JP7300153B2 - Management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a management system for playing games in which gaming machines compete for ranking.

Conventionally, game performance information associated with the execution results of multiple gaming machines is aggregated in a management server, and the ranking of performance is determined based on the performance information. There has been disclosed a system for switching between a ranking game in which players compete for the highest number of players and a game played by a gaming machine alone, depending on the settings of the gaming machine (see Patent Literatures 1, 2, and 3).

U.S. Pat. No. 8,506,394 U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0116809 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0191101

In the related art, each gaming machine has a dedicated setting configuration. For this reason, if you try to change the execution conditions such as the period of the ranking game or the winning conditions, it is necessary to change the settings in each gaming machine to correspond to the execution conditions. was limited to what was provided.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to change the execution specifications of the ranking game without changing the settings in the gaming machine, and the gaming machine that is in a normal operating state. The aim is to provide a management system of choice.

The management system of the present invention is
Communicatively attached to each of a plurality of gaming machines capable of executing a game and belonging to one of a plurality of groups, respectively, gaming value information in the attached gaming machine, and identification information for identifying the gaming machine an information management unit that stores game information related to
a ranking determination processing unit that receives the game information from the plurality of information management units and executes a ranking game for determining ranking based on the game information in each gaming machine;
has
The ranking determination processing unit determines the group to participate in the ranking game from among the plurality of gaming machines attached to the plurality of information management units.

According to the above configuration, the ranking determination processing unit, when performing the ranking game for determining the ranking based on the game information of each gaming machine stored in the information management unit attached to each gaming machine, is a gaming machine that can participate in the ranking game. A machine can be determined by selecting the group to which the gaming machine belongs, and the order of the ranking game can be determined based on the game information from the information management unit. As a result, the desired gaming machine can participate in the ranking game without changing the gaming machine to a special specification for the ranking game, and the gaming machine can be sent to the ranking determination processing unit without changing from the normal operating state. The ranking can be determined simply by sending information. As a result, the execution specifications of the ranking game can be changed without changing the settings of the gaming machine, and even gaming machines in a normal operating state can participate in the ranking game.

Also, in the management system of the present invention,
The game information includes a game execution time during which the game was executed in the gaming machine,
The ranking determination processing unit
a storage unit for storing execution specification information of the ranking game including the holding period of the ranking game and the group participating in the ranking game;
a controller that executes a program on a CPU;
with
The controller is
(A) a process of cumulatively storing the game information received from the plurality of information management units;
(B) after the opening period, a process of determining the ranking based on the game information of the plurality of gaming machines belonging to the group and having the opening period among the cumulatively stored gaming information;
may be executed.

According to the above configuration, the ranking determination processing unit selects the game information corresponding to the holding period and the group of the execution specification information of the ranking game from the cumulatively stored gaming information, and selects the ranking game based on the selected gaming information. determine the ranking of As a result, the ranking determination processing section can determine the ranking of the ranking game from the game information transmitted from the ranking determination processing section even in the normal operating state, based on the execution specification information that defines the specifications of the ranking game.

Also, in the management system of the present invention,
a plurality of pieces of execution specification information respectively corresponding to a plurality of ranking games can be set in the storage unit;
The controller may execute the process (B) for each of the plurality of pieces of execution specification information.

According to the above configuration, by setting a plurality of pieces of execution specification information, it is possible to easily execute a plurality of rank games, and furthermore, it is possible to simultaneously progress a plurality of rank games.

According to the present invention, it is possible to change the execution specifications of the ranking game without changing the settings of the gaming machine, so that even a gaming machine in a normal operating state can participate in the ranking game.

1 is a block diagram of a management system; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a slot machine; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slot machine; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a PTS terminal; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display state of a PTS terminal; It is a data table showing a base table. 4 is a data table showing a ranking game specification table; 4 is a data table showing a ranking game specification table; 4 is a data table showing a ranking game specification table; 4 is a data table showing a ranking game specification table; 4 is a data table showing a ranking game specification table; 4 is a data table showing a ranking game setting table; It is a data table showing a game information table. It is a flow chart of a slot machine and a management server. 4 is a flowchart of ranking determination processing; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which zones for ranking games are set;

(Overview of management system)
As shown in FIG. 1, the management system A1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of information management devices A21 (information management section) and a management server A3 (order determination processing section).

A plurality of information management apparatuses A21 each functioning as an information management unit are attached to each of a plurality of gaming machines A2 capable of executing a game and belonging to one of a plurality of groups so as to be able to communicate with each other. The information management device A21 stores game value information attached to the gaming machine A2 and game information related to the gaming machine identification information for identifying the gaming machine A2.

The management server A3 functioning as a ranking determination processing unit receives game information from a plurality of information management devices A21, and executes a ranking game for determining ranking based on the game information of each gaming machine A2. The management server A3 determines a group to participate in the ranking game from among the plurality of gaming machines A2 attached to the plurality of information management devices A21.

According to the above configuration, the management server A3 participates in the ranking game when performing the ranking game for determining the ranking based on the game information of each gaming machine A2 stored in the information management device A21 attached to each gaming machine A2. The gaming machines that can be played are determined by selecting the group to which the gaming machines belong, and the order of the ranking game can be determined based on the game information from the information management device A21. As a result, the desired gaming machine A2 can participate in the ranking game without changing the gaming machine A2 to special specifications for the ranking game, and the ranking of the participating gaming machine A2 can be determined. . As a result, the execution specifications of the ranking game can be changed without changing the settings of the gaming machine, and even gaming machines in a normal operating state can participate in the ranking game.

More specifically, the game information transmitted from the information management device A21 to the management server A3 includes the game execution time during which the game was executed in the gaming machine A2. Then, the management server A3 receives and cumulatively stores the game information transmitted each time the game is executed from the plurality of information management devices A21 in the storage device A33 functioning as a storage unit. The storage device A33 stores the execution specification information of the ranking game including the holding period of the ranking game and the groups to participate in the ranking game. After the ranking game has been held, the management server A3 determines the ranking based on the game information of the plurality of gaming machines belonging to the group during the holding period among the cumulatively stored game information.

According to the above configuration, the management server A3 selects the game information corresponding to the holding period and the group of the execution specification information of the ranked game from the cumulatively stored game information, and executes the ranked game based on the selected game information. determine the ranking. As a result, the management server A3 can determine the order of the ranking game from the game information transmitted from the information management device A21 even in a normal operating state, based on the execution specification information that defines the specifications of the ranking game.

