JP6985351B2 - Automatic mahjong table, its control method, mahjong set, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic mahjong table having a score recording function and an automatic score calculation function.

Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic mahjong table having a score recording function.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-142452

However, in Patent Document 1, in order to realize the tile recording function, it is necessary to provide a mountain reading unit, a river reading unit, a hand tile storage area reading unit, and a squealing tile storage area reading unit. Since these reading units need to be sized according to each tile, the configuration of the mahjong table becomes complicated and the cost increases.

In addition, since a large-sized reading unit must be provided, there is a risk that crosstalk will occur and the tiles cannot be read.

Further, Patent Document 1 requires two or more types of reading units, one for reading tiles with the back side facing down through the top plate and the other for reading tiles with the ventral side facing down through the top plate. Become. Therefore, the composition of the mahjong table and the mahjong tiles becomes complicated.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to realize a score recording function with a simpler configuration than the prior art.

The present invention has a turntable for washing tiles, a conveyor for transporting tiles, a first tile reading unit for reading tiles passing nearby, and a second tile reading for reading tiles in front of the gate. A unit, a third tile reading unit that reads the tiles, a fourth tile reading unit that reads the squealing tiles, and a determining means for determining parent-child information about the parent or child based on the player's input via the dice switch. , A derivation means for deriving the Dora information for specifying the Dora display tile based on the parent-child information, the dice roll information determined according to the input via the dice switch, and the tile construction information, and the reach. Based on the signal transmitted from the bar sensing unit, a determination means for determining reach information indicating when and which player made the reach, tile distribution information, gate tile information, tile information, squeal tile information, and the parent-child information. , The tile recording means for recording tiles using the Dora information, the reach information, and the winning information acquired when the winning button is pressed by the winning player. It is an automatic mah-jong tile table characterized in that the tile construction information and the tile distribution information are acquired as a reading result of the first tile reading unit.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize the score recording function with a simpler configuration than the prior art.

External perspective view of the automatic mahjong table. The figure which shows the arrangement of the tile reading part in an automatic mahjong table. The figure which shows the internal structure of an automatic mahjong table. The figure which shows the structure of a mahjong tile. A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an automatic mahjong table. The block diagram which shows the hardware composition of the non-contact IC tag in a mahjong tile. A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a non-contact reader / writer in an automatic mahjong table. A block diagram showing the software structure of an automatic mahjong table. The figure which shows the data structure generated at the time of recording a staff. A flowchart showing the flow of processing accompanied by recording a score.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
The automatic mahjong table of the present embodiment automatically aligns mahjong tiles with a built-in IC tag on the top plate, and has a mahjong reading unit or the like that reads the identification information of the mahjong tiles placed on the mahjong placement area. It has a reading unit (a non-contact reader / writer including an IC tag reader). Further, the mahjong tile used in the automatic mahjong table of the present embodiment has a built-in magnet, an antenna, and an IC chip used by the tile stirring and aligning device. In the following explanation, the mahjong tile may be simply referred to as a tile. In addition, the set of mahjong tiles used in one station play is called a mahjong set, and the combination of an automatic mahjong table and mahjong tiles is called a mahjong set.

<Outline configuration of automatic mahjong table>
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the automatic mahjong table 1 according to the present embodiment. For convenience of explanation, a coordinate axis is set as shown in the drawing, and this coordinate axis shall be similarly applied to other drawings.

The automatic mahjong table 1 includes the main body 10 and operation / display units 100 # 1, 100 # 2 (not shown), 100 # 3 (not shown), 100, which are attached to positions that can be visually recognized and operated by each player. Has # 4. In this specification, for convenience, the first to fourth players are referred to as players # 1 to # 4. For the components arranged corresponding to each player, the number following "#" shall indicate the corresponding player, but if it is not necessary to distinguish the players, "#" may be necessary. The following will be omitted.

The operation / display unit 100 includes a display unit that displays information on the score status and ranking and presents it to the player, and an operation unit such as a button pressed by the player, and is realized by, for example, a touch panel.

