JP7465005B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes the use of a power supply board in gaming machines that generates electricity from a commercial power source for use in the gaming machine itself.

JP 2016-140643 A

However, there is still room for improvement in the gaming machines described in the above patent documents in terms of preventing malfunctions related to the power supply board.

The purpose of this invention is to prevent problems with power supply boards.

The present invention, which achieves the above object, is realized as a gaming machine as follows. This gaming machine (e.g., pachinko gaming machine 100) includes a board (e.g., power board 40) having a plurality of electronic components and used in a game, and a storage means (e.g., power board case 60) for storing the board, the board having a first identification mark for identifying information and a second identification mark for identifying information, which is provided at a position different from the first identification mark in the thickness direction of the board, the storage means having a first side wall portion (e.g., upper wall surface portion 62) on which a plurality of openings (e.g., ventilation holes 60H) are formed in a row, a second side wall portion (e.g., lower wall surface portion 63) on which a plurality of openings (e.g., ventilation holes 60H) are formed in a row and which faces the first side wall portion, and a specific character (e.g., a character provided on case seal 600) is provided. and a specific wall portion (e.g., main surface portion 61) having an opening formed therein, a non-opening portion is provided in at least a portion of the second side wall portion facing the opening of the first side wall portion, the plurality of electronic components includes a specific electronic component (e.g., heat dissipation member 454hs) having the longest length in a height direction relative to a board surface among the plurality of electronic components, the specific letters are provided at a portion that overlaps with a predetermined electronic component in the height direction but does not overlap with the specific electronic component, the specific wall portion is provided at a portion higher than the specific electronic component in the height direction, and no letters or marks are provided at a portion of the specific wall portion (e.g., main surface portion 61) that overlaps with the specific electronic component (e.g., heat dissipation member 454hs).

The above symbols in this section are given as examples in explaining the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention can reduce problems with the power supply board.

1 is a schematic front view of a pachinko gaming machine according to the present embodiment. 2 is a rear view of the pachinko game machine as seen from the rear. FIG. (a) is an enlarged view showing an example of a display disposed at the bottom left of the game board, (b) is a partial plan view of a pachinko game machine, and (c) is an enlarged view showing an example of a sub-information display disposed at the bottom left of the game board. A diagram showing the internal configuration of a control unit of a pachinko game machine of this embodiment. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image/audio control unit and a lamp control unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a game control unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of basic processing by a game control unit. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the game control unit during power interruption processing. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electronic circuit in a power supply board. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an AC circuit in a power supply board. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a rectifier circuit and a PFC circuit in a power supply board. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a power generating circuit and a backup circuit in a power supply board. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of an electronic circuit in a power supply board as a modified example. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a PFC circuit as a modified example. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the power supply board unit according to the embodiment. 2 is a top view of the power supply board according to the embodiment when viewed from the front side. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the power supply board according to the embodiment when viewed from the rear side. FIG. 4 is a side view of the power supply board according to the embodiment when viewed from above. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the substrate of the present embodiment. 1A is a diagram showing a power supply board before electronic components are mounted thereon, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a power supply board after electronic components are mounted thereon. 1A shows a side view of the entire power supply board unit, and FIG. 1B shows an enlarged view of a ventilation hole, which will be described later. 2 is a side view of the power supply board unit of the present embodiment as viewed from the right side. FIG. 2 is a side view of the power supply board unit of the present embodiment as viewed from the left side. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a power supply board case according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a top view of a power supply board according to a modified example, as viewed from the front side. A front view of the game control board unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an information display sticker. A front view of the game control board. FIG. 1 is a view of the capacitor as viewed from the front side of the capacitor. 13 is a flowchart showing the main control process of the game control unit. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of the start port switch processing. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of a gate switch process. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of special symbol processing. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of the big win determination process. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of the variation pattern selection process. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of processing during a stop. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of a customer waiting setting process. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of normal pattern processing. A flowchart showing the contents of the large prize winning port processing. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of a game status setting process. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of an electric tulip process. These figures show an example of the configuration of random numbers used in this embodiment, where (a) is a figure showing an example of the configuration of a jackpot random number, (b) is a figure showing an example of the configuration of a jackpot pattern random number, (c) is a figure showing an example of the configuration of a reach random number, and (d) is a figure showing an example of the configuration of a winning random number. A figure showing an example of the fluctuation patterns and table settings used in the fluctuation pattern selection process. 1A and 1B are block diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of a RAM of a game control unit, where (a) is a block diagram showing the configuration of a memory area, and (b) is a block diagram showing the configuration of each of the memory units shown in (a). 1A and 1B are block diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of the RAM of the performance control unit, where (a) is a block diagram showing the configuration of the reserved memory area, and (b) is a block diagram showing the configuration of each of the memory units shown in (a). 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of a pre-determination process. 11A and 11B are flowcharts showing the operation of the performance control unit, where FIG. 11A is a diagram showing main processing, and FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of a command receiving process. A flowchart showing the contents of the pre-determination performance selection process and the performance selection process of Figure 48. A flowchart showing the contents of the big win effect selection process of Figure 48. 49 is a flowchart showing the contents of the ending performance selection process of FIG. 48. 49 is a flowchart showing the contents of the customer waiting command receiving process of FIG. 48. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of effect button processing. A diagram showing the display information of the information display device in each game area. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a main process of a general control unit. A diagram showing the initial processing of the reels by the lamp control unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an origin return process of a lamp control unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an initial operation process of a lamp control unit. 1A is a diagram showing an example of a board role initial operation pattern determination table, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a frame role initial operation pattern determination table. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a specific example of initializing various driving sources during a setting change. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of initializing various driving sources during preparation for clearing the RWM. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of initializing various driving sources during setting confirmation. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of initializing various drive sources after changing settings. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a specific example of initializing various driving sources after clearing the RWM; 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of initializing various driving sources after confirming settings.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[Basic configuration of gaming machine]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a pachinko gaming machine 100 according to the present embodiment.
1, a pachinko game machine 100 as an example of a game machine is configured to pay out prize balls when a game ball shot out in response to a player's instruction enters a prize ball. The pachinko game machine 100 includes a game board 110 from which the game balls are shot out, and a frame member 150 that surrounds the game board 110. The game board 110 is attached to the frame member 150 in a removable manner.

The game board 110 is equipped with a game area 111 on the front where games are played with game balls, a rail member 112 that forms a path along which game balls launched from below rise and head toward an upper position of the game area 111, and a guide member 113 on the right side of the game area 111 that guides the game balls.
In this embodiment, an image display unit 114 that displays various images for effects is disposed in a position in the game area 111 that is easily visible to the player. This image display unit 114 has a display screen such as a liquid crystal display, and displays, for example, decorative patterns to inform the player of the pattern lottery result (pattern change result) as the player progresses through the game, and displays effect images using the appearance of characters or items, or hold displays, which will be described later.
In addition, a movable role object 115 and a board lamp 116 used for various effects are provided on the front side of the game board 110. The movable role object 115 performs various effects by moving on the game board 110, and the board lamp 116 performs various effects by emitting light.

In the game area 111, there are arranged game nails and windmills (not shown) for changing the direction in which the game balls fall. In addition, in the game area 111, various devices related to winning prizes and lotteries are arranged at predetermined positions. In addition, in the game area 111, there is arranged an outlet 117 for discharging game balls that are shot into the game area 111 but do not enter a winning hole, out of the game area 111. In addition, the pachinko game machine 100 is equipped with an out ball detection switch (SW) 227 (see FIG. 4 described later) for detecting out balls consisting of game balls that flow into the outlet 117.

In this embodiment, various prize-winning and lottery-related features include a first start hole 121 and a second start hole 122 that start a special symbol lottery (jackpot lottery) when a game ball wins, and a start gate (hereinafter simply called a gate) 124 that starts a normal symbol lottery (opening and closing lottery) when a game ball passes through. In FIG. 1, the gates 124 are provided on the left and right of the game area 111, with the left gate 124 written as 124L and the right gate 124 written as 124R. The first start hole 121 and the second start hole 122 here refer to the winning hole that triggers the operation of a predetermined special symbol display device. Specifically, the first start hole 121 and the second start hole 122 are provided with switches (first start hole switch 211 and second start hole switch 212 described below) that detect the passage of the game ball when a winning prize is awarded. When the game ball enters the first start hole 121 or the second start hole 122, the switch detects the passage of the game ball, which triggers the activation of the special symbol display device.

The second starting hole 122 is equipped with an electric tulip (opening/closing member) 123 as a normal electric device in which a pair of tulip-shaped wings are opened and closed by an electric solenoid and light up. The electric tulip 123 is configured so that when the wings are closed, it is difficult for the game ball to enter the second starting hole 122, but when the wings are open, the entrance to the second starting hole 122 expands, making it easier for the game ball to enter the second starting hole 122. When the normal pattern lottery is won, the electric tulip 123 opens its wings for a specified time (e.g., 0.15 to 1.8 seconds) and a specified number of times (e.g., 1 to 3 times) while lighting up or flashing.

The pachinko gaming machine 100 has, as game states, a low probability state with a low probability of winning and a high probability state with a higher probability of winning than the low probability state, based on the probability of winning in a jackpot lottery. The machine is controlled to either the low probability state or the high probability state based on a predetermined condition.
The pachinko game machine 100 has a game state in which there are fewer chances of winning the second starting hole 122, and an electric support state in which there are more chances of winning the second starting hole 122 than in the no electric support state. The game state is controlled to either the no electric support state or the electric support state under a predetermined condition, such as triggered by a jackpot or the number of times a special symbol lottery is drawn. The electric support state is a game state controlled by one or a combination of, for example, shortening the normal symbol variation time, extending the opening time of the electric tulip 123, and increasing the probability of winning the normal symbol lottery.
Further, the pachinko game machine 100 has, as game states, a no-time-reduction state in which the special pattern variation time is long, and a time-reduction state in which the special pattern variation time is shorter than that in the no-time-reduction state.
In this embodiment, the electric support state and the time-saving state are controlled simultaneously. In the following description, the electric support state and the time-saving state are simply referred to as the time-saving state, and the no electric support state and no time-saving state are simply referred to as the no time-saving state.