A plurality of pieces of execution specification information respectively corresponding to a plurality of ranking games can be set in the storage device A33. Then, the management server A3 executes the process of determining the order for each of the plurality of pieces of execution specification information.

According to the above configuration, by setting a plurality of pieces of execution specification information, it is possible to easily execute a plurality of rank games, and furthermore, it is possible to simultaneously progress a plurality of rank games.

The management system A1 of the present embodiment is installed in each of a plurality of gaming machines A2 that bet a game value, execute a single game, and pay a dividend based on the execution result of the single game, and the gaming machine A2. Gaming information including value bet number data and payout number data, player identification information of the player playing the single game, gaming machine identification information identifying the gaming machine A2, and game execution time information when the single game was executed. and a management server A3 connected to the information management device A21 for data communication. The management server A3 is a storage device provided with an input device A31 that can be operated from the outside, and a storage area for storing the above-described game information, player identification information, gaming machine identification information, game execution time, and the like. A33 and a management server controller A32.

Here, "game value" is information about cash, and may be a tangible object having game value information, or an intangible object having game value information converted into electronic data. The "game value information" is non-valuable information such as coins, banknotes, electronic valuable information equivalent to these, and game points that do not contain valuable information. Examples of tangible "game value" include chips, medals, tokens, electronic money cards, plaques, and tickets. The ticket is, for example, a ticket with a barcode. The game value includes convertible game value that can be exchanged for currency and non-convertible game value that cannot be exchanged for currency. Also, the game value of a tangible object has game value information in the form of electronic data or external form, and corresponds to a configuration in which this game value information can be read from the outside by wireless communication, image recognition, or the like. Note that the external form is a form that can be identified from the outside, such as colors, patterns, characters, images, and shapes.

If the "single game" can be executed by the gaming machine A2 capable of outputting game information including bet number data and payout number data, player identification information, gaming machine identification information, game execution time, etc., the game value This includes all types of games that can be unit games from bets to payouts based on game execution results. A "single game" may be a game based on random numbers, a game based on skill, a game by a single player, or a game by a multiplayer. As a result, the management system 1 can execute a ranking game in which players compete with each other for the bet amount and the total game value amount that increase or decrease by repeating the unit game. A tournament game consisting of a hierarchical ranking game is enabled.

The management system A1 may include gaming machines A2 that play different types of single games. In this case, even if the management system A1 includes only gaming machines A2 of the same type, ranking games can be played between single games of different types. In addition, the management system A1 may include gaming machines A2 that execute single games with different numbers of game value bets and payouts.

The “gaming machine A2” is exemplified by a slot machine capable of outputting game information including bet number data and payout number data and player identification information. Also, the gaming machine A2 may be a table game machine such as a baccarat game machine, as long as the game value information can be read from an external device such as a chip through wireless communication, image recognition, or the like. An example of wireless communication is RFID (radio frequency identifier) for transmitting and receiving information by short-range wireless communication using electromagnetic fields, radio waves, or the like. Furthermore, the gaming machine A2 may have a function capable of outputting game information and player identification information by means of hardware or software. In this case, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a stationary terminal device such as a desktop computer can be used as the gaming machine A2.

The "information management device A21" is configured to be capable of externally transmitting gaming information including bet number data and payout number data of gaming values output from the gaming machine A2, and player identification information of a player playing a single game. It is good if it is. Therefore, the information management device A21 may be configured to cause a computer of a general information processing device to execute processing for transmitting game information and player identification information, or may be configured to cause a computer that controls the gaming machine A2 to transmit game information and player identification information. It may be configured to execute a process of transmitting game information and player identification information. Note that this embodiment will be described using a player tracking system (PTS) device, which will be described later.

"The information management device A21 is attached to the gaming machine A2" indicates that the information management device A21 is installed in the gaming machine A2 so that data communication is possible from at least the gaming machine A2 to the information management device A21. In this embodiment, the information management device A21 is incorporated in the gaming machine A2, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The management server A3 comprises a communication device A34 connected to the information management device A21 for data communication, an externally operable input device A31, a recording area for storing player identification information, and a storage area for storing game information. , a management server controller A32, and a timer A35. The input device A31 includes a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, and the like. The storage device A33 has a memory that rewritably stores data and information. The memory is a non-transitory storage medium that stores programs and various data for executing processes described later. The memory has storage areas for storing, for example, gaming machine identification information, game content information, player identification information, game information, and execution specification information. A plurality of pieces of execution specification information can be set, and one piece of execution specification information defines the specifications of one ranking game. The execution specification information includes rank game hierarchy data, rank game start time data, rank game end time data, rank game content data, prize number data, prize money data for winners, and the like. Each piece of data and each piece of information are associated with each other in the data tables shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. Details of the data table will be described later.

The management server controller A32 performs a process of setting a ranking game period in which the ranking game is executed based on the operation of the input device A31 (the period during which the ranking game is held), and stores the gaming information output from all the information management devices A21. A process of cumulatively storing in a storage area, and a process of extracting game information within the ranking game period based on the execution specification information after the ranking game period ends, and determining player ranking based on the extracted gaming information. and run The clock device A35 performs processing such as acquisition of the current time for determining whether or not it is the holding period.

In this way, the management server controller A32, based on the gaming information stored in the storage device A33, selects games played during the period of the ranking game, and games played on gaming machines belonging to a group that can participate in the ranking game. The ranking of the ranking game can be determined by extracting the game information. Incidentally, the management server controller A32 may have a program that causes a computer to execute the above-described processing. The program may be distributed by wire or wirelessly, or may be distributed in a state recorded on a recording medium.

(Specific example of management system)
A case in which the management system A1 includes a slot machine as the gaming machine A2 and a PTS device 1700 as the information management device A21 will be specifically described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the slot machine 1010, which is the gaming machine A2, has a player tracking system device (Player Tracking System Device) 1700. FIG. The player tracking device 1700 is a terminal for realizing a player tracking system, and is hereinafter referred to as a PTS terminal 1700 in this specification.

The PTS terminal 1700 has a PTS control unit 1700A and a PTS user interface unit 1700B. The PTS control unit 1700A controls various processing operations of the PTS terminal 1700 and is connected to various external devices for data communication. Also, the PTS user interface unit 1700B is mainly configured to enable input processing and output processing with an operator such as a user. Details of the PTS control unit 1700A and the PTS user interface unit 1700B are described in FIG.

