the player, and outputs the counting result, and the recording medium is inserted. A recording medium having an input port and a stock unit capable of storing a plurality of recording media, and recording and issuing the count information to a recording medium input from the input port or a recording medium fed out from the stock unit And line device reads the counting information recorded on the recording medium, reading and prize exchange device for executing the exchange process of the prize based on the count information, the balance information recorded on the recording medium, the remaining pitch information A game machine system comprising a payment device for paying out the amount of money indicated by
The recording medium issuing device records and issues the counting information regardless of whether or not the balance information is recorded on the recording medium when the recording medium is inserted from the insertion slot, from the stock unit When the recording medium is fed out, it is determined whether or not the balance information is recorded on the recording medium. When the balance information is not recorded, the counting information is recorded and issued, while the balance information Is recorded, it is notified that an abnormality has occurred (claim 1).

The game system according to claim 1,
When notifying that the abnormality has occurred, the recording medium issuing device may eject the recording medium in response to a predetermined release operation and feed the next recording medium from the stock unit ( Claim 2).

  According to the invention of claim 1, when a new recording medium is fed out from the stock section, the recording medium issuing device determines whether or not the balance information is recorded on the recording medium, and the balance information is recorded. If there is, the fact that an abnormality has occurred is notified, so that the counting information is not erroneously recorded and issued on the recording medium.

  According to the invention of claim 2, when an abnormality is notified, the employee performs a predetermined release operation, and performs an abnormal recording medium ejection process and a next recording medium feeding process to the recording medium issuing device. Therefore, it is not necessary for the employee to open the recording medium issuing device one by one and collect the abnormal recording medium, which is convenient.

The figure which shows schematically the whole structure of the management system for game centers in one Embodiment of this invention. External perspective view of island edge counting device with slide cover open External perspective view of island edge counting device with slide cover closed Perspective view of issuing device with cover closed Perspective view of issuing device with cover open Functional block diagram showing the configuration of the island edge counting device and issuing device Illustration for explaining new issuance of general cards Illustration for explaining reissue of general card Diagram for explaining general card rewrite collection Diagram showing standby screen for general card shortage display Figure showing the standby screen for general card full display Figure showing the error screen

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of a game hall system. A plurality of gaming machine islands 1 are provided in the game hall, and a plurality of gaming machines (pachinko machines, slot machines) 2 are installed in each gaming machine island 1. A lending device 3 is installed for each gaming machine 2, and the plurality of gaming machines 2 and the plurality of lending devices 3 are connected to the relay device 5 via the LAN 4. An island edge counter 6 (corresponding to a game medium counter) and a call lamp 7 are also connected to the LAN 4. The call lamp 7 is installed at the end of the gaming machine island 1 and lights up to call the employee when the island edge counting device 6 is called by the employee. The relay device 5 is connected to the management device 9, the gift exchange device 10, the payment device 11, and the like via the LAN 8.

  The management device 9 is installed in, for example, an office room in a game hall, and includes a control unit having a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, I / O, a transmission / reception unit for transmitting and receiving various signals, an output unit including a monitor, a printer, and the like. It is prepared for. The management device 9 is known by transmitting and receiving various signals to and from the gaming machine 2 and the lending device 3 installed on the gaming machine island 1, the island edge counting device 6, the gift exchange device 10, the payment device 11, and the like. Game information such as the rate of payouts, etc., managing the operating status of various devices, and the game value (the number of possessed balls / stored balls) and the deposit balance for each player based on signals from the gaming machine side And manage the memory. Note that “mochi” refers to balls counted during the day, and “save ball” refers to balls counted before the previous day.

The gaming machine 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a CR (card reader) pachinko machine, and has an operation handle 13, an upper tray 14 and a lower tray 15 that constitute a launching device for firing balls on the board surface 12, and a liquid crystal on the board surface 12. It has a display unit 16, a start port 17, and a big winning port 18. When the player operates the operation handle 13, a ball (game medium) is fired on the board surface 12, and when the pachinko ball wins the starting port 17, the number of pachinko balls corresponding to the winning is paid out or a big win lottery is performed. To go. In the jackpot lottery, a symbol variation based on a so-called special symbol (special symbol) is executed in the liquid crystal display unit 16, and a jackpot is generated when the symbol that is stopped and displayed is a jackpot symbol. When a big hit occurs, the big winning opening 18 is opened for 15 rounds, for example.
Note that the gaming machine 2 has an out signal that can identify the number of inserted pachinko balls, which is the number of pachinko balls that have been struck in accordance with the progress of the game by the player, and a payout medium that is the number of pachinko balls that have been dispensed. Various game signals such as a safe signal that can specify the number and a jackpot signal that can specify the jackpot state are output.

