JP7454151B2 - Prize gripping game machine and gripping force setting method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a prize gripping game machine and a gripping force setting method for automatically setting a gripping force.

Examples of gripping force adjusting devices for prize gripping game machines include gripping force adjusting devices for prize gripping game machines described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.
Patent Document 1 discloses a gripping force adjustment device for a prize gripping game machine to solve the dilemma that if the gripping force is set weakly, motivation will be suppressed and sales will decrease, and if the gripping force is set too strongly, the rate of prizes will increase. is listed.
Specifically, Patent Document 1 has an arm that grips a prize and arm opening/closing means for opening and closing the arm, and a motor serving as a power source for opening and closing the arm is driven by a motor drive signal issued from a control device. In a prize grasping game machine configured to be able to set the strength of the grasping force in the range from 0 to the strongest, there is an input circuit that analyzes a motor drive signal to find the set grasping force, and an input circuit that analyzes the motor drive signal to find the set grasping force, and At the front, there is a signal conversion circuit that inputs a signal to grip the prize with the strongest gripping force and performs control at least once to reduce the gripping force to a set value, and an output circuit that outputs the signal from the signal conversion circuit to the motor. A gripping force adjustment device is described.

Patent Document 2 describes an object gripping game machine that determines gripping force in order to increase the fun of operation.
Specifically, Patent Document 2 describes an article storage section that can accommodate one or more articles, an article gripping section that performs a grasping operation, an operation member operated by a player, and an article that can be held in accordance with an operation on the operation member. In an article gripping game machine, the article gripping game machine includes a moving means for moving the article gripping part in the storage part, and the article gripping part performs a gripping operation after the moving means moves the article gripping part. It is described that a gripping force determining means is provided for determining the gripping force, and the article gripping section is configured to perform a gripping operation with the gripping force determined by the gripping force determining means.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-007058 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-233892

Since the gripping force differs depending on the type of prize, it is necessary to set the gripping force depending on the prize inserted into the prize gripping game machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a prize gripping game machine and a gripping force setting method that can automatically set the gripping force.

(1) The prize grasping game machine according to the present invention includes a catcher having a plurality of grasping arms;
a prize detection sensor that detects , in a grip force setting mode, that the prize falls away from the catcher who grabbed the prize and passes through a prize drop opening ;
The gripping force of the catcher who grabbed the prize is set to an initial value, the gripping force of the initial value is gradually lowered, and the gripping force VDROP is determined based on the gripping force VDROP when the prize detection sensor detects the falling of the prize. , a control unit that determines the gripping force VUP when the catcher grasps the prize during game operation,
The gripping force VUP is greater than the gripping force VDROP in a prize gripping game machine.

(2) In the prize grasping game machine of (1) above, the control unit determines the grasping force V _DOWM when the catcher releases the prize during game operation based on the grasping force V DROP, and determines the grasping force V _DOWM when the catcher releases the prize, and V _DOWM may be smaller than the gripping force V _DROP .

(3) In the prize grasping game machine according to (1) or (2) above, the control section includes a grasping force control section, a grasping force setting section, a grasping force voltage signal generation section, and a down counter,
The gripping force control unit sets a count value of the down counter to a count value corresponding to an initial value of the gripping force of the catcher in the gripping force setting mode;
The gripping force voltage signal generation section generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to a decreasing count value of the down counter in the gripping force setting mode, and opens and closes the plurality of gripping arms based on the gripping force voltage signal. output to said catcher,
In the gripping force setting mode, the gripping force setting section is configured to generate a digital signal corresponding to the gripping force VUP based on a count value of the down counter corresponding to the gripping force VDROP when the fall of the prize is detected. set the value,
The gripping force voltage signal generating section generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the digital value when the plurality of gripping arms grasps a prize in the normal mode, and generates a plurality of gripping force voltage signals based on the gripping force voltage signal. It may be output to the catcher which opens and closes the gripping arm.

(4) In the gripping force setting method according to the present invention, in the gripping force setting mode, the gripping force of the catcher who grips the prize is set to an initial value by the control unit of the prize gripping game machine,
The gripping force of the initial value is gradually reduced by the control unit, and the gripping force of the prize gripping game machine is adjusted based on the gripping force VDROP when the prize falls away from the catcher and passes through the prize drop opening. During game operation, find the grasping force VUP when the catcher grasps the prize,
The gripping force VUP is a gripping force setting method that is larger than the gripping force VDROP.