The slot machine 1010 also includes a payout machine 1868 . The slot machine 1010 is connected to the management server A3 via the PTS control unit 1700A of the PTS terminal 1700 and the network. The PTS control unit 1700A is connected to the bill validator 1022 via a communication line (or slot machine 1010). Also, the PTS control unit 1700A performs data transmission/reception with the controller 1100 based on a predetermined protocol, and performs data communication with the management server A3 or the like connected via the network. For example, from the PTS control unit 1700A to the controller 1100, credit information required to start the game, a stop command instructing to stop the unit game during the interlocking effect, etc. are transmitted, and the controller 1100 transmits the PTS. To the control unit 1700A, credit information as a game result, a unit game start notification, an end notification, and the like can be transmitted.

In addition, the PTS control unit 1700A of the PTS terminal 1700 provides notification of taking in and taking out a member card, notification of start and end of a unit game, lottery results, bet information, game information such as the number of payouts, bonus winning notification, member Send and receive credit information, etc.

Here, the game flow in the case of a member is roughly as follows. First, membership registration is performed by a membership card issue terminal, and a membership card (IC card) is issued at that time. After that, the player inserts the membership card into the PTS terminal 1700 (PTS user interface unit 1700B) of the slot machine 1010 and inserts cash there. Bill validator 1022 identifies the denomination and amount of money when a bill is inserted, and transmits the denomination data and amount data to PTS control unit 1700A as the identification result. The PTS control unit 1700A obtains game credits from the denomination data and amount data, and transmits them to the controller 1100. FIG.

Controller 1100 executes a single game based on the credits sent from PTS control unit 1700A. Credits according to the game results are transmitted from the controller 1100 to the PTS control unit 1700A, and the PTS control unit 1700A calculates payouts based on the game results to determine the amount to be paid out to the player. The PTS terminal 1700 (PTS user interface unit 1700B) writes the determined amount of money directly into the membership card and ejects the membership card. Also, predetermined points are given to the membership card according to the execution of the game or the like.

When the player who is a member plays the game next time, the PTS control unit 1700A reads the inserted membership card and reads the amount of money stored in the membership card. The amount read is converted to credit and sent to controller 1100 . Credits corresponding to the game results are transmitted from the controller 1100 to the PTS control unit 1700A in the same manner as described above, and the PTS control unit 1700A performs payout calculations based on the game results to determine the amount to be paid out to the player. At this time, the amount of money on the inserted membership card is updated by adding the amount of money obtained as a result of the game.

At this time, the PTS control unit 1700A further transmits the identification code (or player identification code) read from the membership card and the updated amount of money to the member management server 13, and the member management server 13 receives the information from the PTS control unit 1700A. The amount obtained is added to the member's amount specified by the identification code and stored. By this process, the amount of money held by the member is always managed.

A player who is a member can then make a payment at a cashier counter or the like as necessary based on the amount of money stored in the membership card. In addition, when the slot machine 1010 is equipped with a payment machine 1868, payment can be made at the slot machine 1010 using a membership card.

On the other hand, the game flow for non-members is roughly as follows. A player inserts cash into the PTS terminal 1700 (PTS user interface unit 1700B) of the slot machine 1010 . Bill validator 1022 identifies the denomination and amount of money when a bill is inserted, and as the identification result, denomination data and amount data are transmitted to PTS control unit 1700A. The PTS control unit 1700A obtains game credits from the denomination data and money amount data, and transmits them to the controller 1100. FIG.

The controller runs the game based on the credits sent from PTS control unit 1700A. Credits according to the game results are transmitted from the controller 1100 to the PTS control unit 1700A, and the PTS control unit 1700A performs payout calculations based on the game results to determine the amount to be paid out to the player. The PTS terminal 1700 (PTS user interface unit 1700B) writes the determined amount of money into a new IC card stocked in the slot machine 1010, and ejects the IC card. Non-members will get an IC card for the first time here.

A player who is a non-member can then make a payment at a cashier counter or the like as necessary based on the amount of money stored in the IC card. In addition, when the slot machine 1010 is provided with a settlement machine 1868, the settlement can be made at the slot machine 1010 using an IC card.

(Specific example of management system: slot machine)
As shown in FIG. 3, the slot machine 1010 uses membership cards (IC cards), bills, or electronic value information equivalent to these as game media. In particular, in this embodiment, credit-related data such as cash data stored in the IC card 1500 is used.

The slot machine 1010 includes a cabinet 1011, a top box 1012 installed on the upper side of the cabinet 1011, and a main door 1013 provided on the front surface of the cabinet 1011.

The main door 1013 is provided with a symbol display device 1016 called a lower image display panel 1141 . The symbol display device 1016 is formed by a transparent liquid crystal panel. The screen displayed by the symbol display device 1016 has a display window 1150 in the center. The display window 1150 is composed of 20 display blocks 1028 arranged in 5 columns and 4 rows. The four display blocks 1028 in each row form pseudo reels 1151-1155, which rotate according to the player's operation. Each of the pseudo reels 1151 to 1155 rotates the symbol 1501 displayed on each display block 1028 in the vertical direction by displaying the four display blocks 1028 moving downward while changing the speed as a whole. It allows you to do relocations that stop later.

Here, "rearrangement" means a state in which the symbols 1501 are arranged again after the arrangement of the symbols 1501 is cancelled. “Arrangement” means that the symbols 1501 are in a state that can be visually confirmed by an external player. The slot machine 1010 executes a so-called slot game in which a payout is given according to a winning combination (winning combination) according to the arrangement state of the symbols 1501 caused by the stoppage of the rotating pseudo reels 1151 to 1155 .

In this embodiment, the slot machine 1010 is a so-called video slot machine. 1151-1155 may be substituted.

Furthermore, a touch panel 1069 is provided on the front surface of the symbol display device 1016, and the player can operate the touch panel 1069 to input various instructions. An input signal is transmitted from the touch panel 1069 to the main CPU.

An upper image display panel 1131 is provided on the front surface of the top box 1012 . The upper image display panel 1131 consists of a liquid crystal panel and constitutes a display. The upper image display panel 1131 displays an image related to the effect, an image showing the introduction of the contents of the game, and an explanation of the rules. Also, the top box 1012 is provided with a lamp 1111 .

A credit amount display portion (not shown) is displayed above the display window 1150, and the current credit amount is displayed. Here, “credits” are virtual game media used in the game when a player places a BET. The total number of credits currently possessed by the player is displayed in the credit amount display section.

A fraction cash display section (not shown) is displayed below the credit amount display section. Fractional cash is displayed in the fractional cash display section. "Fraction cash" is cash that has not been converted to credit due to an insufficient amount of money put in.