  The lending device 3 installed for each gaming machine 2 in the gaming machine island 1 is a so-called CR unit having a bill insertion slot 19 for inserting bills (thousand yen), and has a CPU, ROM, RAM, and I / O. A control unit and a transmission / reception unit for transmitting and receiving various signals are provided. The lending device 3 stores the amount of money (upper limit 10,000 yen) inserted into the bill insertion slot 19 by the player, and when a lending button (not shown) provided on the gaming machine 2 is operated, Pachinko balls having a number of balls (for example, 125 balls) are paid out from the payout mechanism of the gaming machine 2. The lending device 3 can store 10 ordinary cards, which will be described later, and the deposit balance is recorded on the ordinary card and issued from the card discharge port 20 by an issuing operation. When a membership card is inserted, the deposit balance is recorded on the membership card, and the deposit balance is transmitted to the management device 9 for management.

  The island edge counting device 6 is a device for counting the pachinko balls acquired by the gaming machine 2 installed on the gaming machine island 1, and is installed on the island edge of the gaming machine island 1 in the game hall. That is, the player needs to store the acquired balls in a ball box, carry them to the island edge counter 6 and count them. A card issuing device 21 is connected to the island edge counting device 6, and the island issuing device 21 has a card issuing function.

  FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the island edge counter 6. The island edge counting device 6 is provided in a depressed shape on the upper surface of the main body 22, and has a slot 23a for receiving a ball (acquisition medium) acquired by the player through a game and a discharge port 23b formed in the center of the slot 23a. The charging container 23 provided, and a slide cover 24 that opens and closes the charging port 23a of the charging container 23 (FIG. 2 shows a state in which the slide cover 24 is slid to an open position that opens the charging port 23a. Indicates a state in which the slide cover 24 is slid to the closing position for closing the insertion port 23a), a display function for displaying various information such as count information, and an input reception function for receiving operation inputs from employees and players Touch panel type liquid crystal display unit 25, LED display unit 26 for indicating the state of the island edge counting device 6, a count value and a two-dimensional code recording the count value, A receipt issuing port 28 for issuing a receipt 27 (see FIG. 6) on which a code or the like is printed, a member card receiving port 30 for receiving a member card 29 (see FIG. 6), and an employee IC card 31 (FIG. 6) possessed by the employee. Employee card reader 32 that reads employee information stored in the IC chip 31a built in the employee IC card 31 in a state in which it is deceived, and the extra balls provided on the front of the main body 22 The ball return port 33 to be discharged, a slide cover opening / closing key 34 for opening and closing the slide cover 24 in an emergency (FIG. 2 shows a state closed by the cover), and the like are configured.

  In the island edge counting device 6, when the member card 29 is received in the member card receiving port 30, or the employee puts the employee IC card 31 on the employee card reader 32, the authentication operation of the employee is performed, and the slide When the cover 24 is unlocked and slid and moved to open the insertion port 23a, counting is possible. When an employee or player throws a ball into the slot 23a, the ball is once received by the slot 23a, then falls from the outlet 23b and is counted by a counting sensor provided at the back of the outlet 23b. The When the ball is being counted in this way, the count value is updated one by one.