In this embodiment, as other roles related to winning and lottery, a special electric role, a large prize opening 125 that opens according to the result of a special symbol lottery, and a normal prize opening 126 that does not perform a lottery even if a game ball wins are arranged on the game board 110. A large prize opening door 125D that opens and closes the large prize opening 125 is provided in the large prize opening 125. In the following description, the open/closed state and opening/closing operation of the large prize opening door 125D may be described as the open/closed state and opening/closing operation of the large prize opening 125 for convenience.
In this embodiment, a display 130 is disposed at the bottom left of the game board 110 to display information regarding the lottery results and the number of reserved balls.

In the pachinko gaming machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, the second start hole equipped with the electric tulip 123 and the big prize hole 125 are located in the right area of the gaming area 111. Therefore, in the pachinko gaming machine 100 of this embodiment, when attempting to win the second start hole 122 or the big prize hole 125, the gaming ball is made to flow down into the right area of the gaming area 111.

The frame member 150 is equipped with a launching device (not shown) that electrically launches game balls at a predetermined time interval (e.g., 100 balls per minute) with a ball-hitting force corresponding to the angle of operation when the player touches the handle 151 and rotates the lever 152 clockwise. The frame member 150 also includes a supplying device (not shown) that supplies game balls to the launching device one by one in sequence at a timing linked to the player's operation of the lever 152, and a tray 153 that temporarily stores the game balls supplied by the supplying device to the launching device. Balls are paid out to the tray 153 by a payout unit, for example.
In this embodiment, the plate 153 is configured as an integrated upper and lower plate, but a configuration example in which the upper plate and the lower plate are separated is also conceivable. Also, a configuration example in which the handle 151 of the launching device is made to emit light under a predetermined condition is also conceivable.

The frame member 150 also has a stop button 154 for temporarily stopping the launch of the game balls even when the player is touching the handle 151 of the launching device, and an ejection button 155 for dropping the game balls accumulated in the tray 153 into a box (not shown) and removing them.
The frame member 150 also includes a speaker 156 and a frame lamp 157 that notify the game status and situation of the pachinko gaming machine 100 and perform various effects. The speaker 156 performs various effects using music, voice, and sound effects. The frame lamp 157 is composed of an illuminant such as an LED, and performs various effects using light with lighting/flashing patterns, differences in light emission color, etc. It should be noted that the frame lamp 157 may be configured to perform effects by changing the direction of light irradiation.
The frame member 150 also includes a transparent plate (not shown) for separating the game board 110 from the player.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the pachinko gaming machine 100 when viewed from the rear. In Figure 2, the upper side of the pachinko gaming machine 100 on the paper is referred to as the "upper side", the lower side of the paper is referred to as the "lower side", and these directions are sometimes referred to as the "up-down direction". Furthermore, the left side of the pachinko gaming machine 100 on the paper is referred to as the "left side", the right side of the paper is referred to as the "right side", and these directions are sometimes referred to as the "left-right direction". Furthermore, the front side of the pachinko gaming machine 100 on the paper is referred to as the "front side", the rear side of the paper is referred to as the "rear side", and these directions are sometimes referred to as the "front-rear direction".

The pachinko gaming machine 100 is provided with a power plug 158, a power supply board unit 4, a game control board unit 2, a performance control board 300B, an image control board 310B, a lamp control board 320B, a payout control board 330B, and a frame control board 360B. The power supply plug 158 is provided on the frame member 150. The power supply board unit 4 and the frame control board 360B are attached to the back surface of the frame member 150. The game control board unit 2, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, and the payout control board 330B are attached to the back surface of the game board 110.
When the power plug 158 is inserted into the socket of the transformer T, and the plug of the transformer T is inserted into a socket (not shown) of the hall in which the pachinko gaming machine 100 is installed, 100V alternating current (AC) power is supplied from the commercial power source to the transformer T. The transformer T converts the supplied 100V AC to 24V AC. The 24V AC power converted by the transformer T is supplied to the pachinko gaming machine 100 via the power plug 158.

The power supply board unit 4 has a power supply board 40 and a power supply board case 60 that houses the power supply board 40 .
The power supply board 40 is electrically connected to the power plug 158. The power supply board 40 is also provided with a power switch 412 (described later) that switches ON and OFF of the connection to the commercial power source. When the power switch 412 is turned ON, the power supply board 40 receives AC power supplied from the commercial power source via a transformer T. The power supply board 40 then converts the received AC power into DC (Direct Current) power and supplies the converted power to the game control board unit 2, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B. When the power switch 412 is turned OFF, the power supply to the power supply board 40 is cut off. This cuts off the power supply to the pachinko game machine 100.
The configurations of the power supply board 40 and the power supply board case 60 will be described in detail later.

The game control board unit 2 has a game control board 200B and a game control board case 200C that houses the game control board 200B. The game control board 200B performs the determination of the winning of the special symbol and the like.
The performance control board 300B comprehensively controls the performance.
The image control board 310B controls the image and sound effects.
The lamp control board 320B controls the effects produced by various board lamps 116 and movable props 115.
The payout control board 330B controls the payout of prize balls.
The frame control board 360B controls the effects produced by various frame lamps 157, etc.
The game control board 200B, the presentation control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B operate by receiving power from the power supply board 40.

Figure 3 is a diagram explaining a pachinko gaming machine 100 according to this embodiment, where Figure 3(a) is an enlarged view showing an example of a display 130 arranged at the bottom left of the gaming board 110, Figure 3(b) is a partial plan view of the pachinko gaming machine 100, and Figure 3(c) is an enlarged view showing an example of a sub-information display 80 arranged at the bottom left of the gaming board.
As shown in Fig. 3(a), the display 130 of the pachinko game machine 100 includes a first special symbol display 221 that operates in response to winning at the first start port 121, a second special symbol display 222 that operates in response to winning at the second start port 122, and a normal symbol display 223 that operates in response to passing through the gate 124. The first special symbol display 221 displays a special symbol in a variable manner and then stops to display the lottery result based on the winning at the first start port 121. The second special symbol display 222 displays a special symbol in a variable manner and then stops to display the lottery result based on the winning at the second start port 122. The first special symbol display 221 and the second special symbol display 222 perform cycle fluctuations (cycle display) in which the change in the display mode is one cycle (=256 ms) multiple times, and stop display when the special symbol fluctuation time has elapsed.
The normal symbol display 223 displays the lottery result by displaying the normal symbol variably and then stopping it based on the game ball passing through the gate 124. In this embodiment, the first special symbol display 221 and the second special symbol display 222 are each composed of a display device with an array of LEDs, and the lottery result of the special symbol lottery is displayed depending on the lighting mode of the LEDs. Similarly, the normal symbol display 223 is also composed of a display device with an array of LEDs, and the lottery result of the normal symbol lottery is displayed depending on the lighting mode of the LEDs.

The display 130 also includes a first special symbol reserved indicator 218 that operates in response to a reserved symbol on the first special symbol display 221, a second special symbol reserved indicator 219 that operates in response to a reserved symbol on the second special symbol display 222, and a normal symbol reserved indicator 220 that operates in response to a reserved symbol on the normal symbol display 223. In this embodiment, the first special symbol reserved indicator 218, the second special symbol reserved indicator 219, and the normal symbol reserved indicator 220 are each comprised of a display device with an array of LEDs, and the number of reserved symbols is displayed by the lighting state of the LEDs.

Here, the reservation will be explained. If a game ball enters the first start hole 121 or the second start hole 122 during the variable display operation of the special symbol (while the variable display for one winning is being performed), the variable display operation of the special symbol based on the later winning cannot be started because the special symbol is changing. Therefore, the later winning is stored up to a specified number (for example, four), and the right to start the special symbol for the winning game ball is reserved until the variable display operation for the previously winning game ball is completed.
The normal symbols are also processed in the same manner as the special symbols. The fact that such a reservation has been made and the number of reservations (unchanged number) are displayed on the first special symbol reservation indicator 218, the second special symbol reservation indicator 219, and the normal symbol reservation indicator 220.

The display 130 further includes a status indicator 224 that displays the status of the pachinko gaming machine 100. In this embodiment, the status indicator 224 is configured as a display device with an array of three LEDs. One of the three LEDs lights up to indicate whether the status of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is in a high probability state where the probability of winning the special symbol lottery is high. The other LED lights up to indicate whether the status of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is in a time-saving state where the special symbol variation time is short. The other LED lights up to indicate whether the status is favorable to the player by hitting to the right (by changing the hitting force of the game ball).

The display 130 also includes a round number display 225 that displays the number of rounds when the big prize opening 125 is activated in a big prize game that is played according to the results of the special pattern lottery. The big prize game will be described later. The round number display 225 is composed of a display device with an array of LEDs, and the number of rounds when the big prize opening 125 is activated in a big prize game is displayed by the lighting state of the LEDs.

The display 130 also includes a status confirmation indicator 226. The status confirmation indicator 226 is composed of a single LED and is used to indicate that the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode described later is set. When the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode is entered, the LED starts to light up, and when the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode is ended, the LED goes out. In this way, since the status confirmation indicator 226 is provided on the front (surface) of the gaming machine, it is possible to easily check whether the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode is set. The status confirmation indicator 226 may be installed in any location as long as it is on the front (surface) of the pachinko gaming machine 100.

In addition, in this embodiment, the same display mode (illuminated display) is used regardless of whether the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode is set, but the display may be made so that it is possible to recognize which mode is set. For example, the status confirmation indicator 226 may be illuminated in the setting change mode and flashing in the setting confirmation mode, or vice versa.

In addition, in this embodiment, the status confirmation indicator 226 is provided as a dedicated indicator to indicate that the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode is set, but it may be used in combination with other indicators. For example, in the setting change mode or the setting confirmation mode, the first special symbol indicator 221, the second special symbol indicator 222, the first special symbol reserved indicator 218, the second special symbol reserved indicator 219, the round number indicator 225, the status indicator 224, etc. are turned off, so one or more LEDs of these indicators may be turned on.

The frame member 150 of the pachinko game machine 100 is equipped with an input device for the player to input for the effects. As shown in FIG. 3(b), in this embodiment, as an example of an input device, an effect button 161 and an effect key 162 consisting of a plurality of keys arranged in a substantially cross shape adjacent to the effect button 161 are arranged on the frame member 150. In the illustrated example, consider a case where an effect is performed in which an operation to select one image from a plurality of images is accepted. In this case, for example, a player can operate the effect key 162 consisting of four keys arranged in a cross shape to specify one of the multiple images displayed on the image display unit 114, and operate the effect button 161 to select the specified image. In addition, as the form of the input device, in addition to the illustrated effect button 161 and effect key 162, various input forms such as a lever or a handle can be adopted depending on the content of the effect.