A PTS terminal 1700 is built into the cabinet 1011 below the lower image display panel 1141 . Furthermore, speakers 1112 are provided on the left and right sides of the PTS terminal 1700, respectively. The slot machine 1010 executes unit game effects by displaying an image on the upper image display panel 1131, outputting sound from the speaker 1112, outputting light from the lamp 1111, and the like.

The PTS terminal 1700 can be incorporated into various types of gaming machines of various manufacturers by exchanging data with the slot machine 1010 using a common data interface. Accordingly, in the game system 1 having various gaming machines including the slot machine 1010, it is possible to easily construct the information providing system A1 by attaching the PTS terminal 1700 to the gaming machine.

(Specific example of information provision system: PTS terminal)
As shown in FIG. 4, the PTS terminal 1700 has a PTS control unit 1700A and a PTS user interface unit 1700B.

The PTS control unit 1700A has a PTS controller 1750 . PTS controller 1750 has a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU of the PTS controller 1750 performs execution control of each component of the PTS terminal 1700, executes various programs stored in the ROM, and performs calculations. For example, the CPU executes a credit update program to update credit-related data stored in the IC card 1500 .

The ROM of the PTS controller 1750 comprises a memory device such as flash memory and stores permanent data that is executed by the CPU. For example, the ROM stores a credit update program for rewriting credit-related data stored in the IC card 1500, an interlocking performance control program executed in response to a request from the bonus server 11, a request from the management server A3 (notification information, etc.). ) is stored. Also, the RAM of the PTS controller 1750 temporarily stores data necessary for executing various programs stored in the ROM.

The PTS control unit 1700A connects a server I/F (interface) 1755, a gaming machine I/F (interface) 1756, a bill validator I/F (interface) 1757, and a settlement machine I/F (interface) 1758 to external devices. as a communication interface with

The server I/F 1755 implements data communication between a server such as the management server A3 and the PTS terminal 1700 . The gaming machine I/F 1756 implements data communication between the controller 1100 of the slot machine 1010 and the PTS terminal 1700, and a prescribed protocol can be used for the data communication. The banknote validator I/F 1757 is connected to the banknote validator 1022 . The fare adjustment machine I/F 1758 is connected to the fare adjustment machine 1868 .

The PTS control unit 1700A also has a USB control section 1759 . The USB control unit 1759 determines whether or not to supply power from the power supply unit to the USB terminal, and enables charging of the USB terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied. A player can connect an electronic device to a USB terminal and charge the electronic device if a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Furthermore, the PTS control unit 1700A has a control section connected to each section of the PTS user interface unit 1700B. Specifically, the PTS user interface unit 1700B includes full-color LEDs 1721a and 1721b, an LCD 1719, a card unit 1741, a card stacker 1742, an inkjet button 1732, a touch unit 1745, a human body detection camera 1713, microphones 1715 and 1717, speakers 1707 and 1709, It has an audio terminal 1738 . Details of the PTS user interface unit 1700B are described in FIG. On the other hand, the PTS control unit 1700A has an LED drive section 1761, an LCD control section 1762, an IC card control section 1763, a touch unit control section 1764, a camera control section 1766 and a DSP 1765.

The LED drive unit 1761 controls the full-color LED 1721a and the full-color LED 1721b of the PTS user interface unit 1700B to light up at a predetermined timing in response to a notification request or the like from the management server A3. Full color LED 1721a illuminates light emitting plate 1720a above LCD 1719 in PTS user interface unit 1700B in FIG. The full color LED 1721b causes the light emitting plate 1720b below the LCD 1719 to emit light.

The LCD control unit 1762 controls the LCD 1719 to display information related to ranking games, member information, information for members, etc., and to display data read from the IC card 1500 and data input by the player. The LCD 1719 has a touch panel function, and when the player operates the touch panel, a predetermined signal is sent to the CPU of the PTS controller 1750 .

The IC card control unit 1763 controls insertion and ejection of the IC card 1500, writing of credit data, and the like. The IC card control unit 1763 includes an IC card R/W (reader/writer) control unit, an IC card intake/ejection control unit, and an LED control unit.

The IC card R/W control section of the IC card control section 1763 controls the card unit 1741 to update credit-related data stored in the IC card 1500 . Also, when a new IC card 1500 is issued, credit-related data corresponding to the settled amount is stored. The card unit 1741 has an antenna section for reading data from or writing data to the IC card 1500 by NFC or the like. The card unit 1741 has the functions of an IC card reader that reads information stored in the IC card 1500 and an IC card writer that writes information into the IC card 1500, but it is assumed that it has either function if necessary. good too.

An IC card intake/ejection control section of the IC card control section 1763 controls intake and ejection of the IC card 1500 . When the player inserts the IC card 1500 into the card slot 1730 of FIG. 5, the IC card is controlled to be held in the card unit 1741 while the player is playing the game. Also, after the credit-related data is written in the IC card 1500 at the time of payment, the IC card 1500 is controlled to be ejected. Furthermore, when the eject button 1732 is pushed, the IC card 1500 is ejected. When issuing a new IC card 1500, the IC card 1500 is newly taken out from the card stacker 1742 and supplied to the card unit 1741 in order to store credit-related data.

The LED control unit of the IC card control unit 1763 controls to light up the LED provided near the card insertion slot 1730 of the card unit 1741, and controls to light up the LED provided near the eject button 1732. .

The touch unit control unit 1764 controls data transmission/reception associated with touch operations of the IC card 1500, mobile phone, smart phone, or the like. The touch unit control section 1764 includes a non-contact R/W (reader/writer) control section and an LED control section.

The non-contact R/W control section of the touch unit control section 1764 determines whether or not the IC card 1500 or mobile phone has come within a predetermined distance from the touch unit 1745 (for example, there has been a touch operation). When the distance is close, the reading result or the like is acquired from the touch unit 1745 . The touch unit 1745 has an antenna section for data transmission/reception with the IC card 1500 or mobile phone by NFC or the like.

The touch unit 1745 has functions of an IC card reader for reading information stored in the IC card 1500 or mobile phone, and an IC card writer for writing information to the IC card 1500 or mobile phone. may have the function of

The LED control section 1764b of the touch unit control section 1764 controls the LEDs arranged at the four corners of the front surface of the touch unit 1745, and turns them on at predetermined timings.

The camera control unit 1766 acquires an image of the player or the like captured by the human body detection camera 1713 , performs predetermined image processing as necessary, and transmits the processed data to the CPU of the PTS controller 1750 . The data is transmitted to the management server A3 or the like via the server I/F 1755, for example. In addition, the camera control unit 1766 transmits imaging information captured by the human body detection camera 1713 to the management server A3 or the like.