According to the present invention, the gripping force of the prize gripping game machine can be automatically set.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prize holding game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a control unit that sets a gripping force. It is an explanatory view showing grip force setting operation by a control part. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. It is a flowchart of the grip force setting operation of the prize grip game machine.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a prize holding game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a prize holding game machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a prize counter 110, a coin counter 120, a 7-segment LED (7-segment LED in the figure) 130, a display 140, an output section 150, It includes a speaker 160 and a power supply 170.
The prize holding game machine 10 also includes an operating lever 180, an input section 190, a control section 200, a catcher drive section 210, an operation button 220, a coin sensor 230, a payout sensor 240, a storage device 250, a catcher XYZ moving device 260, and a setting section. 270, a catcher 280, and a prize detection sensor 290.

The prize counter 110 counts the number of prizes (prizes won by the player) detected by a prize detection sensor 290, which will be described later. The count value is stored in the control unit 200.
The coin counter 120 counts the number of inserted coins of each type (for example, 100 yen coins and 500 yen coins) detected by a coin sensor 230, which will be described later. The count value is stored in the control unit 200.
The 7-segment LED 130 displays the number of remaining games that can be played based on display data from the output unit 150.

Display 140 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display panel. Based on the display data output from the output unit 150, the display 140 displays information regarding the inserted coin, for example, "500" when a 500 yen coin is inserted. Display 140 displays the same information as seven segment LED 130, namely the number of remaining games that can be played.
The output unit 150 sends display data to the 7-segment LED 130 and the display 140, and audio data to the speaker 160, based on a control signal from the control unit 200. The output unit 150 drives the display 140, speaker 160, etc. to perform an effect to celebrate the acquisition of the prize.
Speaker 160 emits sound based on the audio data from output section 150.
The power supply 170 supplies voltage for operating the prize holding game machine 10 to the control unit 200.
The operating lever 180 is operated by the player to instruct the movement direction of the catcher 280, which will be described later.The catcher 280 moves in the direction in which the operating lever 180 is pushed down, and when the operating lever 180 is released, the catcher 280 stops. .
Input unit 190 receives operation signals from operation lever 180 and operation button 220 (described later), and detection signals from coin sensor 230 and payout sensor 240, and outputs them to control unit 200.

The control unit 200 includes a CPU and a storage unit such as a RAM that stores data necessary for arithmetic processing by the CPU. The control unit 200 controls the prize counter 110, the coin counter 120, the output unit 150, the input unit 190, and the catcher drive based on various programs necessary for controlling the prize acquisition game machine 10, which are stored in a storage device 250 to be described later. 210, catcher XYZ moving device 260, setting section 270, prize detection sensor 290, and the like.
The catcher drive unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage for controlling the opening and closing of the three gripping arms of the catcher 280 and outputs it to the catcher 280. The gripping force of the three gripping arms is reduced by the opening of the three gripping arms.

The operation button 220 instructs the catcher 280 to move downward. When the operation button 220 is pressed, the catcher 280 moves downward and the three gripping arms open to grasp the prize.
Coin sensor 230 detects the type of coin inserted (eg, 100 yen coin and 500 yen coin).
The payout sensor 240 detects coins other than 100 yen coins and 500 yen coins.

As described above, the storage device 250 is a hard disk, SSD, ROM, etc. that stores various programs necessary for controlling the prize acquisition game machine 10.
The catcher XYZ moving device 260 is provided at the top inside the prize holding game machine 10, and moves the catcher 280 in the front and back, left and right, and up and down directions.
The setting unit 270 performs settings of the prize holding game machine 10 through operations by the adjuster of the prize holding game machine 10 . Specifically, the setting unit 270 performs operations such as basic settings, system parameter settings, catch mechanism settings, and account confirmation based on operations by the adjuster.

The catcher 280 includes three gripping arms and an arm opening/closing mechanism 281 including a gripping force adjustment section 282 such as a solenoid. The solenoid adjusts the gripping force of the three gripping arms using a solenoid voltage. The number of gripping arms is not particularly limited to three, and may be two, four or more.

The prize detection sensor 290 is provided near the prize dropout and detects when the prize passes through the dropout. As the prize detection sensor 290, for example, an optical sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element can be used.

The display 140, the operating lever 180, and the operating button 220 described above are arranged on the upper surface of the protrusion of the prize holding game machine 10.

Next, the game operation of the prize holding game machine 10 will be explained. The game operation of the prize holding game machine is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-029568 and is already known, so the outline of the game operation will be described.
When the player inserts a coin into the coin slot, the number of games corresponding to the coin is stored in the storage section of the control section 200, thereby setting the number of games. The display 140 displays information regarding coins, such as "500" when a 500 yen coin is inserted, and the number of remaining games that can be played (for example, "5"). The remaining number of games that can be played is also displayed on the 7-segment LED 130.