The main body portion 10 has a top plate 11 and an operation portion 12. The top plate 11 can be opened and closed by a hinge or the like for inspection and maintenance. An operation unit 12 is attached to the central portion of the top plate 11. A dice accommodating portion accommodating a dice is attached to the center of the operation unit 12, and dice switches 12a # 1, 12a # 2, 12a # 3, 12a # 4 for driving the internal dice are mounted around the dice accommodating portion. , An instruction switch for instructing the drive of the dice stirring and aligning device inside the automatic mahjong table 1 is formed.

The two dice in the dice housing are driven, for example, by magnetic force. Each of these dice has a built-in mechanism for sending or returning a different signal depending on, for example, a roll, and a receiver capable of detecting the roll of the dice is attached to the dice accommodating portion. The information on the result of the detected dice is transmitted to the main control unit 50 (FIG. 5) described later.

<Arrangement of tile reading unit>
FIG. 2A is a schematic top view for explaining the arrangement of the tile reading unit in the automatic mahjong table 1. The automatic mahjong table 1 has the gate reading units 21R # 1, 21R # 2, 21R # 3, 21R # 4 and the tile reading units 23R # 1, 23R # 2, 23R # 3, 23R # 4 as tile reading units. And 25R # 1, 25R # 2, 25R # 3, and 25R # 4.

Specifically, these tile reading units are non-contact reader / writers composed of a coiled antenna or the like around which a conducting wire is wound around a predetermined direction, and are mahjong tiles placed on the top plate 11 through the top plate 11. It is possible to read the identification information of the tile from.

The IC tag attached to the mahjong tile generates a small amount of electric power using the radio waves emitted by the antenna of the tile reading unit, and by using the generated electric power, the identification information stored in the IC chip is automatically converted into a mahjong table. Reply to 1. The tile reading unit of the automatic mahjong table 1 converts the returned radio wave via, for example, an A / D converter or the like, and then transmits the returned radio wave to the main control unit 50 of the automatic mahjong table 1. As a result, the main control unit 50 can acquire the identification information of the mahjong tiles.

The gate front tile reading unit 21R # 1 reads the identification information of up to 14 of the mahjong tiles held by the player and outputs the identification information to the main control unit 50. The gate front tile reading unit 21R # 1 is provided directly below (-z direction) the gate front tile mounting area 21 # 1 between the hand tile mounting area 20 # 1 and the construction tile mounting area 22 # 1.

The hand tile mounting area 20 # 1 is a tabletop area formed by the hand tile setting portion 20S # 1 and on which the hand tile of the player # 1 transported directly above (+ z direction) is placed. The tile placement area 22 # 1 is an area formed by the tile set portion 22S # 1 and on which the tile (mountain) in front of the player # 1 transported directly above (+ z direction) is placed.

The hand tile set unit 20S # 1 is provided inside the automatic mahjong table 1, and the tiles are sucked one by one by the suction unit 33 # 1 (see FIG. 3) described later and delivered by the conveyor 34 # 1 (see FIG. 3). The hand tile of player # 1 formed by being played is conveyed directly above (+ z direction) and set in the hand tile placement area 20 # 1. The tile set portion 22S # 1 is provided inside the automatic mahjong table 1, and the tiles are sucked one by one by the suction portion 33 # 1 and delivered by the conveyor 34 # 1 in front of the player # 1. The tiles are transported directly above (+ z direction) and set in the tile placement area 22 # 1.

The hammer reading unit 23R # 1 reads the identification information of the hammer and outputs it to the main control unit 50. The tile reading unit 23R # 1 is provided on the inside of the tabletop of the tile mounting area 22 # 1 (+ y direction) and directly below the tile mounting area 23 # 1 (−z direction). When the player # 1 discards (cuts) one of the tiles he owns, he temporarily places the target tile in the tile placement area 23 # 1, and the identification information of the placed tile is transmitted by the tile reading unit 23R # 1. After reading it, move to the dump tile storage area (also called river) 24.

The squeal tile reading unit 25R # 1 reads the identification information of one or a plurality of squeal tiles and outputs the identification information to the main control unit 50. The squeal tile reading unit 25R # 1 is provided directly below the squeal tile mounting area 25 # 1 (-z direction). When player # 1 performs Qi, Pong, or Kang, the target tile is temporarily placed in the tile placement area 25 # 1, and the identification information of the placed tile is read by the tile reader 25R # 1. From, move to the squealing tile storage area 26 # 1. In addition, although FIG. 2A shows a form in which the squealing tile placement area and the squealing tile storage area are separately provided, these areas may be collectively provided in the same area.