The DSP 1765 receives audio data acquired from the microphones 1715 and 1717 , performs predetermined audio processing, and then transmits the data to the CPU of the PTS controller 1750 . Also, the DSP 1765 transmits the received audio data to the speakers 1707 and 1709 . Furthermore, the DSP 1765 outputs the received sound to the headphone through the audio terminal connected to the headset, and processes the sound received from the microphone and transmits the processed sound to the CPU of the PTS controller 1750 . Note that the schematic configuration is shown here, and an A/D converter, a D/A converter, an amplifier, etc. are omitted.

(Specific example of information providing system: PTS user interface unit)
As shown in FIG. 5, the PTS user interface unit 1700B has a panel 1710. As shown in FIG. Each part arranged on the front surface of the panel 1710 can be visually recognized by the player. On the other hand, the members arranged on the back surface of the panel 1710 are housed inside the slot machine 1010 and cannot be visually recognized by the player.

An LCD 1719 having a touch panel function is provided on the front right side of the panel 1710 . The LCD 1719 displays, for example, member information and member-oriented information, information announcing the holding of ranking games, and winning information of ranking games. An example of the notification information of the holding of the ranking game is "The ranking game will be executed during the period from 10:00 to 12:00." As a result, the PTS terminal 1700 can inform the player that he/she can participate in the ranking game by playing the slot game until 10:00 or later. Note that the PTS terminal 1700 may have a rejection button for rejecting participation in the ranking game. Also, the winning information of the ranking game is exemplified by "I won a prize. The next ranking game will be played between 12:15 and 13:00." As a result, the PTS terminal 1700 can inform the player that the player has won the ranking game based on the winning information, and can inform the player that the next ranking game will be held.

An LCD cover 1719a is provided around the LCD 1719 . In this example, the LCD 1719 is configured to have a touch panel function, but the player's instructions may be input using another input device such as a keyboard or mouse.

A light-emitting plate 1720a that is connected to an LED and emits light is provided above the LCD 1719 and the LCD cover 1719a. The light-emitting plate 1720a is made of, for example, polycarbonate, is connected to a plurality of (for example, seven) full-color LEDs 1721a arranged on the back side of the panel 1710, and emits light according to the light emitted from the full-color LEDs 1721a.

Under the LCD 1719 and the LCD cover 1719a, similarly, a light emitting plate 1720b that emits light by being connected to an LED is provided. Light-emitting plate 1720b is made of, for example, polycarbonate, is connected to a plurality of (for example, seven) full-color LEDs (not shown) arranged on the back side of panel 1710, and emits light according to the light emitted by these full-color LEDs.

An imaging window 1712 is provided on the right side of the LCD 1719 , and a human body detection camera arranged inside the LCD cover 1719 a or behind the panel 1710 images the player or the like through this imaging window 1712 . The imaging window 1712 may be, for example, a half-mirror material subjected to a shielding process such as smoke.

A home button 1722 is provided on the LCD cover 1719a on the lower right of the LCD 1719 . The home button 1722 is a button for transitioning the screen displayed on the LCD 1719 to a predetermined upper screen.

A speaker duct 1706 is provided on the LCD cover 1719a on the right side of the LCD 1719, and a bass-reflex type speaker 1707 is provided on the corresponding position on the back side of the panel 1710. . Similarly, a speaker duct 1708 is provided on the left side of the LCD 1719 , and a bass-reflex type speaker 1709 is provided on the corresponding position on the back side of the panel 1710 . These speakers 1707 and 1708 are dedicated speakers for the PTS terminal 1700 and are provided separately from the slot machine game speakers provided in the slot machine 1010 . These speakers 1707 and 1708 realize interlocking performances and voice calls, output notification sounds when the IC card 1500 is forgotten to be removed, and provide sounds and voices related to announcement information and winning information of ranking games and tournament games. can be output.

An LCD cover 1719a at the lower left of the LCD 1719 is provided with a microphone opening 1714 and a microphone opening 1716, and microphones 1715 and 1717 are provided inside the corresponding LCD cover 1719a. .

A card slot 1730 into which the IC card 1500 can be inserted or taken out is provided at the lower left of the front surface of the panel 1710 . A full-color LED is provided in the card insertion portion of the card insertion slot 1730, and the remaining number of IC cards 1500 accumulated in the card stacker 1742 can be notified by lighting in a plurality of colors. An eject button 1732 is provided in the card insertion slot 1730, and a red LED provided near the eject button 1732 lights up so that the position of the eject button 1732 and the process of the eject operation can be known. ing.

A card unit 1741 and a card stacker 1742 are provided on the back side of the panel 1710 corresponding to the card slot 1730 , and the card slot 1730 is configured as part of the card unit 1741 . About 30 IC cards 1500 can be stored in the card stacker 1742. When a player who has newly played a unit game settles credits, the IC cards 1500 stored in the card stacker 1742 can be stored. It is taken out and ejected into the card slot 1730 .

The IC card 1500 taken in from the card slot 1730 and held in the card unit 1741 updates the credit information by NFC or the like at the time of credit settlement, and then ejects the IC card 1500 from the card slot 1730 . The IC card 1500 is completely stored inside the card unit 1741 while the player is playing the unit game.

In addition, when the IC card 1500 remains at the time of credit settlement, the IC card 1500 can be stored in the card stacker 1742 when the player's absence is detected by a human body detection camera or the like. . As a result, for example, even if the player leaves the seat leaving the IC card 1500 after knowing that the remaining credits are low, or even if the player simply forgets to take the IC card 1500 and leaves the seat, the IC card 1500 can be is not held in the card unit 1741 for a long time.

A USB terminal 1737 and an audio terminal 1738 are provided on the upper left of the front surface of the panel 1710 . The USB terminal 1737 is configured so that a USB device can be connected here for charging or the like. Also, the audio terminal 1738 is, for example, a 4-pole terminal, and a headset can be inserted here to talk with the other party using headphones and a microphone. Also, the audio terminal 1738 may be a 2-pole or 3-pole terminal so that audio can be heard through headphones.

A touch unit 1745 is provided on the front surface of the panel 1710 and to the left of the LCD 1719 . The touch unit 1745 is a writer that writes data by data communication to an IC device including an IC chip (for example, a contactless IC card, a mobile phone or a smart phone having a communication function by NFC, etc.), or a writer that writes data from the IC device. It contains an RFID module capable of functioning as a reader for reading data by communication. Also, LEDs are arranged at the four corners of the front surface of the touch unit 1745 . In addition to the touch unit 1745, or instead of the touch unit 1745, an information recording medium reader for reading information stored in an information recording medium such as a magnetic card may be provided. In this case, instead of the IC card 1500, a magnetic card can be used as the membership card.