The prize holding game machine 10 then performs a game execution process in which the catcher 280 is controlled based on the player's operations on the operation lever 180 and the operation button 220.

Specifically, the player operates the operating lever 180 and positions the catcher 280 from the waiting area above the desired prize. Thereafter, when the player presses the operation button 220, the catcher 280 automatically opens the three gripping arms, moves downward, and closes the three gripping arms near the prize. Then, the catcher 280 automatically moves upward with the three gripping arms closed, and further moves above the prize drop opening to open the three gripping arms. At this time, when the three gripping arms grab the prize and the prize falls into the prize drop slot, the prize detection sensor 290 detects the prize, and the control unit 200 drives the speaker 160, display 140, etc. to collect the prize. Perform a performance to celebrate the acquisition.

When the catcher 280 returns to the waiting area from above the prize drop slot, the number of games stored in the storage section of the control section 200 is subtracted by 1, and the number displayed on the 7-segment LED 130 and the display 140 becomes "5". will be updated from ``4'' to ``4''. The game can then be played repeatedly until the numbers displayed on the 7-segment LED 130 and the display 140 reach "0".

The control unit for setting the gripping force of the prize gripping game machine 10 and the gripping force setting method will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control section that performs grip force setting. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the gripping force setting operation.
4 to 8 are diagrams showing operations for setting the gripping force in the prize gripping game machine. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the grip force setting is performed by operating the catcher, a setting section, a control lever, and a control button for setting the grip force of the catcher's grip arm.

Prior to explaining the configuration and operation of the control unit functioning as a gripping force setting device, the gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10 will be described using FIGS. 3 to 8.
The adjuster of the prize holding game machine 10 first presses the service button to display the setting screen of the setting section 270, as shown in FIG. Using the operating lever 180 and operating button 220, select "catch mechanism setting" on the setting screen. When the "catch mechanism setting" is selected, the control unit 200 displays "easy automatic setting mode" on the screen. When the adjuster selects this using the operation button 220, the control unit 200 moves the catcher 280 above the prize drop opening and opens the three gripping arms using the catcher drive unit 210.
The adjuster places the prize between the three opened gripping arms and presses the operation button 220.
Then, the control unit 200 causes the catcher drive unit 210 to gradually close the three gripping arms. As shown in FIG. 5, the gripping force increases and stops at the gripping force value "99". The gripping force value "99" is an initial setting value, and is set to the maximum value of the gripping force. The gripping force value "99" becomes the gripping force F _INITIAL in FIG. 3.

Next, the control unit 200 decreases the gripping force value "99", and the three gripping arms gradually open. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the gripping force has reached a gripping force value of "75". Note that the gripping force is reduced by dividing the solenoid voltage into 100 steps and reducing the solenoid voltage one step at a time.
Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the gripping force decreases and the prize separates from the three gripping arms, the prize falls into the prize drop slot as shown in FIG. 8. When the prize detection sensor 290 detects that the prize has fallen, the control unit 200 stops the solenoid voltage from decreasing and the gripping force from decreasing. Assuming that the gripping force when the drop of the prize is detected is the gripping force value "55", the gripping force value "55" corresponds to the gripping force F _DROP in FIG. 3 .

When the gripping force stops decreasing, "Save and return" is displayed on the screen of the setting unit 270. As shown in FIG. 8, when the adjuster of the prize grasping game machine 10 selects "Save and Return" on the screen of the setting section 270 using the operating lever 180 and the operating button 220, the grasping force value of the grasping force is “55” is saved.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 200 determines an upper limit value F _UP and a lower limit value F _Down of the gripping force based on the determined gripping force F _DROP .
The upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force is the gripping force when the player of the prize grasping game machine 10 operates the operating lever 180 and the operating button 220 to grasp the prize with the catcher 280 . The lower limit value F _Down of the gripping force is the gripping force when the catcher 280 who has grabbed the prize releases the prize above the prize drop opening.
Although the upper limit value F _UP of the grip force and the lower limit value F _Down of the grip force may be the same as the grip force F _DROP , it is preferable to set it lower than the grip force F _DROP in order to improve reproducibility.
The upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force is set to be larger than the gripping force F _DROP , and the lower limit value F _Down is set to be smaller than the gripping force F _DROP . For example, the upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force is the value obtained by adding 8% of the gripping force F _DROP to the gripping force F _DROP , and the lower limit value F _Down is the value obtained by adding -4% of the gripping force F _DROP to the gripping force F _DROP . The value shall be

The configuration and operation of the control unit 200 will be further explained below using FIG. 2.
The control unit 200 has the functions shown in the block diagram shown in FIG. 2, and constitutes a grip force setting device.
As shown in FIG. 2, the control section 200 includes a grip force control section 201, a grip force setting section 202, a grip force voltage signal generation section 203, and a down counter 204.