In addition, the pachinko game machine 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a sub-information display 80 inside the game area 111, which consists of a sub-first change display device 81, a sub-second change display device 82, a sub-first hold display device 83, a sub-second hold display device 84, a sub-regular map change display device 85, a sub-regular map hold display device 86, and a sub-right-hit display device 87.
The sub-information display 80 is basically composed of LEDs and is designed to be dynamically lit. The sub-information display 80 does not have an indicator such as the status check indicator 226 that indicates that the sub-information display 80 is in a setting change mode or setting check mode.

The sub-first variable indicator 81 is for displaying (informing) whether or not the first special symbol is being displayed, and the sub-second variable indicator 82 is for displaying (informing) whether or not the second special symbol is being displayed, and each is composed of one LED. When the display of the corresponding special symbol begins, the LED flashes at a predetermined cycle (1 second) (0.5 seconds on → 0.5 seconds off), and lights up when the corresponding special symbol is displayed stationary. In other words, the sub-first variable indicator 81 and the sub-second variable indicator 82 repeatedly perform a cyclic display in which one flash is one cycle (= 1 second), and light up when the corresponding special symbol is displayed stationary.

The result of the special symbol jackpot determination may be notified by the sub-first variable display 81 or the sub-second variable display 82. In this case, the LED may be lit in the case of a jackpot and turned off in the case of a miss.

The sub-first hold indicator 83 is for displaying the number of first hold information items (first hold number) described below, and the sub-second hold indicator 84 is for displaying the number of second hold information items (second hold number) described below, and each is composed of two LEDs. When the hold number is "0", the left and right LEDs are turned off, when the hold number is "1", the left LED is turned on and the right LED is turned off, when the hold number is "2", the left LED is turned on, when the hold number is "3", the left LED is blinking and the right LED is turned on, and when the hold number is "4", the left and right LEDs are blinking.

The sub-regular symbol variation display 85 is for displaying (informing) the result of the winning lottery, and is composed of one LED. Then, when the variation display of the regular symbol starts, the LED blinks (varies) at a specified interval. Then, when the regular symbol is displayed in a static state, the mode indicating the result of the winning lottery (lights up in the case of a win, and goes out in the case of a loss) is displayed in a static state.

In addition, the sub-regular pattern change indicator 85 may be configured to flash while displaying the normal pattern change, and to light up or go out when the normal pattern is displayed as stopped, so that it is possible to know whether or not the normal pattern change is being displayed.

The sub-regular map reserve indicator 86 is used to display the number of reserved regular map memories (regular map reserve number) and is composed of two LEDs. When the regular map reserve number is "0", the left and right LEDs are turned off, when the regular map reserve number is "1", the left LED is lit and the right LED is turned off, when the regular map reserve number is "2", the left LED flashes and the right LED is lit, and when the regular map reserve number is "4", the left and right LEDs flash.

The sub right-hit indicator 87 is intended to encourage the player to shoot the game ball toward the right-hand area of the game area 111 (so-called right hit), and is composed of one LED. The LED lights up during a jackpot state (special game) and during a time-saving game state, and is turned off in other game states.

[Configuration of the control unit]
Next, a control unit that controls the operation and processes signals in the pachinko gaming machine 100 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the control unit of the pachinko gaming machine of this embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the image/audio control unit and the lamp control unit of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit includes a game control unit 200 as a main control means for determining whether a special symbol has been selected. In addition, as sub-control means, the control unit includes a performance control unit 300 for overall control of the performance, and a payout control unit 330 for controlling the payout of balls.

[Game control unit configuration and functions]
The game control unit 200 includes a CPU 201 which performs calculations when determining whether a special symbol has been won, a ROM 202 which stores programs to be executed by the CPU 201 and various data, and a RAM 203 which is used as a working memory for the CPU 201, etc.

The game control unit 200 controls the game state of the pachinko game machine 100 to be either a high probability state or a low probability state, or either a no-time-reduction state or a time-reduction state. As a result, the game state of the pachinko game machine 100 becomes either a high probability time-reduction game state, which is a high probability state and a time-reduction state, a low probability time-reduction game state, which is a low probability state and a time-reduction state, a high probability no-time-reduction game state, which is a high probability state and a no-time-reduction state, or a low probability no-time-reduction game state, which is a low probability state and a no-time-reduction state. Then, the game control unit 200 switches between the high probability state and the low probability state, and between the no-time-reduction state and the time-reduction state, based on a predetermined condition. In addition, the game control unit 200 performs control such as increasing the probability of winning the normal pattern lottery in the time-reduction state compared to the no-time-reduction state, shortening the normal pattern fluctuation time, and extending the opening time of the electric tulip 123.

The game control unit 200 draws a special pattern when a game ball enters the first start port 121 or the second start port 122. Then, a special game such as a big win game is played depending on the result of the special pattern drawing. In the special game, the game control unit 200 controls the big win port 125, which is a special electric device, to repeat a round in which the open state is maintained until a predetermined condition (for example, 29.5 seconds have passed or 10 game balls have entered) is met a predetermined number of times. The game control unit 200 then controls the interval between opening and closing operations when the big win port 125 opens.

In addition, the game control unit 200 performs a normal symbol lottery when the gaming ball passes through the gate 124. Then, the game control unit 200 controls the operation of the electric tulip according to the result of the normal symbol lottery.
In addition, the game control unit 200 sets holds that occur when the game ball enters the first start port 121 or the second start port 122 during special pattern change, and holds that occur when the game ball passes through the gate 124 during normal pattern change.
Furthermore, the game control unit 200 sends information related to game control, such as the results of the special pattern lottery and the normal pattern lottery, information on changing between the high probability state and the low probability state, information on changing between the no-time-reduction state and the time-reduction state, and hold setting information, to the presentation control unit 300 using commands described later.

Furthermore, when a game ball enters the first start gate 121, the second start gate 122, the big prize gate 125, and the normal prize gate 126, the game control unit 200 instructs the payout control unit 330 to pay out a predetermined number of prize balls per game ball according to the place where the game ball entered. For example, the game control unit 200 sends an instruction command (command) to the payout control unit 330 so that three prize balls are paid out when the game ball enters the first start gate 121, four prize balls are paid out when the game ball enters the second start gate 122, thirteen prize balls are paid out when the game ball enters the big prize gate 125, and ten prize balls are paid out when the game ball enters the normal prize gate 126. Note that even if it is detected that a game ball has passed through the gate 124, it does not instruct the payout control unit 330 to pay out prize balls linked to the gate.
When the payout control unit 330 pays out prize balls in accordance with an instruction from the game control unit 200, the game control unit 200 obtains information on the number of paid out prize balls from the payout control unit 330. In this way, the number of paid out prize balls is managed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the game control unit 200 is connected to a detection means including a first start port detection unit (first start port switch (SW)) 211 that detects the entry of a game ball into the first start port 121, a second start port detection unit (second start port switch (SW)) 212 that detects the entry of a game ball into the second start port 122, an electric tulip opening/closing unit 213 that opens and closes the electric tulip 123, and a gate detection unit (gate switch (SW)) 214 that detects the passage of a game ball through the gate 124.
In addition, the game control unit 200 is connected to a large prize opening detection unit (large prize opening switch (SW)) 215 which detects the entry of a game ball into the large prize opening 125, a large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216 which sets the large prize opening door 125D of the large prize opening 125 to a closed state and a protruding, tilted open state, and a regular prize opening detection unit (regular prize opening switch (SW)) 217 which detects the entry of a game ball into the regular prize opening 126.

In addition, the game control unit 200 is connected to a first special pattern reserved display 218 which displays the number of reserved, unchanging symbols that have entered the first start port 121 while the special pattern is changing, a second special pattern reserved display 219 which displays the number of reserved, unchanging symbols that have entered the second start port 122 while the special pattern is changing, and a normal pattern reserved display 220 which displays the number of reserved, unchanging symbols that have passed through the gate 124 while the normal pattern is changing.
In addition, the game control unit 200 is connected to a first special pattern display 221 which displays the change in special pattern that occurs when a game ball enters the first starting hole 121 and the result of the special pattern lottery, a second special pattern display 222 which displays the change in special pattern that occurs when a game ball enters the second starting hole 122 and the result of the special pattern lottery, a normal pattern display 223 which displays the change in normal pattern and the result of the normal pattern lottery, and a status display 224 which displays the status of the pachinko game machine 100.

Then, the detection signals detected by the first start gate switch 211, the second start gate switch 212, the gate switch 214, the big prize gate switch 215 and the normal prize gate switch 217 are sent to the game control unit 200. In addition, control signals from the game control unit 200 are sent to the electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, the big prize gate door opening/closing unit 216, the first special symbol reserve indicator 218, the second special symbol reserve indicator 219, the normal symbol reserve indicator 220, the first special symbol indicator 221, the second special symbol indicator 222, the normal symbol indicator 223 and the status indicator 224. As a result, the game control unit 200 performs various controls related to the number of prize balls paid out as described above.

Also mounted on the front side of the gaming control board are a RAM clear switch 228 for inputting a signal to clear the memory contents of the RAM 203 of the gaming control unit 200 or to update a setting value (probability of determining a jackpot), which is the stage of the advantageous degree of the game, a setting key switch 229 for inputting a signal to switch to a setting change mode or a setting confirmation mode, which will be described later, by operating the setting key, an information display 230 for displaying performance information and setting values that allow the actual performance of the gaming machine to be grasped, and other electronic components.

The information display 230 is composed of four seven-segment displays (230a to 230d, see FIG. 61 below) arranged in the left-right direction. The two seven-segment displays 230a and 230b from the left form an identification segment for displaying identification information showing the type of performance information (data type), and the two seven-segment displays 230c and 230d from the right form a numeric segment for displaying numerical information showing setting values and numerical values of the performance information (see FIG. 60). Static lighting is used to display setting values, and dynamic lighting is used to display performance information.