The IC card 1500 is inserted into the PTS terminal 1700 (PTS user interface unit 1700B) configured as described above. , the fraction cash stored in the IC card is displayed. These numerical values are stored in the member management server 13 in association with the identification code of the membership card.

The IC card 1500 is a non-contact IC card, and incorporates an IC (Integrated Circuit) for recording and calculating various data such as credit, for example, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) such as NFC (Near Field Communication). ) technology, short-range wireless communication is possible. A player can possess credit-related data by using the IC card 1500, and can freely carry it between different slot machines. By inserting the IC card 1500 into the PTS terminal 1700 of the slot machine 1010, the player can use the credit-related data (amount data) stored in the IC card 1500 to play a unit game or the like in the slot machine 1010. You can play games. It should be noted that the IC card 1500 may store usage value data unique to the player.

(Specific example of management system: management server)
As shown in FIG. 1, the management server A3 is an information processing device having a communication device A34, a storage device A33, and a management server controller A32. The storage device A33 has a relationship of data tables shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 by linking various data and information with each other.

(Specific example of management system: management server: base table)
FIG. 6 is a base table in which gaming machine identification information, game content information, player identification information, game information, and rank game group information are associated with gaming machine identification information. Here, the "gaming machine identification information" is an identification number unique to the slot machine 1010 in FIG. "Game content information" is information indicating the type of game. , and the game of type G03 is made executable in the slot machines 1010 with the gaming machine identification information M0008 to M0011.

“Player identification information” is information for identifying a player, and is acquired when the player inserts the IC card 1500 into the PTS terminal 1700 . As a result, the management server A3 can determine whether or not the slot machine 1010 is being played by a player based on the presence or absence of the player identification information. For example, in the slot machine 1010 with the gaming machine identification information M0001, the player identification information column is blank, that is, there is no player identification information, so it is known that the player is not playing a game. On the other hand, in the slot machine 1010 with the gaming machine identification information M0002, since "P1231" is stored in the player identification information column, it is known that the player with the player identification information P1231 is playing a game.

The "game information" is information indicating the number of bets (insertion amount), the number of payouts, etc. in each slot machine 1010, and the details will be described with reference to the game information table in FIG.

The “ranking game group information” is information indicating a group of gaming machines A2 that participate in the ranking game. For example, in FIG. 6, there are a first group GR1 and a second group GR2, and ranking games are played in units of these groups independently or jointly. Specifically, when the slot machines 10101 having the slot machine identification numbers M0005 to M0013 are played, the order is determined in the order game of the first group GR1. On the other hand, when the slot machines 10101 having the slot machine identification numbers M0312 to M0317 are played, the ranking is determined in the ranking game of the second group GR2.

As for the ranking game groups, as shown in FIG. 12, when ranking game areas A and B in which ranking games are executed are set, the ranking game area A is the first group GR1, and the ranking game area B is the second group. It may be automatically registered in the base table as GR2. That is, the rank game group may be automatically set as a new group in sequence each time the rank game area is set. Then, the order game group may be changed for each slot machine identification number as necessary.

(Concrete example of management system: management server: ranking game designation table)
7A to 7E show ranking game hierarchy data, ranking game start time data, ranking game end time data, ranking game content data, and group mode for setting ranking game periods and ranking game groups in which ranking games are executed. This is a ranking game designation table in which .

That is, one ranking game specification table corresponds to execution specification information defining specifications of one ranking game, and includes ranking game periods and ranking game groups indicated by ranking game start time data and ranking game end time data. and a group participating in a ranking game denoted by .

Here, the "ranking game hierarchy data" distinguishes a plurality of ranking games by classifying them into hierarchies. The "ranking game start time data" stores the time when the ranking game starts, and the "ranking game end time data" stores the time when the ranking game ends. The ranking game start time data and the ranking game end time data' are input on the management screen of the management server A3. For example, the ranking game of the first layer J01 starts at 10:00 on March 11, 2019 and ends at 12:00 on March 11, 2019. Also, the ranking game of the second layer J02 starts at 12:15 on March 11, 2019 and ends at 13:00 on March 11, 2019.

Thus, by inputting the rank game start time and the rank game end time for each rank game hierarchy on the management screen, a tournament game consisting of rank games in a plurality of hierarchies can be set. In FIGS. 7A and 7B, ranking game start time data and ranking game end time data are stored in association with the first hierarchy J01 to fifth hierarchy J05, so that a tournament game consisting of five ranking games is performed. indicates that it will take place. 7C and 7E, since ranking game start time data and ranking game end time data are stored in association with the first hierarchy J01 to the ninth hierarchy J09, a tournament consisting of nine ranking games is stored. It indicates that the game will be held.

The "ranking game content data" is data indicating the contents of the values for ranking the players in the ranking game. For example, if the ranking game content data is "WIN/LOSS", the value obtained by subtracting the number of bets (the number of used gaming values) from the number of payouts is used to determine the ranking of the ranking game. When the ranking game content data is "BET", the total number of used game values is used to determine the ranking of the ranking game. If the ranking game content data is "POINT", the total value of points obtained according to the point grant rate set separately for each player, game type, etc., for the number of uses and the number of payouts of the valuable value is the total value of the ranking game. Used to determine ranking. In FIG. 7A, in ranking games of the first hierarchy J01 and the second hierarchy J02, the ranking is determined based on "WIN/LOSS", and in the ranking games of the third hierarchy J03 and the fourth hierarchy J04, "BET" is determined. Based on "POINT", ranking is determined based on "POINT" in the ranking game of the fifth layer J05.

"Group mode data" is data indicating one or more combination modes of groups participating in the ranking game. Therefore, FIG. 7A is the ranking game designation table for the first group GR1, since the group mode is "GR1". Further, FIG. 7B is a ranking game designation table for the second group GR2, since the group mode is "GR2". In FIG. 7C, since the group mode is "GR1, GR2", it becomes a ranking game specification table for joint use between the first group GR1 and the second group GR2. FIG. 7D is a ranking game specification table for the first group GR1 because the group mode is "GR1", and FIG. 7E is a ranking game designation table for the second group GR2 because the group mode is "GR2". designated table.

Although not shown, if the participants in the ranking game in the next hierarchy are narrowed down by the ranking game from the participants in the previous ranking game, the information indicating the participants in the ranking game in the next hierarchy is displayed in the ranking game. It may be stored in association with each game designation table.