  The island edge counting device 6 counts the balls received and transmits the counting result to the issuing device 21. The slot 23a is closed by a slide cover 24 in a locked state, and when the employee ID or member ID is read as will be described later, the slide cover 24 is unlocked and can be manually opened. When the membership card 29 is inserted, the count result is transmitted to the management device 9 as stored ball information. When the cover is returned to the closed position, it is automatically locked. The employee IC card 31 is an IC card including an IC chip 31a having a memory in which employee data capable of identifying the employee is recorded.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an issuing device 21 (corresponding to a recording medium issuing device) connected to the island edge counting device 6. The issuing device 21 is configured by rotatably mounting a fan-shaped cover 36 on the front end of a main body 35. The cover 36 can be opened to the open position shown in FIG. 5 by unlocking the key cylinder 37 provided at the upper rear end of the cover 36 and rotating it forward from the closed position shown in FIG. A card slot 38 and a status LED 39 are provided on the front surface of the cover 36.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the power switch 40, the card feeding mechanism 41, the stock unit 42, and the recovery unit 43 appear concealed by the cover 36 by rotating the cover 36 to the open position. The stock unit 42 can store 100 general cards 44 (also referred to as “mochitama-cho”, corresponding to a recording medium) from above. A presser weight 45 for preventing the general card 44 from floating is attached to the upper part of the general card 44 stored in the collection unit 43. The card feeding mechanism 41 is capable of feeding the lowest general card 44 stored in the stock unit 42 to the reader / writer 46 (see FIG. 6) and reads the general card 44 inserted into the card insertion slot 38 as a reader. It can be transferred to the writer 46.

  FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the island edge counting device 6 and the issuing device 21. The island edge counting device 6 includes a CPU 47a, a ROM 47b, a RAM 47c, a control unit 47 having an I / O 47d, a liquid crystal display unit 25, a touch panel 48 provided on the surface of the liquid crystal display unit 25, and a receipt 27 on which a count value is printed. A receipt issuance unit 49 that is issued from the issue port 28, a member card reader 50 that reads a member ID from an IC chip 29a built in the member card 29, an employee card reader 32, an LED display unit 26, and a cover that automatically locks the slide cover 24. The lock unit 51 includes a counting unit 52 that counts balls, a return unit 53 that pays out pachinko balls, an I / F unit 54 that transmits and receives various signals to and from the management device 9 and the issuing device 21, and the like.

  The island edge counting device 6 counts the received game media (balls and medals), issues a general card 44 in which the counting results are recorded, and transmits the counting results to the management device 9 as counting information. When the membership card 29 is inserted, the count result is transmitted to the management device 9 as stored ball information.

On the other hand, the issuing device 21 has a CPU 55a, a ROM 55b, a RAM 55c, and a control unit 55 having an I / O 55d, a stock unit 42, a card feeding mechanism 41, a reader / writer 46, and an I / F unit 56 for transmitting and receiving with the island edge counting device 6. It is configured with. When an issuing operation is performed on the island edge counting device 6, the issuing device 21 feeds one general card 44 from the stock unit 42 to the reader / writer 46, and is built in the general card 44 fed to the reader / writer 46. After confirming that the deposit balance and the number of balls are not recorded in the IC chip 44a, the ball information is recorded and issued.
The issuing device 21 collects the general card 44 whose number of possessed balls and deposit balance are zero in the collecting unit 43.

The prize exchange device 10 accepts a general card 44 in which the number of possessed balls is recorded or a member card for specifying a storage account, and performs a prize exchange process based on the number of possessed balls or the number of stored balls. When the prize exchange process is completed, the general card 44 with the number of possessions and the deposit balance of 0 is collected, and the remaining general card 44 is returned to the player.
The payment apparatus 11 receives the general card 44 or the membership card in which the deposit balance is recorded, and pays out the cash corresponding to the deposit balance to the player. The general card with the number of balls is collected, and the general card 44 and the membership card with the number of balls are returned to the player.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
When the player counts game media (balls, medals) acquired from the gaming machine 2, the player stores the game media in a ball box and carries it to the island edge counting device 6. Then, an employee called by the player puts the employee card on the employee card reader 32 for authentication, and when the slide cover 24 is unlocked, the slide cover 24 is opened and stored in the ball box. A game medium is thrown into the island edge counter 6 and counted. The island edge counting device 6 counts the inserted game media, and displays the count completion screen on the liquid crystal display unit 25 when the counting is completed.