In the above description, the components for player # 1 have been mainly described, but the same can be said for each component for other players # 2 to # 4 as well as the component for player # 1.

Further, in FIG. 2A, the size of the tile reading unit 23R # 1 is shown to correspond to one tile, but as shown in FIG. 2B, the size of the tile reading unit 23R # 1 is increased. You may. This makes it easier for both right-handed and left-handed players to throw away the tiles, improving usability.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the automatic mahjong table 1, and shows a state in which the top plate 11 is open. The automatic mahjong table 1 is attached to a turntable 31 that is attached so as to have an inclination with respect to the horizontal direction, and is attached to the upper side (+ z direction) of the turntable 31, and a magnet is attached to the lower side thereof (or a magnetic material). It has a ring 32 (configured), suction units 33 # 1, 33 # 2, 33 # 3, 33 # 4, and suction tile reading units 33R # 1, 33R # 2, 33R # 3, 33R # 4. ..

The mahjong tiles dropped on the turntable 31 are brought to the periphery of the turntable 31 while being agitated by the action of centrifugal force and gravity due to the rotation of the turntable 31. Also, the magnetic force generated by the mahjong tiles (and the magnetic force of this magnet if a magnet is attached to the ring 32) is such that the back side of the mahjong tiles (the side where the design is not drawn or engraved) and the ring 32 attract each other. Acts on. As a result, the agitated mahjong tile is adsorbed on the ring 32 with the back side facing up. The ring 32 is also rotated in the same manner as the turntable 31, and the adsorbed mahjong tiles are sent to the conveyor 34 # 1 from the suction portion 33 # 1 of the circular outer wall which is erected substantially perpendicular to the turntable 31. Ru. The mahjong tiles sent to the conveyor 34 # 1 are conveyed in the direction of the arrow in the figure and pass near the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1. The suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 reads the identification information of the tiles passing in the vicinity on the conveyor 34 # 1 and outputs the identification information to the main control unit 50. The tiles that have passed near the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 then reach the hand tile set unit 20S # 1 or the tile set unit 22S # 1. With such a configuration, the main control unit 50 can grasp the information of each tile constituting the hand tile and the information of each tile forming the tile at the start of the station. As described above, in the present embodiment, the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 functions as a hand tile reading unit for reading the hand tiles and also as a tile reading unit for reading the tiles. This is an important feature of the automatic mahjong table 1 according to the present embodiment.

Here, the internal structure of the automatic mahjong table 1 is described by taking the components for the player # 1 as an example, but the same applies to the components for the other players # 2 to # 4. Further, FIG. 3 shows a form in which the mahjong tile passes directly under the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1, but the form is not limited to this form. The suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 is located in the middle of the common road upstream between the hand tile setting unit 20S # 1 and the tile setting unit 22S # 1 in the conveyor 34 # 1, and the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 is The mahjong tiles may be provided so that the back surface faces the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 instead of the ventral surface and passes in the vicinity. For example, the mahjong tile may pass directly above the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1.

<Structure of tiles>
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of a mahjong tile used in the automatic mahjong table 1 according to the present embodiment. 4 (a) is a top perspective view of the mahjong tile, FIG. 4 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the cross-sectional line IVb-IVb, and FIG. 4 (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the cross-sectional line IVc-IVc. , FIG. 4D is a schematic perspective view. For the sake of explanation, as shown in FIG. 4D, the back side of the mahjong tile is upward (+ z direction), and the ventral side is downward (−z direction).

The mahjong tile has a back surface member 41, a pressure stirring member 42, an IC chip 43, an antenna 44, a substrate 45, a magnet 46, and a ventral surface member 47. As shown in the figure, the mahjong tile is configured such that a back surface member 41 made of a resin material and a ventral surface member 47 made of a resin material are opposed to each other and joined by heat fusion.

The back member 41 is a molding member on the back side of the mahjong tile, and is generally made of urea resin.