When the adjuster of the prize gripping game machine 10 selects the "easy automatic setting mode" using the setting section 270, the setting section 270 sends a gripping force setting instruction to the control section 200. When the gripping force control unit 201 receives a gripping force setting instruction, it resets the down counter 204 to an initial value such that the initial value of the gripping force V _INITIAL is obtained, and causes the gripping force voltage signal generation unit 203 to change the gripping force from the normal mode. Outputs a mode switching instruction to switch to setting mode.
In the grip force setting mode, the grip force voltage signal generation unit 203 acquires a count value corresponding to the initial value of grip force V _INITIAL from the down counter 204, and generates a grip force voltage signal corresponding to the count value. and outputs it to the catcher drive section 210. The catcher drive unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage based on the gripping force voltage signal and applies it to the solenoid of the gripping force adjustment unit 282 of the arm opening/closing mechanism 281 of the catcher 280. With this operation, the gripping force of the three gripping arms becomes the gripping force value "99" shown in FIG. 5 (corresponding to gripping force F _INITIAL in FIG. 3).

Further, the gripping force control unit 201 sequentially sends pulses to the down counter 204. The count value of the down counter 204 decreases from the initial value according to the number of input pulses. The gripping force voltage signal generation unit 203 acquires the count value that decreases by one from the down counter 204, generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the decreasing count value, and outputs it to the catcher driving unit 210. The catcher drive unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage based on the gripping force voltage signal and applies it to the solenoid of the gripping force adjustment unit 282 of the arm opening/closing mechanism 281 of the catcher 280. The gripping force voltage signal is sent to decrease the solenoid voltage one step at a time. With this operation, the gripping force of the three gripping arms decreases from the gripping force _FINITIAL as shown in FIG.
Then, the gripping force of the three gripping arms decreases, and as shown in FIG. The control unit 201 receives a prize drop signal from the prize detection sensor 290.

When the gripping force control unit 201 receives the prize falling signal, it stops sending pulses to the down counter 204, reads the count value of the down counter 204, and outputs it to the gripping force setting unit 202. The count value at this time corresponds to the gripping force value "55" in FIG. 8 (corresponding to the gripping force F _DROP in FIG. 3). Furthermore, the gripping force control unit 201 outputs a mode switching instruction for switching from the gripping force setting mode to the normal mode to the gripping force voltage signal generation unit 203.
The gripping force setting unit 202 sets an upper limit digital value (corresponding to the gripping force F UP in FIG. 3) and a lower limit digital value based on the count value (corresponding to the gripping force F _DROP in FIG. 3) output from the gripping force setting unit ₂₀₂ . A value (corresponding to gripping force F _DOWN in FIG. 3) is set and output to the gripping force voltage signal generation unit 203.

In the normal mode, the gripping force voltage signal generation unit 203 acquires the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value from the gripping force setting unit 202, and generates the gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value. , is output to the catcher drive section 210.
When catching a prize, the catcher driving unit 210 generates a solenoid voltage to obtain a gripping force F _UP from the upper limit digital value and outputs it to the catcher 280 . When the catcher drive unit 210 releases the prize, it generates a solenoid voltage for reducing the gripping force F _DOWN from the lower limit digital value and outputs it to the catcher 280 .

The gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10 will be explained using the flowchart of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the gripping force setting operation of the prize gripping game machine 10.
In step S1 of FIG. 9, the control unit 200 of the prize holding game machine 10 determines whether the service button of the setting unit 270 has been pressed (whether the test mode button has been pressed) by the adjuster of the prize holding game machine 10. . If the test mode button is pressed, the process moves to step S2, and if the test mode button is not pressed, the determination in step S1 is made again after a certain period of time has elapsed.
In step S2, the control unit 200 detects a mode selection (selection of "easy automatic setting mode") by the adjuster's operation of the operating lever 180.
In step S3, the control unit 200 determines whether the operation button 220 (decision button) has been pressed in the "easy automatic setting mode", and if it has been pressed, the process moves to step S4; if it has not been pressed, a certain period of time has elapsed. After that, the determination in step S3 is made again.
In step S4, the control unit 200 starts counting down the solenoid voltage that generates the gripping force in order to gradually reduce the gripping force F _INITIAL .
In step S5, the control unit 200 determines whether the prize detection sensor (prize sensor) has detected passing of the prize, based on whether or not a prize drop signal is received. If the prize has passed the prize detection sensor, the control unit 200 moves to step S6, and if the prize has not passed the prize detection sensor, the controller 200 performs the determination in step S5 again after a certain period of time has passed.
In step S6, the control unit 200 stops counting down the solenoid voltage.
In step S7, the control unit 200 determines whether “Save and Return” on the screen of the setting unit 270 has been selected by the operation button 220 (selection button). If "save and return" is selected, the setting process is ended, and if "save and return" is not selected, the determination in step S7 is made again after a certain period of time has elapsed.