The game control unit 200 is further connected to an external information terminal board 350 for the board, which transmits various information to a host computer (not shown) installed in the hall. The game control unit 200 transmits information obtained from the payout control unit 330 regarding the number of prize balls paid out and information indicating the status of the game control unit 200, etc., to the host computer via the external information terminal board 350 for the board.

[Configuration and functions of the dispensing control unit]
The payout control unit 330 comprises a CPU 331 which performs calculations when controlling the payout of balls, a ROM 332 which stores programs executed by the CPU 331 and various data, etc., and a RAM 333 which is used as a working memory for the CPU 331, etc.
The payout control unit 330 then controls the payout of balls based on commands sent from the game control unit 200.
Specifically, the payout control unit 330 receives a command from the game control unit 200 to pay out a predetermined number of prize balls according to the location where the game ball has entered (such as the first starting hole 121). Then, the payout control unit 330 controls the payout drive unit 334 to pay out the number of prize balls specified in the command. The payout drive unit 334 here is composed of a drive motor that sends out game balls from a storage unit for game balls.

Also connected to the payout control unit 330 are a payout ball detection unit 335 that detects the number of prize balls actually paid out from the game ball storage unit by the payout drive unit 334, a ball presence detection unit 336 that detects whether game balls are stored in the storage unit (not shown), and a full tank detection unit 337 that detects whether the tray 153 that holds the game balls used by the player when playing and the paid-out prize balls is full or not. The payout control unit 330 receives detection signals detected by the payout ball detection unit 335, the ball presence detection unit 336, and the full tank detection unit 337, and performs a predetermined process according to these detection signals.
Furthermore, the payout control unit 330 is connected to a frame external information terminal board 340 that transmits various information to a host computer installed in the hall. The payout control unit 330 transmits, for example, information on the number of prize balls instructed to be paid out by the payout drive unit 334 and information on the number of prize balls actually paid out detected by the payout ball detection unit 335 to the host computer via the frame external information terminal board 340. The payout control unit 330 also transmits similar information to the game control unit 200.

[Configuration and functions of the production control unit]
The performance control unit 300 is equipped with a CPU 301 which performs calculations when controlling the performance, a ROM 302 which stores programs to be executed by the CPU 301 and various data, a RAM 303 which is used as working memory for the CPU 301, and a real-time clock (RTC) 304 which measures the date and time.
The performance control unit 300 sets the performance contents based on, for example, the result of the determination of whether or not a special symbol lottery has been won and the variation pattern sent from the game control unit 200. At that time, the performance contents corresponding to the operation input may be set in response to an operation input from a user using the performance button 161 or the performance key 162. In this case, for example, a signal corresponding to the operation (operation signal) is received from a controller (not shown) such as the performance button 161, and the operation content identified by this operation signal is reflected in the performance settings.
Furthermore, when a game is suspended for a predetermined period of time, the performance control unit 300 instructs the setting of a screen display for waiting customers as one of the performance effects.
Furthermore, the presentation control unit 300 sets the presentation contents based on the change information between the high probability state and the low probability state, and the change information between the no time-shortening state and the time-shortening state received from the game control unit 200.
Furthermore, the performance control unit 300 sends commands to the image/audio control unit 310 and the lamp control unit 320 to instruct the execution of the set performance contents.

Furthermore, the performance control unit 300 is connected to an image/audio control unit 310 that controls the performance using images and sounds, and a lamp control unit 320 that controls the performance using various lamps and movable props 115.

[Image/audio control unit configuration and functions]
As shown in FIG. 5, the image/audio control unit 310 includes a CPU 311 which performs calculations when controlling the images and sounds that express the performance content, a ROM 312 in which programs executed by the CPU 311 and various data are stored, a RAM 313 which is used as a working memory for the CPU 311, a VDP (Video Display Processor) 314, a CGROM 315, and an SNDROM 316.

Then, based on the commands sent from the performance control unit 300, the image/audio control unit 310 controls the image displayed on the image display unit 114 and the sound output from the speaker 156.
Specifically, the CGROM 315 stores image data such as pattern images and background images to be displayed on the image display unit 114 during play, decorative patterns for notifying the player of lottery results, characters and items for displaying advance notices to the player, etc. Also, the SNDROM 316 stores various types of sound data such as music and voice to be output from the speaker 156 in synchronization with the image data or independently of the image data, as well as sound effects such as jingles.
Based on the pending number command or variable performance start command sent from the performance control unit 300, the CPU 311 analyzes the animation pattern, creates a display list that summarizes drawing commands, and sends the display list to the VDP 314.

Based on the display list received from the CPU 311, the VDP 314 reads out image data and sound data stored in the CGROM 315 and the SNDROM 316, respectively. Furthermore, the VDP 314 performs drawing processing for background image display, pattern image display, pattern image variation, character/item display, and the like using the read image data, and performs sound processing using the read sound data. The VDP 314 then controls the screen display on the image display unit 114 using the image data that has been subjected to the drawing processing. The VDP 314 also controls the sound output from the speaker 156 using the sound data that has been subjected to the sound processing.
In this embodiment, the VDP 314 is configured to perform audio processing in addition to drawing processing, but this is not limiting, and a separate processor dedicated to audio processing may be provided.

[Lamp control unit configuration and functions]
The lamp control unit 320 includes a CPU 321 which performs calculations when controlling the illumination of the board lamp 116 and the frame lamp 157 and the operation of the movable part 115, a ROM 322 in which programs executed by the CPU 321 and various data are stored, and a RAM 323 which is used as a working memory for the CPU 321, etc.
The lamp control unit 320 controls the lighting/flashing and light color of the board lamp 116 and the frame lamp 157 based on the command sent from the performance control unit 300. It also controls the operation of the movable prop 115.

Specifically, ROM 322 of lamp control unit 320 stores lighting/flashing pattern data and light color pattern data (light emission pattern data) for board lamp 116 and frame lamp 157 according to the performance content set by performance control unit 300. CPU 321 selects and reads out the light emission pattern data stored in ROM 322 that corresponds to the command sent from performance control unit 300. Then, lamp control unit 320 controls the light emission of board lamp 116 and frame lamp 157 according to the read light emission pattern data.
In addition, the ROM 322 of the lamp control unit 320 stores operation pattern data of the movable role object 115 according to the performance content set by the performance control unit 300. The CPU 321 controls the operation of the movable role object 115 based on the read operation pattern data.
Note that a control unit that controls the frame lamp 157 may be provided separately from the lamp control unit 320. In this case, the control unit that controls the frame lamp 157 may be provided in the frame control board 360B.

In this embodiment, the game control unit 200, the performance control unit 300, the image/sound control unit 310, the lamp control unit 320, and the payout control unit 330 are provided on the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, and the payout control board 330B, respectively. Also, the RAM clear switch 228, the setting key switch 229, and the information display 230 are all provided on the game control board 200B.
5, the performance button 161 and the performance key 162 are connected to the performance control unit 300 and controlled by the performance control unit 300, but are not limited to this. The performance button 161 and the performance key 162 may be connected to the lamp control unit 320 and controlled by the lamp control unit 320.

[Functional configuration of the game control unit]
Next, the functional configuration of the game control unit 200 will be described.
Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the game control unit 200. As shown in Fig. 6, the game control unit 200 includes a random number acquisition unit 231, a normal symbol determination unit 232, a special symbol variation control unit 233, a special symbol determination unit 234, and a normal symbol variation control unit 236 as functional units for executing various lottery processes.
The game control unit 200 also includes a variation pattern selection unit 235 as a functional unit that executes processing associated with the variation of special symbols.
Furthermore, the game control unit 200 is equipped with a large prize opening operation control unit 237, an electric tulip operation control unit 238, a prize ball processing unit 239, an output control unit 240, and a random number control unit 241, which are functional units that control the operation of various gimmicks and execute data processing related to prize balls, etc.

The random number acquisition unit 231 acquires a random number value used in the special symbol lottery and a random number value used in the normal symbol lottery. In the case of the random number value used in the special symbol lottery, specifically, one number (random number value) is selected (acquired) from a predetermined range of numbers for each type of random number, on the condition that a gaming ball has entered the first start hole 121 or the second start hole 122. The acquired random number value is used for the judgment by the special symbol judgment unit 234. Although the details will be described later, the random numbers used in the special symbol lottery include a jackpot random number indicating whether or not there is a jackpot, a pattern random number indicating the type of jackpot, a variable pattern random number, a reach random number, and the like.
In the case of the random number value used in the normal symbol lottery, specifically, one number (random number value) is selected (obtained) from a predetermined range of numbers on the condition that the gaming ball has passed through the gate 124. The obtained random number value is used for the determination by the normal symbol determination unit 232. Note that as the random number used in the normal symbol lottery, in addition to a winning random number indicating whether or not there is a win, a pattern random number indicating the type of win or a variable pattern random number may be set.
When a special pattern lottery is held, the special pattern change control unit 233 controls the change of the special pattern on the first special pattern display device 221 or the second special pattern display device 222 according to the lottery result.

When the special symbols start to change, the special symbol determination unit 234 uses a random number table as shown in FIG. 42 described later to determine whether the result of the special symbol lottery is a jackpot, the type of jackpot if a jackpot is won, and whether it is a small jackpot or a miss if a jackpot is not won. That is, the random number acquisition unit 231 acquires a random number value related to the special symbol when the passage of the game ball is detected by the first start port switch 211 or the second start port switch 212, which are detection means, and the special symbol determination unit 234 determines whether or not to play a special game (jackpot game, etc.) that is advantageous to the player based on the acquired random number value. The lottery for the special symbol (jackpot lottery) described above refers to the processing in the random number acquisition unit 231 and the special symbol determination unit 234.

Here, the "jackpot" is divided into several types according to the game state that occurs after the jackpot game ends. Specifically, the type of jackpot is determined by the combination of no time-saving state or time-saving state, and high probability state or low probability state. In other words, the types of jackpots based on the game state that occurs after the jackpot game ends include a jackpot that results in a high probability time-saving game state after the jackpot game ends (hereinafter, a jackpot in a high probability time-saving game state), a jackpot that results in a low probability time-saving game state (hereinafter, a jackpot in a low probability time-saving game state), a jackpot that results in a high probability no time-saving game state (hereinafter, a jackpot in a high probability no time-saving game state), and a jackpot that results in a low probability no time-saving game state (hereinafter, a jackpot in a low probability no time-saving game state). Each of these jackpots is associated with an individual special symbol, and the type of jackpot is determined according to the type of special symbol that was won in the special symbol lottery.