The pressure stirring member 42 is a molding member for protecting the IC chip 43 and the antenna 44 from the pressure applied at the time of tile molding. The pressure stirring member 42 is made of heat-resistant resin and has a recess for accommodating the IC chip 43 and the antenna 44. The upper portion of the pressure stirring member 42 according to the present embodiment has a conical shape. By forming the upper part of the pressure stirring member 42 into a cone shape protruding upward, it is possible to relieve the pressure applied to the IC chip 43 and the antenna 44 during molding. The upper portion of the pressure stirring member 42 may have a conical shape or a quadrangular pyramid shape. Any cone shape can be adopted as the upper shape of the pressure stirring member 42.

Identification information (unique ID) for uniquely identifying the mahjong tile is written in the IC chip 43, and this identification information is read in a non-contact state via the antenna 44 by electromagnetic induction.

As shown in the figure, one antenna 44 may be provided on the substrate 45, and it is not necessary to provide a plurality of antennas. The reason for this is that each reading unit that reads the tiles placed on the top plate 11 through the top plate 11 cannot read the tiles in a state where the back side faces downward (in other words, the ventral side faces up) (so-called open state). Even if there is, it is not possible to read a tile with the back side facing up (so-called prone tile state). Therefore, regarding the distance between the reading unit and the internal antenna provided on the tile placed on the tabletop mounting area with the ventral side facing upward, the reading unit is less than or equal to the predetermined distance at which the tile can be read. It suffices to provide one antenna so that it becomes. That is, in the present embodiment, one antenna may be provided near the back surface instead of the ventral surface with reference to the center in the z direction shown in FIG. 4 (d). Regarding the distance between the antenna and each reading unit (gate front tile reading unit 21R, hitting tile reading unit 23R, squealing tile reading unit 25R), mahjong with the back side placed in the mounting area corresponding to each reading unit facing down. The position of the antenna in the mahjong tile is designed so that the tile is below a predetermined threshold that can be read by each reading unit. These are important features of the mahjong tiles according to this embodiment.

An IC chip 43 and an antenna 44 are provided on the substrate 45, and the IC chip 43 and the antenna 44 are connected on the substrate 45.

The magnet 46 is needed to make a tile (mountain) at the start of the station. The magnetic force generated by the magnet 46 acts so that the ring 32 and the back side of the mahjong tile are attracted to each other. The magnet 46 may be provided with a cavity inside as shown in the figure.

The ventral member 47 is a molded member on the ventral surface side of the mahjong tile, and is generally a hollow box-shaped member made of urea resin. The ventral member 47 is joined to face the back member 41, and the surface thereof is engraved with letters and numbers indicating the type of tile.

<Hardware configuration of automatic mahjong table>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the automatic mahjong table 1. The automatic mahjong table 1 stores the main control unit 50, the operation / display units 100 # 1 to 100 # 4, the dice switches 12a # 1 to 12a # 4, and the reach bar sensing units 51 # 1 to 51 # 4. It has a part 53 and. Further, the automatic mahjong table 1 has, as the tile reading unit, the gate front tile reading unit 21R # 1 to 21 # 4, the hitting tile reading unit 23R # 1 to 23 # 4d, and the squealing tile reading unit 25R # 1 to 25 # 4. , And a suction tile reading unit 33R # 1-33 # 4.

The main control unit 50 includes a CPU that executes a program, a ROM that stores an OS (operating system), program instructions, data, and the like, and a RAM that stores temporary work data. The main control unit 50 controls the entire automatic mahjong table 1.

The operation / display units 100 # 1 to 100 # 4 accept user operations as inputs and display information. The dice switches 12a # 1 to 12a # 4 constitute an operation unit 12 (see FIG. 1).

The reach bar sensing units 51 # 1 to 51 # 4 are arranged on the back surface of the reach bar storage area. The reach bar sensing units 51 # 1 to 51 # 4 measure the weight of the reach bar storage area, detect that the point bar has been placed as the reach bar, and transmit a signal to the main control unit 50. The reach bar sensing unit is not limited to this. As the reach rod sensing unit, a reach rod sensing unit having an optical sensor for detecting light or a reach rod sensing unit having a porcelain sensor for detecting magnetic force may be adopted.