According to the present embodiment described above, the gripping force of the prize gripping game machine can be automatically set.

Although the embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to only the above embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is possible to implement
For example, in the embodiment described above, the upper limit value F _UP and lower limit value F _Down of the gripping force are determined, but only the upper limit value F _UP of the gripping force is determined, and the lower limit value F _Down is the same as the gripping force F _DROP . May be used as a value.
The control unit 200 shown in FIG. 2 calculates the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value based on the count value of the down counter 204 corresponding to the gripping force F _DROP , and calculates the gripping force corresponding to the upper limit digital value and the lower limit digital value. By generating a voltage signal and outputting it to the catcher drive section 210, a gripping force F _UP and a gripping force F _DOWN are generated. However, the control unit 200 is not limited to this configuration, and may have any configuration as long as it can generate signals for generating the gripping force F _UP and gripping force F _DOWN based on the prize falling signal.

10 Prize holding game machine 110 Prize counter 120 Coin counter 130 7 segment LED
140 Display 150 Output section 160 Speaker 170 Power supply 180 Operation lever 190 Input section 200 Control section 201 Grip force control section 202 Grip force setting section 203 Grip force voltage signal generation section 204 Down counter 210 Catcher drive section 220 Operation button 230 Coin sensor 240 Payout sensor 250 Storage device 260 Catcher XYZ moving device 270 Setting section 280 Catcher 281 Arm opening/closing mechanism 282 Grip force adjustment section 290 Prize detection sensor

Claims (4)

a catcher having a plurality of gripping arms;
a prize detection sensor that detects , in a grip force setting mode, that the prize falls away from the catcher who grabbed the prize and passes through a prize drop opening ;
The gripping force of the catcher who grabbed the prize is set to an initial value, the gripping force of the initial value is gradually lowered, and the gripping force VDROP is determined based on the gripping force VDROP when the prize detection sensor detects the falling of the prize. , a control unit that determines the gripping force VUP when the catcher grasps the prize during game operation,
the gripping force VUP is greater than the gripping force VDROP;
Prize holding game machine. The control unit determines a gripping force VDOWM when the catcher releases the prize during game operation based on the gripping force VDROP,
the gripping force VDOWM is smaller than the gripping force VDROP;
The prize holding game machine according to claim 1. The control unit includes a grip force control unit, a grip force setting unit, a grip force voltage signal generation unit, and a down counter,
In the gripping force setting mode, the gripping force control unit sets a count value of the down counter to a count value corresponding to an initial value of the gripping force of the catcher;
The gripping force voltage signal generation section generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to a decreasing count value of the down counter in the gripping force setting mode, and opens and closes the plurality of gripping arms based on the gripping force voltage signal. output to said catcher,
In the gripping force setting mode, the gripping force setting section is configured to generate a digital signal corresponding to the gripping force VUP based on a count value of the down counter corresponding to the gripping force VDROP when the fall of the prize is detected. set the value,
The gripping force voltage signal generation unit generates a gripping force voltage signal corresponding to the digital value when the plurality of gripping arms grasps a prize in the normal mode, and generates a plurality of gripping force voltage signals based on the gripping force voltage signal. output to the catcher which opens and closes the gripping arm;
The prize holding game machine according to claim 1 or claim 2. In the gripping force setting mode, the gripping force of the catcher who grips the prize is set to an initial value by the control unit of the prize gripping game machine;
The gripping force of the initial value is gradually reduced by the control unit, and the gripping force of the prize gripping game machine is adjusted based on the gripping force VDROP when the prize falls away from the catcher and passes through the prize drop opening. During game operation, find the grasping force VUP when the catcher grasps the prize,
the gripping force VUP is greater than the gripping force VDROP;
Grip force setting method.

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