In addition, "jackpots" can be divided into jackpots where the jackpot play time is long and a large number of game balls can be expected to be paid out, and jackpots where the jackpot play time is short and almost no game balls can be expected to be paid out. The former are called "long jackpots" and the latter are called "short jackpots." For example, in a "long jackpot," a round in which the open state of the jackpot opening 125 is maintained until a predetermined condition is met (for example, 29.5 seconds have passed or 10 game balls have been won) is repeated a predetermined number of times (for example, 15 times). In a "short jackpot," a round in which the jackpot opening 125 is open for a certain period of time (for example, 0.9 seconds) is repeated a predetermined number of times (for example, twice).

In addition, in the case of a "small win" when a big win is not won, a small win game is played in which the big winning port 125 is opened for a certain period of time (for example, 0.9 seconds) a predetermined number of times (for example, twice). When a small win is won, the game state before the small win is continued even after the small win game ends. In other words, if the game state when the small win is won is a high probability time-saving game state, the high probability time-saving game state continues even after the small win game ends, and the game state does not transition. Similarly, if the game state when the small win is won is a low probability no time-saving game state, the low probability no time-saving game state continues even after the small win game ends, and the game state does not transition.
In addition, a "small win" is a type of "loss", and none of the above game states that are advantageous to the player are set.

The variation pattern selection unit 235 selects the variation pattern (variation time) of the special symbol displayed on the first special symbol display unit 221 or the second special symbol display unit 222. Specifically, the variation pattern selection unit 235 determines the variation pattern based on the judgment result of whether or not to play a big win game and the judgment result of whether or not to set a variation pattern (for example, 13.5 seconds or more) that can perform a reach performance in the decorative symbol variation performance accompanying the special symbol variation. Then, based on the variation pattern selected by the variation pattern selection unit 235, the special symbol variation control unit 233 controls the variation of the special symbol. The details of the operation of the variation pattern selection unit 235 and the special symbol variation control unit 233 will be described later.
Here, "reach" refers to a presentation that makes the player expect a big win with decorative symbols, which will be described later.

When the normal symbol starts to change, the normal symbol determination unit 232 uses a random number table as shown in FIG. 42(d) to determine whether the lottery result of the normal symbol is a "win" or not. That is, the normal symbol determination unit 232 determines whether or not to play the auxiliary game of opening and closing the electric tulip 123 based on the random number value for the normal symbol lottery acquired by the random number acquisition unit 231. In addition, when multiple types of wins are set in the normal symbol lottery, the normal symbol determination unit 232 determines the "type of win" when the judgment result is a win. The normal symbol lottery is a process performed by the random number acquisition unit 231 and the normal symbol determination unit 232.
When a normal pattern lottery is held, the normal pattern change control unit 236 controls the change of the normal pattern by the normal pattern display device 223 according to the lottery result.
When the normal symbol determination unit 232 determines that the normal symbol lottery results in a "win," the electric tulip operation control unit 238 opens the electric tulip 123 for a specified time and a specified number of times, creating a state in which the game ball can easily win in the second starting hole 122. When a "loss" is determined, the electric tulip 123 does not open in this manner. The operation patterns of the electric tulip 123 will be described later, but there are, for example, an operation pattern in which the electric tulip 123 opens once with an opening time of 0.15 seconds, and an operation pattern in which the electric tulip opens three times with an opening time of 1.80 seconds.

When the special symbol determination unit 234 determines a "big win" in the special symbol lottery, the big prize opening operation control unit 237 controls the opening operation of the big prize opening 125 in an operation pattern specified based on the type of big prize won as a big prize game. Also, when the special symbol determination unit 234 determines a "small win" in the special symbol lottery, the big prize opening operation control unit 237 opens the big prize opening 125 for a specified time and a specified number of times as a small prize game.
The prize ball processing unit 239 sets commands for managing the number of winning balls for various prize-winning and lottery-related devices and for controlling the payout of prize balls according to winnings.
The output control unit 240 controls the output of control commands from the game control unit 200 to the performance control unit 300 and the payout control unit 330 .
The random number control unit 241 updates various random number values acquired by the random number acquisition unit 231 at a predetermined timing.

[Basic operation of the gaming machine]
Next, the basic operation of the pachinko gaming machine 100 will be described.
When the power is turned on, the game control unit 200 of the pachinko gaming machine 100 initializes various devices and sets them as basic processing at startup. After performing the basic processing, the game control unit 200 repeatedly executes main control processing, which is a series of processing related to the progress of the game. When the power is turned off, the game control unit 200 also executes a series of power-off processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the basic process by the game control unit 200.
When the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned on, the game control unit 200 first permits access to the RAM 203 (see FIG. 4) (step (hereinafter, step is abbreviated as "S") 601). Then, the game control unit 200 judges whether or not a RAM clear switch for clearing the RAM 203 is ON (S602).
If the RAM clear switch is OFF (No in S602), the game control unit 200 next judges whether or not a backup flag relating to the operation when the power is cut off is ON (S603).
If the backup flag is ON (Yes in S603), the game control unit 200 next judges whether or not the checksum created when the power was cut off is normal (S604).
If the checksum is normal (Yes in S604), the game control unit 200 then executes a recovery process (S605). In this recovery process, the game control unit 200 sets the sub-control means such as the performance control unit 300 in response to recovery from a power-off state. Specifically, the game control unit 200 outputs a command to the performance control unit 300 to set the sub-control means so as to reflect the game state of the pachinko game machine 100 at the time the power is cut off (whether or not a jackpot game is being played, whether in a high probability state or a low probability state, whether in a time-saving state or a no-time-saving state). In addition, in this recovery process, the game control unit 200 turns off the backup flag.

On the other hand, if the RAM clear switch is ON (Yes in S602), the backup flag is OFF (No in S603), or the checksum is abnormal (No in S604), the game control unit 200 then performs initialization processing by clearing the memory contents of RAM 203 (S606) and setting the working area of RAM 203 (S607). The game control unit 200 then outputs a command to the performance control unit 300 to set (initialize) the sub-control means, and sets the sub-board (sub-control means) (S608). Setting the sub-board includes clearing RAM 303, RAM 313, and RAM 323 mounted on each sub-board.

After the return process (see S605) is completed, or after the sub-board setting (see S608) is completed, the game control unit 200 sets various counters and timers used for game control (S609).Then, the game control unit 200 repeatedly executes interrupt permission (S610), interrupt prohibition (S611), symbol random number control process (S612), initial value random number update process (S613), and judgment of whether the power cutoff flag is ON or not (S614) as a loop process.
Here, the interrupt permission (S610) and interrupt prohibition (S611) are provided to enable execution of an interrupt process during execution of this loop process (S610 to S614). In this embodiment, the main control process in the game control is executed by this interrupt process. The details of the main control process will be described later.
In the symbol random number control process (S612), the game control unit 200 updates the variable pattern random number used in the special symbol lottery.
In the initial value random number update process (S613), the game control unit 200 updates the initial values of various random number values used in game control.
In the determination of the power cutoff flag, if the power cutoff flag is OFF (No in S614), the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is not cut off, and the gaming control unit 200 repeatedly executes the loop process (S610 to S614) and the main control process by interruption. On the other hand, if the power cutoff flag is ON (Yes in S614), the gaming control unit 200 starts a process for cutting off the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100 (processing at the time of power cutoff).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the game control unit 200 during power interruption processing.
In the power interruption process, the game control unit 200 first clears the settings of the output ports for various outputs (S701). Next, the game control unit 200 creates a checksum and stores it in the RAM 203 (S702). Next, the game control unit 200 turns on the backup flag (S703), prohibits access to the RAM 203 (S704), and transitions to an infinite loop.

(Power supply board 40)
Next, the power supply board 40 will be described.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the electronic circuit in the power supply board 40. As shown in FIG.
The power supply board 40 receives AC 24V power supplied from a commercial power source P, which is an example of an external power source, and converted by a transformer T. The power supply board 40 also creates a predetermined voltage from the received power. Examples of the predetermined voltage include DC 36V, DC 12V, and DC 5V. The power supply board 40 then supplies the power of the created voltage to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B.
The power supply board 40 is provided with a plurality of electronic components (described later in the electronic circuit) that generate electric power and supply the generated electric power to various boards. The plurality of electronic components in the power supply board 40 are electrically connected to each other by conductive wiring patterns (electric paths).

The power supply board 40 is provided with an AC circuit 41 , a rectifier circuit 43 , and a DC circuit 50 .
The AC circuit 41 is a circuit to which an AC voltage is supplied. The AC circuit 41 is supplied with AC 24V.
The rectifier circuit 43 is a circuit that converts the AC voltage that has passed through the AC circuit 41 into a DC voltage. The rectifier circuit 43 converts 24V AC into 24V DC.

The DC circuit 50 is a circuit to which the DC voltage that has passed through the rectifier circuit 43 is supplied. The DC circuit 50 is provided with a power factor correction (PFC) circuit 44, a power generating circuit 48, and a backup circuit 49.
The PFC circuit 44 is a circuit that improves the power factor of the electric power. In addition to improving the power factor of the electric power, the PFC circuit 44 boosts the DC voltage that has passed through the rectifier circuit 43 to DC 36 V.
The power generating circuit 48 is a circuit that generates DC 12V and DC 5V using DC 36V that has passed through the PFC circuit 44 .
The backup circuit 49 is a circuit that generates power as a backup for use in the pachinko gaming machine 100 .

(AC circuit 41)
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the AC circuit 41 in the power supply board 40. As shown in FIG.
In the following, among the terminals provided on each electronic component on the power supply board 40, the terminal to which voltage is input may be referred to as the "input terminal," and the terminal from which voltage is output may be referred to as the "output terminal."
The AC circuit 41 is provided with an AC connector 411, a power switch 412, an input side fuse 413, a bidirectional surge absorbing element 414, a connector side fuse 415, and a CR connector 416. The AC circuit 41 is also provided with a noise filter circuit 42.

The AC connector 411, which is an example of an AC voltage input unit, is a connector that connects an electric wire to which AC 24V converted by the transformer T is supplied and the AC circuit 41. The AC 24V is input to the AC circuit 41 via the AC connector 411.