The gate front tile reading unit 21R # 1 to 21 # 4, the tile reading unit 23R # 1 to 23 # 4d, the squealing tile reading unit 25R # 1 to 25 # 4, and the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 to 33 # 4, respectively, are concrete. Specifically, it is a non-contact reader / writer 70 (see FIG. 7) described later.

The storage unit 53 is an HDD (hard disk drive), and stores a program executed by the main control unit 50, data necessary for program execution, an OS, and the like. The program stored in the HDD includes a control program corresponding to the OS and an application program for executing a process (see FIG. 10) described later. These programs are read out by the main control unit 50 as needed and expanded in the RAM. The CPU executes the program expanded in the RAM. As a result, the software module described later (see FIG. 8) is realized, and the process described later (see FIG. 10) is executed.

<Hardware configuration of non-contact IC tag>
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a non-contact IC tag 60 built in a mahjong tile. The non-contact IC tag 60 has a memory 61 and an antenna 62.

The memory 61 is a storage medium for storing data, and corresponds to the above-mentioned IC chip 43 (see FIG. 4). ROM or RAM may be adopted as the memory 61. The memory 61 stores the tile ID as information for uniquely identifying the mahjong tile (that is, identification information). The non-contact IC tag 60 performs wireless communication with the non-contact reader / writer 70 (see FIG. 7) described later via the antenna 62 (corresponding to the antenna 44 in FIG. 4).

<Hardware configuration of non-contact reader / writer>
FIG. 7 is a block showing the hardware configuration of the non-contact reader / writer 70 installed in the automatic mahjong table 1. The non-contact reader / writer 70 includes a control unit 71, a power supply unit 72, an input / output unit 73, a communication unit 74, and an antenna 75.

The control unit 71 has a CPU for executing a program, a ROM for storing an OS, a program, data, and the like, and a RAM for storing temporary work data. The control unit 71 controls the entire non-contact reader / writer 70.

The power supply unit 72 supplies electric power for driving the non-contact reader / writer 70. The input / output unit 73 controls the transmission / reception of data to the main control unit 50 or the like of the automatic mahjong table 1. The communication unit 74 modulates and demodulates the data, and controls wireless communication with the non-contact IC tag 60 via the antenna 75.

For example, the non-contact reader / writer 70 performs batch reading of the non-contact IC tag 60 at regular intervals. Then, when the acquired tile ID information is different from the previous time, the tile ID information is transmitted to the main control unit 50. As a result, the main control unit 50 can receive a list of mahjong tile IDs from the reading unit where the mahjong tiles have come and gone.

<Software configuration of automatic mahjong table>
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a software configuration of the automatic mahjong table 1, specifically, a configuration composed of each component realized by the main control unit 50 of the automatic mahjong table 1. The main control unit 50 includes a station information determination unit 81, a reach information determination unit 82, a mahjong tile position identification unit 83, a mahjong tile position information holding unit 84, a score recording unit 85, a score calculation unit 86, and the like. It has an error detection unit 87 and.

The station information determination unit 81 is based on user input via the operation / display unit 100, the dice switch 12a, etc., and information held in the storage unit 53, such as parent-child information as station information, wind information, and home information. To decide.

The parent-child information is information indicating whether each player is a parent or a child. In the case of the first station, the player who presses the dice switch 12a to distribute the dice becomes the parent. That is, the station information determination unit 81 determines which player is the parent by the signal transmitted from the dice switch 12a. In the case of the second and subsequent stations, the station information determination unit 81 determines parent-child information based on the result of the previous station held in the storage unit 53. Since the score at the end of the game is different between the parent and the child, the parent-child information is information necessary for performing the score calculation.

The wind tile information is information indicating what the wind tile of each player is. The style tiles include both the villa style tiles (also known as the field style tiles) and the gate style tiles (also known as the self-style tiles). In the case of the first station, the station information determination unit 81 determines that the field wind tile is east, the self-wind tile is east, and the following counterclockwise, south, west, and north. In the case of the second and subsequent stations, the station information determination unit 81 determines the tile information based on the result of the previous station held in the storage unit 53. For example, if the tile is a carved tile or a tile, it plays the role of a tile, so the tile information is necessary information when calculating the score.