(1) New Issuance of General Card 44 On the counting completion screen, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), an “all ticketing” button 25a, which is a settlement button, is displayed and a message 25b prompting the user to touch the settlement button Is displayed.
When the player touches the “all ticketing” button 25a, the island edge counting device 6 displays the usage details indicating the number of balls as shown in FIG. 7B and transmits the ball information to the issuing device 21. . The issuing device 21 pays out the general card 44 stored in the stock unit 42 to the reader / writer 46 in response to the reception of the ball information, and records and issues the ball information on the general card 44.

  In addition, when the issuing device 21 is not connected to the island edge counting device 6 or is connected, but the general card 44 is not stored in the issuing device 21, the receipt 27 on which the ball information is printed is stored. Issued or stored on condition that the membership card 29 is inserted. It should be noted that the player may arbitrarily select whether to issue the general card 44 or the receipt 27.

(2) Issuance of rewriting of the general card 44 When the player who owns the general card 44 adds the number of counting balls to the general card 44, as shown in FIG. The card 44 is inserted into the issuing device 21. Then, since the issuing device 21 reads the number of possessed balls recorded in the general card 44 and notifies the island edge counting device 6, as shown in FIG. The value, total number, and number of balls are displayed.
When the “less return” button 25c as a checkout button is touched, the remaining ball number is returned and then the coin information corresponding to the number of prizes is transmitted to the issuing device 21. A general card 44 on which information about the ball that can be exchanged for a special prize without generating a ball is recorded is issued.

When the player touches the “all ticketing” button 25a, a usage statement indicating the number of balls is displayed as shown in FIG. 8C. At this time, the island edge counting device 6 transmits the possession information to the issuing device 21, so that the issuing device 21 has the possession information indicated by the received possession information in the number of retained balls recorded in the inserted general card 44. Issued with the number of balls added.
The general card 44 can be inserted at any timing before, during, and after counting, but it must be notified by the status LED 39 that the general card 44 is not inserted. There is. Further, the displayed contents and the settlement button are changed depending on the setting and counting status.

(3) Rewrite collection of the general card 44 In addition to the general card 44, the member player who owns the member card 29 wants to collect the number of balls and the number of balls recorded on the general card 44 in the member card 29 and store them. In this case, the general card 44 is inserted into the issuing device 21 while the count completion screen is displayed. Then, as shown in FIG. 9A, the total value with the number of balls recorded on the general card 44, the number of balls, the number of prizes, and the number of extra balls are displayed.

  Next, when the member card 29 is inserted into the island edge counting device 6, as shown in FIG. 9B, instead of the “all ticketing” button 25a, an “all storing ball” button 25d is displayed and a “less return” button 25c is displayed. Instead, a “less return” button 25e is displayed, and a “card return” button 25f is further displayed. When the member player touches the “all savings” button 25d, as shown in FIG. 9C, the usage details indicating the number of savings deposits and the savings account balance are displayed. At this time, the number of possessed balls recorded on the general card 44 inserted in the issuing device 21 becomes zero because it has been transferred to and added to the member card 29, so the general card 44 is recovered by the recovery unit 43. At the same time, the membership card 29 is returned.

If the “less return” button 25c is touched, the number of balls corresponding to the number of prizes (2840 in the example of FIG. 9) is stored after the number of extra balls is returned.
Further, FIG. 9 shows the case where the deposit balance is not recorded on the general card 44, but when the deposit balance is recorded on the general card 44, the deposit balance is collected and recorded on the member card 29.

(4) General card shortage display When the number of general cards 44 stored in the stock unit 42 of the issuing device 21 is reduced (about 5 cards), this is displayed.
FIG. 10 shows a standby screen indicating that the general card 44 is insufficient. On the standby screen, a message 25g prompting to call a clerk, a "calling clerk" button 25h, a "self-storing ball" button 25i, and a "cigarette counting" button 25j are displayed, and further a general card 44 is urged to be refilled. A message 25k is displayed.
If the employee confirms the message, the employee opens the cover 36 of the issuing device 21 and replenishes the stock unit 42 with the general card 44 so as to be an appropriate amount.

(5) General card full display When the number of general cards 44 stored in the stock unit 42 is almost full (about 90), this is displayed.
FIG. 11 shows a standby screen indicating that the general card 44 is almost full, and a message 25l prompting the collection of the general card 44 is displayed.
When the employee confirms the message, the employee opens the cover 36 of the issuing device 21 and collects the general card 44 stored in the stock unit 42 so that an appropriate amount is obtained.