The power switch 412 has one side input terminal 412a, the other side input terminal 412b, one side output terminal 412c, and the other side output terminal 412d. One side of the AC 24V inputted through the AC connector 411 is inputted to the one side input terminal 412a. The other side of the AC 24V (the side not inputted to the one side input terminal 412a) is inputted to the other side input terminal 412b. Hereinafter, the voltage of the AC 24V inputted to the one side input terminal 412a may be referred to as AC 24Va, and the voltage of the AC 24V inputted to the other side input terminal 412b may be referred to as AC 24Vb. The one side output terminal 412c outputs AC 24Va. The other side output terminal 412d outputs AC 24Vb.
The power switch 412 switches between an electrically connected state and an electrically disconnected state for the one-side input terminal 412a and the one-side output terminal 412c, and the other-side input terminal 412b and the other-side output terminal 412d. When a staff member of the hall in which the pachinko game machine 100 is installed turns on the power switch 412, the one-side input terminal 412a and the one-side output terminal 412c, and the other-side input terminal 412b and the other-side output terminal 412d are electrically connected. In this case, power is supplied to various circuits in the power supply board 40, and power is also supplied from the power supply board 40 to various boards. When a staff member turns off the power switch 412, the one-side input terminal 412a and the one-side output terminal 412c, and the other-side input terminal 412b and the other-side output terminal 412d are electrically disconnected. In this case, the supply of power to the power supply board 40 is cut off, thereby cutting off the power supply to the pachinko gaming machine 100.

An input terminal of the input-side fuse 413 as an example of a protective element is electrically connected to one output terminal 412c of the power switch 412. The input-side fuse 413 is provided on the AC 24V input side of the noise filter circuit 42 in the AC circuit 41.
The input side fuse 413 supplies AC 24V supplied to the AC circuit 41 via the power switch 412 to the downstream side. When a current larger than the rated value of the input side fuse 413 flows through the input side fuse 413, the input side fuse 413 melts. This prevents a current larger than the rated value from flowing downstream of the input side fuse 413. The rated value is determined so that, for example, when a store clerk connects the commercial power source P and the pachinko game machine 100 without a transformer T, and AC 100V is input to the input side fuse 413, the input side fuse 413 melts.

The bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 is an element that suppresses a voltage higher than the rated value of the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 from being output to the output side of the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414. One end of the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the input-side fuse 413, and the other end is electrically connected to the other-side output terminal 412d of the power switch 412.
The bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 shorts out when a voltage higher than the rated value is input. When the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 shorts out, a large current flows through a circuit C1 formed by the AC connector 411, the power switch 412, the input-side fuse 413, and the shorted bidirectional surge absorbing element 414. When a large current flows through the circuit C1, the input-side fuse 413 melts down and the circuit C1 is opened. This prevents a voltage from being input downstream of the circuit C1.
Examples of the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 include a semiconductor surge absorber and a discharge tube surge absorber. The bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 is a bidirectional type that shorts out when a current with a voltage higher than the rated value is input from either one end or the other end. In this embodiment, a bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 is used that has a rated value set so that it shorts out when a surge voltage or AC 100V is input to the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414.

The noise filter circuit 42 is a circuit that removes noise contained in the 24V AC supplied to the AC circuit 41. The noise filter circuit 42 includes an input side capacitor 421, a one side varistor 422, an other side varistor 423, a frame ground (FG) side surge absorbing element 424, an FG connector 425, a resistor side surge absorbing element 426, a resistor 427, a choke coil 428, and an output side capacitor 429.

The input-side capacitor 421 removes normal mode noise contained in the AC 24 V. One end of the input-side capacitor 421 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the input-side fuse 413, and the other end is electrically connected to the other output terminal 412d of the power switch 412. The input-side capacitor 421 is provided on the voltage input side of the output-side capacitor 429 in the AC circuit 41. The input-side capacitor 421 is connected in parallel with the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414.
The input side capacitor 421 inputs a specific frequency component and suppresses the specific frequency component from being output to the AC 24V output side. The specific frequency may be a frequency determined as noise. The input side capacitor 421 may be, for example, a ceramic capacitor or a film capacitor.

The one-side varistor 422, which is an example of a protective element, removes common mode noise contained in AC 24 V. One end of the one-side varistor 422 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the input-side fuse 413, and the other end is electrically connected to the FG-side surge absorbing element 424.
The other-side varistor 423, which is an example of a protective element, removes common mode noise contained in AC 24 V. One end of the other-side varistor 423 is electrically connected to the other-side output terminal 412d of the power switch 412, and the other end is electrically connected to the FG side surge absorption element 424.
When a voltage higher than the rated value is supplied to the one-side varistor 422 and the other-side varistor 423, the electrical resistance decreases. In this case, a voltage higher than the rated value is more likely to be supplied to the side where the FG-side surge absorption element 424 is provided, via the one-side varistor 422 and the other-side varistor 423. In other words, a voltage higher than the rated value is less likely to be supplied to the side where the resistor-side surge absorption element 426 is provided or the side where the choke coil 428 is provided. In this embodiment, the one-side varistor 422 and the other-side varistor 423 are used, whose rated values are set so as to protect the electronic components provided on the power supply board 40.

The FG side surge absorbing element 424 removes noise contained in AC 24 V. One end of the FG side surge absorbing element 424 is electrically connected to the one side varistor 422 and the other side varistor 423, and the other end is electrically connected to the FG connection connector 425. The FG side surge absorbing element 424 is provided closer to the FG connection connector 425 than the resistor side surge absorbing element 426.
When a voltage higher than the rated value is supplied to the FG side surge absorbing element 424, the electrical resistance decreases. In this case, a voltage higher than the rated value is likely to be supplied to the FG connection connector 425 via the FG side surge absorbing element 424. In this embodiment, the FG side surge absorbing element 424 is used, the rated value of which is set so as to protect the electronic components provided on the power supply board 40.

The FG connector 425 is a connector that connects the AC circuit 41 to the housing of the pachinko gaming machine 100, which serves as the FG. The FG of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is grounded at the store where the pachinko gaming machine 100 is installed. Therefore, noise input to the FG connector 425 via the FG side surge absorption element 424 is guided to the FG and then removed.

The resistor-side surge absorbing element 426 removes noise contained in the AC 24 V. One end of the resistor-side surge absorbing element 426 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the input-side fuse 413, and the other end is electrically connected to a resistor 427.
When a voltage higher than the rated value is supplied to the resistor-side surge absorption element 426, the electrical resistance decreases. In this case, a voltage higher than the rated value is more likely to be supplied to the resistor 427 via the resistor-side surge absorption element 426. In other words, a current with a voltage higher than the rated value is less likely to be supplied to the side where the choke coil 428 is provided. In this embodiment, the resistor-side surge absorption element 426 is used, whose rated value is set so that the electronic components provided on the power supply board 40 can be protected.

The resistor 427, which is an example of a coil, has a predetermined resistance value. The supply of voltage to the resistor 427 is limited according to the resistance value of the resistor 427. One end of the resistor 427 is electrically connected to the resistor-side surge absorption element 426, and the other end is grounded.

The choke coil 428 removes common mode noise contained in AC 24V. The choke coil 428 has one side input terminal 428a, the other side input terminal 428b, one side output terminal 428c, and the other side output terminal 428d. The one side input terminal 428a is electrically connected to the output terminal of the input side fuse 413. The other side input terminal 428b is electrically connected to the other side output terminal 412d of the power switch 412. In the choke coil 428, AC 24Va is input to the one side input terminal 428a, and AC 24Vb is input to the other side input terminal 428b. In the choke coil 428, the one side output terminal 428c outputs AC 24Va, and the other side output terminal 428d outputs AC 24Vb.
When common mode noise is input to one input terminal 428a and the other input terminal 428b, the choke coil 428 generates an electromotive force that cancels the noise, thereby attenuating the noise.

The output side capacitor 429 removes noise contained in the AC 24 V. One end of the output side capacitor 429 is electrically connected to one output terminal 428c of the choke coil 428, and the other end is electrically connected to the other output terminal 428d of the choke coil 428. The output side capacitor 429 is provided on the AC 24 V output side of the input side capacitor 421 in the AC circuit 41.
The input side capacitor 421 inputs a voltage having a specific frequency, thereby preventing the voltage from being supplied to the AC 24V output side of the AC circuit 41. The specific frequency may be a frequency determined as noise. The output side capacitor 429 may be, for example, a ceramic capacitor or a film capacitor.

The input terminal of the connector-side fuse 415 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the input-side fuse 413, and the output terminal is electrically connected to the CR connector 416. The connector-side fuse 415 is provided closer to the CR connector 416 than the input-side fuse 413.
The connector-side fuse 415 supplies the input 24V AC to the CR connector 416. When a current larger than the rated value of the connector-side fuse 415 flows through the connector-side fuse 415, the connector-side fuse 415 melts. This prevents a current larger than the rated value of the connector-side fuse 415 from flowing through the CR connector 416.

The CR connector 416 is a connector that connects the AC circuit 41 and the CR unit (not shown). The 24V AC current input to the CR connector 416 via the power switch 412, the input side fuse 413, the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414, the input side capacitor 421, the one side varistor 422, the other side varistor 423, and the connector side fuse 415 is supplied to the CR unit.

The noise of the 24V AC input to the AC circuit 41 is reduced by the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414, the input side capacitor 421, the one side varistor 422, the other side varistor 423, the resistor side surge absorbing element 426, the choke coil 428, and the output side capacitor 429. The 24V AC current with reduced noise is input to the rectifier circuit 43.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the AC circuit 41 is connected to an electric path to which an AC voltage is supplied, and includes the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 that shorts out the AC circuit 41 when a voltage higher than a predetermined voltage is applied, and the input-side fuse 413 that is connected to an electric path between the commercial power source P and the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 and protects electronic components from currents higher than a predetermined current.
In this case, when a voltage higher than a predetermined voltage is supplied to the power supply board 40, the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 shorts out, causing a large current to flow through the circuit C1. Also, when a large current flows through the circuit C1, the input side fuse 413 melts down, opening the circuit C1 and preventing voltage from being supplied downstream of the circuit C1. This makes it possible to suppress malfunctions of electronic components provided on the voltage output side of the circuit C1 in the power supply board 40.