Authentic information is information that indicates the number of consecutive villas in the station. In the case of the first station, the station information determination unit 81 determines that the number of consecutive villas is 0. In the case of the second and subsequent stations, the station information determination unit 81 determines the home information based on the result of the previous station held in the storage unit 53. In the score calculation, 300 points are added every time the number of consecutive villas increases by 1, so the home information is necessary information when performing the score calculation.

The reach information determination unit 82 determines the reach information by the signal transmitted from the reach bar sensing unit 51. Reach information is information indicating when and which player made the reach. For example, if Tsumo finishes before one lap after reaching, it will be a one-shot role, so not only the main body of the reach act but also the information about when the reach was made is necessary information when calculating the score. be.

The mahjong tile position specifying unit 83 includes a gate tile reading unit 21R # 1 to 21 # 4, a hitting tile reading unit 23R # 1 to 23 # 4d, a squealing tile reading unit 25R # 1 to 25 # 4, and a suction tile reading unit 33R # 1. The position of the mahjong tile is specified by the information transmitted from ~ 33 # 4, and the position information of the mahjong tile is acquired.

The position information of the mahjong tiles is information indicating in which of the above-mentioned placement areas each mahjong tile is placed. The mahjong tile position specifying unit 83 identifies the position of the mahjong tile based on the transmitted tile ID and the installation location of the non-contact reader / writer 70 of the transmission source.

The mahjong tile position information holding unit 84 holds the mahjong tile position information acquired by the mahjong tile position specifying unit 83 in a RAM or the like. The timing at which the mahjong tile position information holding unit 84 holds the position information of the mahjong tile is the timing at which the non-contact reader / writer 70 transmits the tile ID information. The information held by the mahjong tile position information holding unit 84 in the RAM or the like may be deleted at the timing when the station ends.

The score recording unit 85 is based on the station information determined by the station information determination unit 81, the reach information determined by the reach information determination unit 82, and the position information of the mahjong tiles held by the mahjong tile position information holding unit 84. Record the tiles (ie, generate the tiles table (see Figure 9) described below). The score table generated by the score recording unit 85 is temporarily stored in the RAM of the main control unit 50 or stored in the storage unit 53.

A score is a record of a player's actions. The acts recorded in the score include distribution (high pie), hitting (dahai), self-reliance (tsumo), squeal, reach, and agari. The score stored in the storage unit 53 serves as input information for the station information determination unit 81, and is also transmitted to, for example, a computer connected to the automatic mahjong table 1 and used for various purposes.

The score calculation unit 86 identifies the last tile or the tile that has been picked up as a winning tile when the corresponding player finishes (that is, when the winning button of the operation / display unit 100 is pressed). Write the winning tile information to the tile table.

Further, in this case, the score calculation unit 86 performs automatic score calculation based on the information in the score table. More specifically, the winning tile information, the station information determined by the station information determination unit 81, the reach information determined by the reach information determination unit 82, and the position information of the mahjong tile held by the mahjong tile position information holding unit 84. Based on the Dora information obtained according to the above and the input via the operation / display unit 100, the winning score is automatically calculated, and the information related to the winning score is written in the tile table. The calculation logic itself may use a known algorithm used in mahjong computer game software or the like.

Further, the score calculation unit 86 updates the display content of the operation / display unit 100 based on the score after the end of the game. The station information, reach information, and mahjong tile position information may be acquired from the tile table stored in the storage unit 53.

The score calculation unit 86 also calculates the score even when the two players have completed the game (when there is a doubloon). In addition, if there are only 14 mahjong tiles left and no one can finish the game, any player presses the game button (a separate stream button may be provided) on the operation / display unit 100. You may. In this case, the score calculation unit 86 determines whether or not each player is tempted, and updates the display content in the operation / display unit 100 according to the result of the determination.

The error detection unit 87 detects as an error when a tile that does not exist in the hand tile is selected as the tile or the naki tile at the time of the player's tile or naki tile. The content related to the error detected by the error detection unit 87 is notified to the user via the operation / display unit 100.

<Data structure>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a data structure of a table (referred to as a score table) that holds data related to the score generated in the automatic mahjong table 1 at the time of score recording.