Also, FIG. 12 illustrates a method of setting group mode data. Specifically, a hall screen in which a plurality of gaming machines A2 are installed may be displayed on the display device, and the group in which the gaming machines A2 are installed may be selectable by dragging the touch panel. In the example of FIG. 12, by setting the ranking game areas A and B, the ranking game is set to be performed for all the gaming machines A2 in the ranking game areas (groups) A and B.

Regarding the ranking game designation tables (FIGS. 7A to 7E) exemplified above, if only the designation table of FIG. will be done.
Further, when the designation tables of FIGS. 7A and 7B are set in the management server A3, the first group GR1 and the second group GR2 are independent of each other because they are the designation tables of the same time and the same rank game content. The same ranking game will be played.

Further, when only the designation table of FIG. 7C is set in the management server A3, since the group mode is "GR1, GR2", the ranking among the slot games 1010 combining the first group GR1 and the second group GR2 is A game will be played.

Further, when the designation tables of FIGS. 7C, 7D and 7E are set in the management server A3, after the ranking game is played between the slot games 1010 in which the first group GR1 and the second group GR2 are combined, The two groups GR1 and GR2 independently play the same rank game. That is, in this case, a tournament game can be formed in which the ranking games of the first to fifth hierarchies are preliminary rounds and the ranking games of the sixth to ninth hierarchies are the final rounds.

Also, when the designation tables of FIGS. 7A and 7E are set in the management server A3, the period from the start time (10:00) to the end time (17:30) of the ranking game defined in the designation table of FIG. 7A , the ranking game is played between the slot machines 1010 of the first group GR1, and the period from the start time (18:30) to the end time (1:00 am) of the ranking game specified in the designation table of FIG. Another ranking game is played between the slot machines 1010 of the two groups GR2.

7D is changed from "GR1" to "GR2", and if the designation tables of FIG. 7D and FIG. 30 minutes) to the end time (1:00 a.m.) overlap, two types of ranking games are played simultaneously between the slot machines 1010 of the second group GR2.

In this way, the ranking game specifying table enables the ranking games to be executed independently or jointly in units of groups according to a group mode in which one or more groups can be set. Furthermore, by combining a plurality of ranking game specification tables with different setting contents, ranking games that are independently or jointly executed in group units can be easily complicated.

Further, when a plurality of ranking game designation tables are set for overlapping ranking game periods and overlapping groups, a plurality of ranking games can be simultaneously progressed in one gaming machine.

(Specific example of management system: management server: ranking game setting table)
FIG. 8 is a ranking game setting table in which ranking game hierarchy data, prize number data, and winner prize money data are associated in order to set the number of prize winners and the prize money of the winner in the ranking game. Here, the "winner number data" indicates the number of people who have received prize money or advanced to the next level in the ranking game. For example, if the number of prizes won in the first layer J01 is "240", the top 240 players among all players participating in the ranking game are determined as the prize winners. Furthermore, if the prize winners are given the qualification to advance to the next hierarchy, in the ranking game in the next hierarchy J02, 180 winners are determined out of 240 players, and finally the 5th prize winner. A tournament game can be played in which the ranking game of hierarchy J05 is the final ranking game in which 15 players compete for ranking. If the prize winners are not qualified to advance to the next level, the ranking games in all levels determine the winners from among all participating players of the first ranking game.

The "winner's prize money" is the game value paid to the player with the highest ranking in the ranking game. It should be noted that multiple winners may be designated from among the top winners. Moreover, prize money may be paid to some or all of the prize winners in correspondence with the prize money of the winner.

(Specific example of management system: management server: game information table)
FIG. 9 stores the number of bets (inserted amount), the number of payouts, and the like in each slot machine 1010, so that "date and time data", "inserted amount data", "game result data", "balance data", and "payout number data" are stored. ] are stored in association with each other.

The "date and time data" indicates the date and time when the slot machine 1010 executed the unit game. That is, the date and time data is the game execution time when the game was executed, and more specifically, indicates the date and time when the game was started after the bet was confirmed. The date and time data is compared with the ranking game period and used to determine whether the game information is within the ranking game period. The "input amount data" indicates the number of bets. "Game result data" indicates the execution result of the unit game. “Balance data” indicates the number of credits of slot machine 1010 . “Payout number data” indicates the number of payouts of dividends.

For example, if a ranking game is held from 10:00 to 12:00, game information whose date and time data is in the range from 10:00 to 12:00 is referred to when determining the ranking of the ranking game. . Specifically, when determining the order of the order game, the management server A3 refers to the order game designation table (see FIGS. 7A to 7E) corresponding to the order game to identify the group. Then, the management server A3 refers to the base table (see FIG. 6) to identify the gaming machine corresponding to the group. Then, the management server A3 extracts the game information corresponding to the ranking game period from the gaming information of the gaming machine, aggregates the game results of each player during the ranking game period, and determines the ranking of the ranking game.

Note that the ranking game ranking determination process is not limited to this. For example, when the game information is received from the PTS terminal 1700, if the game information corresponds to the ranking game indicated by one of the ranking game specification tables (see FIGS. 7A to 7E), the game information , may be stored in association with ranking games and information identifying ranking games. As a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of processing required when tallying game results.

Also, the ranking of the ranking game may be updated while the ranking game is in progress. That is, each time game information is received, it may be determined whether or not the game information corresponds to a ranking game, and the results may be accumulated for each player.

(Concrete example of management system: management server: operation)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart of game execution processing executed by the slot machine 1010 (A2) and the management server controller A32 of the management server A3. Processing executed by the controller 1100 of the slot machine 1010 and the PTS controller 1750 of the PTS terminal 1700 will be described as processing of the slot machine 1010. FIG. In the game execution process, the management server A3 acquires the game information output from all the information management devices A21, associates the game information with the player identification information, and creates the base table of FIG. 6 and the game information table of FIG. Execute the process of storing in

First, the slot machine 1010 outputs the gaming machine identification information and the player identification information by the game start operation reception processing (SQ12), then performs the betting operation reception processing (SQ13), the start operation reception processing (SQ14), and the reel stop control processing ( SQ15) and payout control processing (SQ16) are executed. As a result, when a unit game is played, information on the number of bets used, game execution time information indicating the start time of the game, game result information indicating the game result, payout amount information indicating the reward amount of the game result, and the balance are displayed. Game information such as balance information shown is output. Thus, the slot machine 1010 repeats unit games and transmits game information to the management server A3 for each unit game.