In the present embodiment, the input fuse 413 is provided on the power supply board 40, but the present invention is not limited to this.
The input-side fuse 413 may be provided, for example, on the AC 24 V input side of the power supply substrate 40. In other words, the input-side fuse 413 may be provided in a portion different from the power supply substrate 40, as long as it is provided on the AC 24 V input side of the bidirectional surge absorption element 414.

In addition, in this embodiment, the input side capacitor 421, the resistor 427, the choke coil 428, and the output side capacitor 429 are not connected to the electrical path between the commercial power supply P and the bidirectional surge absorption element 414, but are connected to the electrical path between the bidirectional surge absorption element 414 and the rectifier circuit 43.
When a voltage higher than a predetermined voltage is supplied to the power supply board 40, the circuit C1 is opened before this voltage is supplied to the output side via the circuit C1. Therefore, even when a large current is input to the power supply board 40, malfunctions of the input side capacitor 421, resistor 427, choke coil 428, output side capacitor 429, etc. can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the AC circuit 41 has a protection means for protecting electronic components provided in the AC circuit 41. Here, the protection means is, for example, an input side fuse 413 or a bidirectional surge absorbing element 414. The AC connector 411 is connected to an electric path between the commercial power source P and the protection means.
In this case, the AC voltage input via the AC connector 411 is supplied to the input-side fuse 413 and the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414. Therefore, compared to the case where the input-side fuse 413 and the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 are connected to the electric path between the commercial power source P and the AC connector 411, malfunctions of electronic components provided on the rectifier circuit 43 side relative to the input-side fuse 413 and the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414 can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, no other electronic components are connected to the electric paths between the one-side varistor 422 and the other-side varistor 423 and the choke coil 428 .
In this case, the common mode noise in the AC circuit 41 is removed. In other words, the radiation noise that is mainly included in the common mode noise can be removed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions in the electronic components of the power supply board 40 caused by the radiation noise.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, no other electronic components are connected to the electric paths between the one-side varistor 422 and the input-side capacitor 421 or between the other-side varistor 423 and the input-side capacitor 421 .
In this case, the input-side capacitor 421 can remove noise having a specific frequency. Furthermore, the one-side varistor 422 and the other-side varistor 423 can remove noise contained in a current having a voltage higher than a predetermined voltage. That is, the input-side capacitor 421, the one-side varistor 422, and the other-side varistor 423 can be used to remove different types of noise. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions in the electronic components of the power supply board 40 caused by various types of noise.

In particular, in this embodiment, a ceramic capacitor or a film capacitor is used as the input side capacitor 421. Therefore, it is easier to remove noise of a specific frequency compared to when an electrolytic capacitor is used as the input side capacitor 421.

The one-side varistor 422, the other-side varistor 423, and the resistor-side surge absorbing element 426 mainly remove static electricity noise to remove noise contained in voltages higher than the rated value. In other words, the one-side varistor 422, the other-side varistor 423, and the resistor-side surge absorbing element 426 are more likely to remove static electricity noise than radiated noise. On the other hand, the input-side capacitor 421, the choke coil 428, and the output-side capacitor 429 remove both static electricity noise and radiated noise.

(Rectifier circuit 43)
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the rectifier circuit 43 and the PFC circuit 44 in the power supply board 40.
The rectifier circuit 43 is a full-wave rectifier circuit. In the rectifier circuit 43 of the present embodiment, a single-phase bridge rectifier circuit is used as the full-wave rectifier circuit.
Four diodes are provided in the rectifier circuit 43. Of the two diodes connected to one input terminal 43a of the rectifier circuit 43, the diode on the right side in the figure may be referred to as a first diode 431, and the diode on the left side in the figure may be referred to as a second diode 432. Also, of the two diodes connected to the other input terminal 43b of the rectifier circuit 43, the diode on the right side in the figure may be referred to as a third diode 433, and the diode on the left side in the figure may be referred to as a fourth diode 434.

One input terminal 43a of the rectifier circuit 43 is electrically connected to the anode of the first diode 431 and the cathode of the second diode 432. The other input terminal 43b of the rectifier circuit 43 is electrically connected to the anode of the third diode 433 and the cathode of the fourth diode 434. One input terminal 43a of the rectifier circuit 43 is supplied with AC 24Va, and the other input terminal 43b is supplied with AC 24Vb.
The AC voltage passing through the AC circuit 41 is converted to a DC voltage by the rectifier circuit 43. As a result, the rectifier circuit 43 outputs DC 24V.

The rectifying element used in the rectifying circuit 43 is not limited to a diode.
For example, a transistor may be used as a rectifying element in the rectifier circuit 43. In this case, the rectifier circuit 43 may be a field effect transistor (FET) bridge circuit.

The power supply board 40 is also provided with a rectifier side capacitor 435. The rectifier side capacitor 435 is provided on the rectifier circuit 43 side rather than the PFC circuit 44. The rectifier side capacitor 435 smoothes the pulsating current output from the rectifier circuit 43. One end of the rectifier side capacitor 435 is electrically connected to one output terminal 43c of the rectifier circuit 43, and the other end is grounded. Examples of the rectifier side capacitor 435 include a ceramic capacitor and a film capacitor.

(PFC circuit 44)
The PFC circuit 44 includes a boost circuit 45 , an input detection circuit 46 , an output detection circuit 47 , a current detection unit 441 , a first smoothing capacitor 442 , and a second smoothing capacitor 443 .
The boost circuit 45 boosts the voltage of the power output from the rectifier circuit 43 in accordance with the improvement of the power factor of the power. The boost circuit 45 includes an inductor 451, a diode 452, a transistor 453, and a circuit control unit 454.

The input detection circuit 46 detects the DC voltage input to the PFC circuit 44. The input detection circuit 46 is provided with a first resistor 461 and a second resistor 462. The first resistor 461 and the second resistor 462 are connected in series.
The first resistor 461 has one end electrically connected to one output terminal 43 c of the rectifier circuit 43 , and the other end electrically connected to the second resistor 462 .
The second resistor 462 has one end electrically connected to the first resistor 461 and the other end grounded.
Furthermore, a portion of the input detection circuit 46 between the first resistor 461 and the second resistor 462 is electrically connected to the circuit control unit 454. The DC voltage input to the PFC circuit 44 is divided by the first resistor 461 and the second resistor 462, and an input divided voltage value V1, which is the value of the divided voltage, is input to the circuit control unit 454.

The output detection circuit 47 detects the voltage boosted by the boost circuit 45. The output detection circuit 47 includes a third resistor 471 and a fourth resistor 472. The third resistor 471 and the fourth resistor 472 are connected in series.
The third resistor 471 has one end electrically connected to the cathode of the diode 452 and the other end electrically connected to the fourth resistor 472 .
The fourth resistor 472 has one end electrically connected to the third resistor 471 and the other end grounded.
In addition, a portion of the output detection circuit 47 between the third resistor 471 and the fourth resistor 472 is electrically connected to the circuit control unit 454. The DC voltage boosted by the boost circuit 45 is divided by the third resistor 471 and the fourth resistor 472, and an output divided voltage value V2, which is the value of the divided voltage, is input to the circuit control unit 454.

One end of the current detection unit 441 is electrically connected to the other output terminal 43d of the rectifier circuit 43, and the other end is electrically connected to the circuit control unit 454. The current detection unit 441 is a resistor that detects a current value I1, which is the value of the current output from the rectifier circuit 43. The current value I1 detected by the current detection unit 441 is input to the circuit control unit 454.

An inductor 451, which is an example of a coil, has one end electrically connected to one output terminal 43c of the rectifier circuit 43, and the other end electrically connected to the anode of the diode 452. The inductor 451 and the diode 452 are connected in series.
The transistor 453 is a switch such as a MOSFET. The transistor 453 has a gate connected to the circuit control section 454, a drain connected to a portion between the inductor 451 and the diode 452, and a source grounded.

The circuit control unit 454 is an integrated circuit (IC) that controls the power in the PFC circuit 44. When the circuit control unit 454 acquires the input voltage division value V1, the output voltage division value V2, and the current value I1, the circuit control unit 454 improves the power factor of the power based on these acquired parameters. More specifically, the circuit control unit 454 sets a reference voltage value Vs based on the input voltage division value V1 and the output voltage division value V2. Then, the circuit control unit 454 controls the transistor 453 to switch between ON and OFF so that the voltage value in the current detection unit 441 becomes the reference value Vs, thereby making the current in the current detection unit 441 closer to a sine wave. The voltage value in the current detection unit 441 is calculated from the current value I1 and the resistance value of the current detection unit 441.
In the control of the transistor 453 by the circuit control unit 454, when the transistor 453 is turned ON, DC 24 V input to the PFC circuit 44 is stored in the inductor 451. When the transistor 453 is turned OFF, the voltage stored in the inductor 451 is output to the downstream side in addition to the voltage input to the PFC circuit 44. As a result, a voltage boosted to DC 36 V is output from the boost circuit 45.

In addition, when the input partial pressure value V1 acquired from the input detection circuit 46 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined upper limit value while the PFC circuit 44 is not operating, the circuit control unit 454 operates the PFC circuit 44. In addition, when the input partial pressure value V1 acquired from the input detection circuit 46 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit value while the PFC circuit 44 is operating, the circuit control unit 454 stops the PFC circuit 44 and turns on the above-mentioned power cutoff flag (see S614 in FIG. 7). Therefore, the circuit control unit 454 and the input detection circuit 46 can be regarded as a power outage monitoring circuit that monitors power outages in the pachinko game machine 100.
Furthermore, when the output voltage divided value V2 acquired from the output detection circuit 47 while the PFC circuit 44 is operating falls to or below a predetermined lower limit, the circuit control unit 454 stops the PFC circuit 44. Therefore, the circuit control unit 454 and the output detection circuit 47 are regarded as a power failure monitoring circuit.
The power failure monitoring circuit is not limited to the above example. The power failure monitoring circuit may be provided in the AC circuit 41, for example.

The first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 are connected in parallel. One end of the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 is electrically connected to the cathode of the diode 452, and the other end is grounded. The first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 charge and discharge the power output from the boost circuit 45. In addition, the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 smooth the pulsating current output from the boost circuit 45. The capacitance of the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 is larger than the capacitance of the input side capacitor 421, the capacitance of the output side capacitor 429, and the capacitance of the rectification side capacitor 435. More specifically, the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 are the capacitors with the largest capacitance among the capacitors provided on the power supply board 40. The first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 may be, for example, an electrolytic capacitor.