<Processing flow>
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing accompanied by the score recording according to the present embodiment. In the following, the components for player # 1 will be mainly described, but the same can be said for each component for other players # 2 to # 4 as well as the component for player # 1.

In step S100, the mahjong tiles washed by the turntable 31, sucked from the suction unit 33 # 1 and conveyed by the conveyor 34 # 1 are stacked one by one on the hand tile set unit 20S # 1. At this time, the CPU of the main control unit 50 stores the information for each mahjong tile read by the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 in the RAM of the main control unit 50, that is, sequentially writes the information in the score table stored in the RAM. (Item "Distribution 1" in FIG. 9). As a result, the main control unit 50 can grasp the distribution of each player. In the following, "step S ~" is simply referred to as "S ~".

In S102, the mahjong tiles washed by the turntable 31, sucked from the suction unit 33 # 1 and conveyed by the conveyor 34 # 1 are stacked one by one on the tile set unit 22S # 1. At this time, the CPU of the main control unit 50 stores the information for each mahjong tile read by the suction tile reading unit 33R # 1 in the RAM of the main control unit 50, that is, sequentially writes the information in the tile table (item in FIG. 9). "Building tile 1"). As a result, the main control unit 50 can grasp the information about the tiles in front of each player (in other words, acquire the tiles data).

In S104, the CPU of the main control unit 50 derives information (referred to as dora data) for identifying the dora based on the parent-child information, the dice roll information, and the tile data, and the derived dora. Write the data to the tile table. The dora data includes information on the front dora, information on the back dora, and information on the dora (each item of "initial dora display tile", "back dora display tile", and "new dora display tile" in FIG. 9). ). When the processing of S104 is completed, the game preparation is completed.

In S106, the CPU of the main control unit 50 updates the station start information, specifically, overwrites each item of the station start information in the staff table.

In S108, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the information (referred to as the hitting information) that identifies the first hitting (discarding) of the parent, and writes the acquired hitting information in the score table. Hereinafter, the explanation will be made assuming that the parent is player # 1. In this case, as a result of the first hitting by the player # 1 being read by the hitting reading unit 23R # 1, in S108, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the hitting information of the player # 1 and obtains the acquired hitting information. Add to the item "Striking 1" in the CPU table.

In S110, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the identification information (tsumo tile information) of the tiles of the player # 2, and adds the acquired tile tile information to the item "tsumo 2" in the tile table. Further, as a result of reading the hitting of the player # 2 by the hitting reading unit 23R # 2, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the hitting information of the player # 2, and the acquired hitting information is used as an item in the score table. Add to "Table 2".

In S112, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the tile information of the player # 3, and adds the acquired tile information to the item "tsumo 3" in the tile table. Further, as a result of reading the hitting of the player # 3 by the hitting reading unit 23R # 3, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the hitting information of the player # 3, and the acquired hitting information is used as an item in the score table. Add to "Table 3".

In S114, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the tile information of the player # 4, and adds the acquired tile information to the item "tsumo 4" in the tile table. Further, as a result of reading the hitting of the player # 4 by the hitting reading unit 23R # 4, the CPU of the main control unit 50 acquires the hitting information of the player # 4, and the acquired hitting information is used as an item in the score table. Add to "Table 4".

After that, the addition of the tile information and the addition of the tile information are repeated for each player. Hereinafter, the processing after S114 will be described by taking as an example the case where the player # 4 is tempted and the player # 1 discards the winning tile of the player # 4.

In S116, the CPU of the main control unit 50 determines whether the tile of the player # 1 and the winning tile of the player # 4 are the same, and determines that the determination result is true. Then, the CPU of the main control unit 50 displays a completion button (also referred to as a long button) on the operation / display unit 100 # 4. When player # 4 presses the end button, the end of player # 4 is confirmed.

In S118, the CPU of the main control unit 50 accepts the press input of the end button by the player # 4.

In S120, the CPU of the main control unit 50 adds information regarding the completion of player # 4 to the score table, specifically, describes it in the item "completion" in the score table.

In S122, the CPU of the main control unit 50 accepts the press input of the "proceed to next station" button by the player. The "Proceed to next station" button is mounted on the operation / display unit 100.