The management server controller A32 executes game storage processing each time game information is received from the slot machine 1010 . Specifically, when the management server controller A32 acquires the gaming machine identification information and the player identification information, it stores the player identification information in association with the gaming machine identification information in the base table of FIG. 6 (S11). After that, the management server controller A32 acquires game information (used number information, game execution time information, game result information, payout amount information, balance information) output by executing a unit game in the slot machine 1010. Each time (S12), the game information is linked to the player identification information (gaming machine identification information) and stored in the game information table (see FIG. 9) (S13).

Specifically, the management server controller A32 stores the game execution time information as date and time data, the usage number information as input amount data, and the game result information as new game information data in the game information table (see FIG. 9). is stored as game result data, balance information is stored as balance data, and payout number information is stored as payout data.

Although not shown, the management server controller A32 executes ranking game setting processing. In the rank game setting process, the management server controller A32 sets rank game hierarchy, rank game start time, rank game end time, rank game content (WIN/LOSS, BET, POINT), number of prize winners, rank for prize money of winner. Initial setting data including execution specification information related to the game is set based on input from the server administrator, etc., and these initial setting data are linked and stored as ranking game specification tables in FIGS. 7A to 7E.

Also, although not shown, the management server controller A32 executes ranking game notification processing. In the ranked game notification process, the management server controller A32 notifies the players of the ranked game in advance. Specifically, the management server controller A32 refers to the set ranking game specification table at a predetermined timing, and determines whether or not the ranking game will start after a predetermined period of time. When the rank game is started after a predetermined time, the management server controller A32 refers to the rank game designation table (see FIGS. 7A to 7E) to identify the group associated with the rank game. Then, the management server controller A32 refers to the base table (see FIG. 6) to identify the gaming machines belonging to the group, and notifies the players of the ranking game period and the like for the gaming machines via the PTS terminal 1700. (See Figure 5).

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the ranking determination process executed by the management server controller A32 of the management server A3. The ranking determination process (S5) is a process of determining the ranking of the ranking game and notifying the player via the PTS terminal 1700 of the payout of prize money and the winning of a prize. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the management server controller A32 determines whether or not the ranking game has ended (S51). That is, the management server controller A32 determines that there is a ranking game in which the ranking game end time set in the ranking game designation table (see FIGS. 7A to 7E) is earlier than the current time (the ranking game period has ended). determine whether or not to If the ranking game has ended (S51: YES), the management server controller A32 ends this routine.

On the other hand, if the ranking game has not ended (S51: NO), the management server controller A32 refers to the ranking game designation table (see FIGS. 7A to 7E) to determine the groups participating in the ranking game identified in step S51. Specify (S52). The management server controller A32 then refers to the base table (see FIG. 6) to identify the slot machines 1010 belonging to the identified group (S53). Then, the management server controller A32 extracts game information from the game information table (see FIG. 9) (S54). Specifically, the management server controller A32 extracts the game information of the slot machine 1010 of the specified group in the ranking game period.

Then, the management server controller A32 calculates results according to the content of the ranking game from each of the extracted gaming information, rearranges the players linked to each of the extracted gaming information in order of performance (S55), and sorts the players according to the hierarchy of the current ranking game. Winning prize money is acquired (S56). Thereafter, the management server controller A32 pays out the winning prize money to the player determined as the winner by referring to the order of results (S57), acquires the number of prize winners corresponding to the hierarchy of the current ranking game (S58), The order is referred to, and the player determined as the prize winner is notified (S59), the winning prize money is paid out (S60), and the process proceeds to step S51.

Although not shown, if the participants in the ranking game in the next hierarchy are limited to the players determined as winners in step S59, the player identification information of the player is stored in association with the ranking game designation table. Execute the process. Then, in narrowing down the game information in step S54 in the rank game of the next hierarchy, in addition to the group and the rank game period, the player identification information associated with the rank game designation table is added to the extraction conditions.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the specific examples are merely illustrated, and the present invention is not particularly limited. Moreover, the effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely enumerations of the most suitable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. isn't it.

1010 slot machine 1500 IC card 1700 PTS terminal A1 management system A2 gaming machine A21 information management device A3 management server A31 input device A32 management server controller A33 storage device

Claims (8)

Communicatively attached to each of a plurality of gaming machines capable of executing a game and belonging to one of a plurality of groups, respectively, gaming value information in the attached gaming machine, and identification information for identifying the gaming machine an information management unit that stores game information related to
a ranking determination processing unit that receives the game information from the plurality of information management units and executes a ranking game for determining ranking based on the game information in each gaming machine;
has
The ranking determination processing unit
Any one of the gaming information received from each of the plurality of gaming machines is used in advance as a value for determining the duration of the ranking game, the group to participate in the ranking game, and the ranking of the ranking game. a storage unit for storing execution specification information including ranking game content indicating whether to use
A management system, wherein the group to participate in the ranking game is determined from among the plurality of gaming machines associated with the plurality of information management units. The game information includes a game execution time during which the game was executed in the gaming machine,
The ranking determination processing unit includes a controller that executes a program with a CPU,
The controller is
(A) a process of cumulatively storing the game information received from the plurality of information management units;
(B) after the opening period, a process of determining the ranking based on the game information of the plurality of gaming machines belonging to the group and having the opening period among the cumulatively stored gaming information;
2. The management system of claim 1, wherein: a plurality of pieces of execution specification information respectively corresponding to a plurality of ranking games can be set in the storage unit;
3. The management system according to claim 2, wherein said controller executes the process (B) for each of said plurality of pieces of execution specification information. The storage unit stores areas set for each ranking game as the groups,
2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the ranking determination processing unit treats all of the gaming machines in all of the set zones as objects of the ranking game. 5. The management system according to claim 4, wherein the ranking determination processing unit treats different types of gaming machines as objects of the ranking game. The information management unit has a card reader that reads player identification information that identifies a player from a membership card,
The ranking determination processing unit determines the ranking of the players based on the contents of the ranking game in the game information linked to the player identification information, and pays out prize money to the players of the winners. The management system according to claim 1, wherein: A tournament game consisting of the ranking games of a plurality of tiers is made executable,
2. The ranking determination processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the ranking determination processing unit determines the ranking of the players in the ranking game of the tournament game, and gives the player who is a winner a participation qualification for the next ranking game. management system. The content of the ranking game is selected from a value obtained by subtracting the number of bets from the number of payouts, a total value of the number of bets, or a total value of points obtained based on the number of bets and the number of payouts. A management system according to claim 1.

Images