(6) Error display The issuing device 21 determines whether the deposit balance or the number of possessions is recorded in the general card 44 fed from the stock unit 42 to the reader / writer 46, and the stock unit 42 erroneously receives the deposit balance or If the general card 44 with the remaining ball is stored and the general card 44 is fed to the reader / writer 46, an error is detected and error information is transmitted to the island edge counter 6. An error screen showing error information is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 25 of the island edge counter 6.

FIG. 12 shows an error screen. A message 25m indicating that an error has occurred is displayed on the error screen.
When the error screen is displayed, the employee opens the cover 36 of the issuing device 21 and manually collects the general card 44 fed to the reader / writer 46 and then closes the cover 36. Then, the collected general card 44 is inspected to see whether a deposit balance or a possession ball is recorded. If a deposit balance or a possession ball is recorded on the general card 44, the information is deleted and a new general Used as card 44. In this case, since the general card 44 is valid only on that day, there is no problem even if the information recorded on the general card 44 is deleted after the business is over.

According to such an embodiment, the following effects can be produced.
The island edge counting device 6 notifies the abnormality by displaying an error screen when the deposit balance or the possession ball is recorded on the general card 44 fed to the reader / writer 46 of the issuing device 21. It is possible to prevent the counting information from being erroneously recorded and issued on the general card 44 on which the holding balls are recorded.
On the error screen, a message indicating that a deposit balance or a possession ball is recorded on the general card 44 fed out to the reader / writer 44 may be displayed together.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified or expanded as follows, each modified example may be combined with the above-described embodiment, or each modified example may be combined.
When an error occurs in the issuing device 21, the employee opens the cover 36 and manually collects the general card 44. However, the employee operates the remote controller, for example (corresponding to the release operation of claim 2). Then, an error cancel command may be transmitted to the issuing device 21 to cause the issuing device 21 to execute the discharging process of the general card 44 that has caused the error and the feeding / issuing process of the next general card 44. In this case, since the employee does not need to open the cover 36 of the issuing device 21 one by one and collect the general card 44, the convenience is excellent.
It is desirable to install one or two island edge counting devices 6 for one gaming machine island.
The shape of the recording medium is not limited to a card shape, and may be a coin shape, for example.

  In the drawings, 2 is a gaming machine, 3 is a lending device, 6 is an island edge counting device (game medium counting device), 10 is a prize exchange device, 11 is a settlement device, 21 is an issuing device (recording medium issuing device), and 38 is A card slot (insert slot), 42 is a stock section, and 44 is a general card (recording medium).

Claims (2)

A recording medium capable of recording balance information indicating a balance of money input for renting out game media, and count information indicating a count result of game media acquired by the player;
Lending game media to be used for games within the range of the balance indicated by the amount of money or balance information recorded on the recording medium when the money or the recording medium is inserted into the gaming machine a renting machine for issuing a recording medium storing the balance information in accordance with the issuing operation of the player,
A game medium counting device that receives and counts the game media acquired by the player and outputs the counting results;
The recording medium is provided with an input port for inserting the recording medium and a stock unit capable of storing a plurality of recording media, and the count information is recorded on the recording medium input from the input port or the recording medium fed out from the stock unit. A recording medium issuing device for recording and issuing;
A prize exchange device that reads the count information recorded on the recording medium and executes a prize exchange process based on the count information;
It reads the balance information recorded on the recording medium, and a settlement device for paying out money balance amount indicated by the residual pitch information, in the game arcade for systems with,
The recording medium issuing device records and issues the counting information regardless of whether or not the balance information is recorded on the recording medium when the recording medium is inserted from the insertion slot, from the stock unit When the recording medium is fed out, it is determined whether or not the balance information is recorded on the recording medium. When the balance information is not recorded, the counting information is recorded and issued, while the balance information A game system characterized by notifying that an abnormality has occurred in the case where is recorded.   The recording medium issuing device, when notifying that the abnormality has occurred, discharges the recording medium in accordance with a predetermined release operation and feeds the next recording medium from the stock unit. Item 1. A game system according to item 1.

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