<Effect of this embodiment>
In this embodiment, the abdomen of the tile is not read. Therefore, it suffices to adopt one type of tile whose back surface can be read. In addition, the configuration of the reading unit can be simplified as compared with the conventional technique.

Furthermore, since the information read by the gate front tile reading unit, the squealing tile reading unit, and the hitting tile reading unit is retained, even if an error such as a player picking up from the wrong place of the tile is generated, this is retained. Based on the information provided, the score calculation unit can execute automatic score calculation.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

Claims (11)

A turntable for washing and
A conveyor that conveys tiles and
A first tile reading unit that reads tiles that pass in the vicinity and are conveyed by the conveyor.
The second tile reading unit that reads the tiles in front of the gate,
A third tile reading unit that reads the tiles,
A fourth tile reading unit that reads the squealing tiles,
A determinant that determines parent-child information about a parent or child based on player input via a dice switch,
A derivation means for deriving the Dora information for specifying the Dora display tile based on the parent-child information, the dice roll information determined according to the input via the dice switch, and the tile construction information.
A determinant that determines reach information indicating when and which player made the reach based on the signal transmitted from the reach bar detector.
Using the tile distribution information, the gate tile information, the tile information, the squeal tile information, the parent-child information, the dora information, the reach information, and the winning information acquired when the winning button is pressed by the winning player. And the tile recording means to record the tiles,
Have,
The tile construction information and the tile distribution information are acquired as a reading result of the first tile reading unit.
An automatic mahjong table featuring that. A suction portion for sucking tiles, which is provided between the turntable and the conveyor,
The hand tile set part where the tiles conveyed by the conveyor are piled up to make a hand tile,
The tile set part where the tiles transported by the conveyor are piled up to make a tile,
The automatic mahjong table according to claim 1, further comprising. The first tile reading portion is provided between the suction portion and the tile setting portion of the conveyor.
The automatic mahjong table according to claim 2. The first tile reading unit is provided at a position where both the tiles conveyed to the hand tile set portion and the tiles conveyed to the tile set portion pass through.
The automatic mahjong table according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that. The first tile reading unit is provided directly above the conveyor and is provided.
When a tile passes in the vicinity of the first tile reading portion, the back side of the tile faces the first tile reading portion.
The automatic mahjong table according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that. It has a top plate and
The second tile reading unit, the third tile reading unit, and the fourth tile reading unit are tiles placed on the top plate with the back side facing down through the top plate, respectively. The automatic mahjong table according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tiles are read. It is characterized by further having a score calculation means for performing automatic score calculation based on the winning information including the hitting information, the squealing information, the parent-child information, the dora information, the reach information, and the winning information. The automatic mahjong table according to claim 6. A mahjong set that is a combination of the automatic mahjong table according to claim 7 and a tile.
A mahjong set characterized in that one antenna is provided on the back side of the tile, not on the ventral surface. The distance between the antenna and the second tile reading unit, the third tile reading unit, or the fourth tile reading unit is such that the back side of the tile placed on the top plate is on the bottom. The mahjong set according to claim 8, wherein the second tile reading unit, the third tile reading unit, or the fourth tile reading unit is set so as to be readable. A turntable for washing and
A conveyor that conveys tiles and
A first tile reading unit that reads tiles that pass in the vicinity and are conveyed by the conveyor.
The second tile reading unit that reads the tiles in front of the gate,
A third tile reading unit that reads the tiles,
A fourth tile reading unit that reads the squealing tiles,
With the CPU
It is a control method of an automatic mahjong table that has
A determination step in which the CPU determines parent-child information regarding a parent or a child based on a player's input via a dice switch.
A derivation step in which the CPU derives the dora information for specifying the dora display tile based on the parent-child information, the dice roll information determined according to the input via the dice switch, and the tile construction information. When,
A determination step in which the CPU determines reach information indicating when and which player made the reach based on the signal transmitted from the reach bar sensing unit.
The sum acquired when the CPU is pressed by the tile distribution information, the gate tile information, the tile information, the squeal tile information, the parent-child information, the dora information, the reach information, and the winning player. The tile recording step to record the tiles using the agari information,
Have,
The tile construction information and the tile distribution information are acquired as a reading result of the first tile reading unit.
A control method characterized by that. A program for causing a computer to perform the method according to claim 10.

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