In addition, the power supply board 40 is provided with a first connector-side fuse 445 , a first board-connecting connector 446 , a second connector-side fuse 447 , a second board-connecting connector 448 , and a third board-connecting connector 449 .
The first connector side fuse 445 has an input terminal electrically connected to the cathode of the diode 452 and an output terminal electrically connected to the first board connector 446. The first connector side fuse 445 is provided closer to the first board connector 446 than the second connector side fuse 447. The first connector side fuse 445 supplies DC 36V output from the PFC circuit 44 to the first board connector 446. When a current larger than the rated value of the first connector side fuse 445 flows through the first connector side fuse 445, the first connector side fuse 445 melts. This prevents a large current from flowing through the first board connector 446.

The first board connection connector 446 is a connector that connects the power supply board 40 to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B. The DC 36V input to the first board connection connector 446 is supplied to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B.

The second connector side fuse 447 is provided in parallel with the first connector side fuse 445. The input terminal of the second connector side fuse 447 is electrically connected to the cathode of the diode 452, and the output terminal is electrically connected to the second board connection connector 448 and the third board connection connector 449. The second connector side fuse 447 outputs DC 36V output from the PFC circuit 44 to the second board connection connector 448 and the third board connection connector 449. In addition, when a current larger than the rated value of the second connector side fuse 447 flows through the second connector side fuse 447, the second connector side fuse 447 melts. This prevents a large current from flowing through the second board connection connector 448 and the third board connection connector 449.

The second board connector 448 is a connector that connects the power supply board 40 to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B. The DC 36V input to the second board connector 448 is supplied to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B.
The third board connector 449 is a connector that connects the power supply board 40 to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B. The DC 36V input to the third board connector 449 is supplied to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B.

The first board connection connector 446, the second board connection connector 448, and the third board connection connector 449 do not have to be connected to any of the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B. The first board connection connector 446, the second board connection connector 448, and the third board connection connector 449 do not have to be connected to any of the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B.

As described above, in this embodiment, the DC circuit 50 has an inductor 451 connected to an electrical path to which a DC voltage is supplied, and a first smoothing capacitor 442 and a second smoothing capacitor 443 connected to an electrical path to which the DC voltage is supplied via the inductor 451.
In this case, the pulsating current flowing through the inductor 451 can be smoothed.

In this embodiment, a first smoothing capacitor 442 and a second smoothing capacitor 443 are provided, which are connected to an electric path to which the DC voltage that has passed through the rectifier circuit 43 is supplied.
In this case, the pulsating current flowing through the rectifier circuit 43 can be smoothed.

In addition, in this embodiment, electrolytic capacitors are used as the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443. Therefore, the capacity that can be charged is greater than when a ceramic capacitor or a film capacitor is used as the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443.

In this embodiment, the AC circuit 41 and the DC circuit 50 are each provided with a capacitor.
In this case, the input side capacitor 421 and the output side capacitor 429 provided in the AC circuit 41 can remove noise. Also, the rectification side capacitor 435, the first smoothing capacitor 442, and the second smoothing capacitor 443 provided in the DC circuit 50 can smooth the pulsating current. That is, each capacitor can be made to fulfill a function according to the circuit in which the capacitor is provided.

In addition, in this embodiment, the choke coil 428 provided in the AC circuit 41 removes noise. Furthermore, the inductor 451 provided in the DC circuit 50 stores the input DC. In other words, the coil provided in the AC circuit 41 and the coil provided in the DC circuit 50 have different characteristics.

In this embodiment, an input-side fuse 413 is provided in the AC circuit 41 in order to suppress malfunctions in the electronic components of the power supply board 40 caused by a large current flowing through it. A one-side varistor 422 and an other-side varistor 423 are provided in the AC circuit 41 in order to suppress malfunctions in the electronic components of the power supply board 40 caused by an input of an overvoltage. Furthermore, a rectifier-side capacitor 435, a first smoothing capacitor 442, a second smoothing capacitor 443, and the like are provided in order to suppress malfunctions in the electronic components caused by an AC current flowing through the DC circuit 50. In other words, multiple types of suppression means for suppressing malfunctions in the electronic components are provided.
In this case, it is possible to deal with each of a plurality of types of causes that cause malfunctions in electronic components.

In the pachinko gaming machine 100, the distance from the power plug 158 to the electric path (wiring pattern) on which the noise filter circuit 42 is provided is defined as distance A. The distance from the electric path on which the noise filter circuit 42 is provided to the electric path on which the rectifier circuit 43 is provided is defined as distance B. Furthermore, the distance from the electric path on which the rectifier circuit 43 is provided to the electric path on which the first board connection connector 446 is provided is defined as distance C. In this case, in this embodiment, the relationship of distance A > distance C > distance B is established.
In this case, compared to the case where the distance B is longer than the distance A, the generation of noise between the noise filter circuit 42 and the rectifier circuit 43 can be suppressed.
The reference for one end of distance A may be a specific position in the electric path in which noise filter circuit 42 is provided. For example, distance A may be the distance from power plug 158 to the electric path in which choke coil 428 is provided. The reference for one end of distance B and distance C may be the electric path in which PFC circuit 44 is provided, rather than the electric path in which rectifier circuit 43 is provided. The reference for one end of distance B and distance C may be, for example, the position of the electric path between the electric path in which rectifier circuit 43 is provided and the electric path in which PFC circuit 44 is provided.

(Power generating circuit 48)
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of the power generating circuit 48 and the backup circuit 49 in the power supply board 40. As shown in FIG.
The power generating circuit 48 includes a 12V generating circuit 481 and a 5V generating circuit 482. The 12V generating circuit 481 and the 5V generating circuit 482 are provided in parallel.
The 12V generating circuit 481 generates power consisting of 12 V. The 12V generating circuit 481 includes an inductor 4811, a 12V control unit 4812, a first capacitor 4813, and a second capacitor 4814.
The inductor 4811 has one end electrically connected to the 12V control unit 4812 and the other end electrically connected to the first board connector 446 , the second board connector 448 , and the third board connector 449 .

The 12V control unit 4812 is an IC that generates 12V power. The 12V control unit 4812 is provided with a transistor and a diode (not shown). When the 12V control unit 4812 turns the transistor ON, the power input from the PFC circuit 44 (see FIG. 11 ) is stored in the inductor 4811. When the 12V control unit 4812 turns the transistor OFF, the supply of power to the inductor 4811 is stopped, and the power stored in the inductor 4811 is output to the power output side from the inductor 4811. In this way, the 12V control unit 4812 controls the transistor by switching it ON and OFF, so that DC 12V is output to the power output side from the inductor 4811.
The first capacitor 4813 and the second capacitor 4814 are provided in parallel. One end of the first capacitor 4813 and the second capacitor 4814 is electrically connected to the inductor 4811, and the other end is grounded. The first capacitor 4813 and the second capacitor 4814 charge and discharge the power output from the inductor 4811. The first capacitor 4813 and the second capacitor 4814 smooth the pulsating current output from the inductor 4811. The capacitance of the first capacitor 4813 and the second capacitor 4814 is larger than any of the capacitance of the input side capacitor 421, the capacitance of the output side capacitor 429, and the capacitance of the rectification side capacitor 435. The first capacitor 4813 and the second capacitor 4814 may be, for example, an electrolytic capacitor.

The 5V generating circuit 482 is an IC that generates power of 5 V. The 5V generating circuit 482 includes an inductor 4821, a 5V control unit 4822, and a capacitor 4823.
The inductor 4821 has one end electrically connected to the 5V control unit 4822 and the other end electrically connected to the third board connector 449 .

The 5V control unit 4822 generates 5V power. The 5V control unit 4822 is provided with a transistor and a diode (not shown). When the 5V control unit 4822 turns the transistor ON, the power input from the PFC circuit 44 (see FIG. 11 ) is stored in the inductor 4821. When the 5V control unit 4822 turns the transistor OFF, the supply of power to the inductor 4821 is stopped, and the power stored in the inductor 4821 is output to the power output side from the inductor 4821. In this way, the 5V control unit 4822 controls the transistor by switching it ON and OFF, so that DC 5V is output to the power output side from the inductor 4821.
The capacitor 4823 has one end electrically connected to the inductor 4821 and the other end grounded. The capacitor 4823 charges and discharges the power output from the inductor 4821. In addition, the capacitor 4823 smoothes the pulsating current output from the inductor 4821.
The capacitance of the capacitor 4823 is larger than any of the capacitance of the input-side capacitor 421, the capacitance of the output-side capacitor 429, and the capacitance of the rectification-side capacitor 435. The capacitor 4823 is, for example, an electrolytic capacitor.

(Backup circuit 49)
The backup circuit 49 includes a diode 491 and a backup capacitor 492 .
The diode 491 has an anode electrically connected to the inductor 4821 of the 5V generating circuit 482 , and a cathode electrically connected to the third board connector 449 .

One end of the backup capacitor 492 is electrically connected to the cathode of the diode 491, and the other end is grounded. The capacitance of the backup capacitor 492 is larger than the capacitance of the input-side capacitor 421, the capacitance of the output-side capacitor 429, and the capacitance of the rectifier-side capacitor 435. An example of the backup capacitor 492 is an electrolytic capacitor.
When the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned on, the DC 5V power output from the 5V generation circuit 482 is charged to the backup capacitor 492. When the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is cut off, the backup capacitor 492 starts discharging. As a result, even when the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is cut off, the power stored in the backup capacitor 492 is supplied to the game control board 200B via the third board connection connector 449, and various information is held in the RAM 203 of the game control board 200B. Also, the power stored in the backup capacitor 492 is supplied to the payout control board 330B via the third board connection connector 449, and various information is held in the RAM 333 of the payout control board 330B.

As described above, in this embodiment, the AC circuit 41 is provided with surge absorbing elements such as the bidirectional surge absorbing element 414, the FG side surge absorbing element 424, and the resistor side surge absorbing element 426. On the other hand, the rectifier circuit 43 and the DC circuit 50 are not provided with surge absorbing elements.
The voltage supplied to the DC circuit 50 of the power supply board 40 is a voltage that has passed through the surge absorbing element in the AC circuit 41. Therefore, by providing a surge absorbing element in the AC circuit 41, even if the DC circuit 50 does not have a surge absorbing element, it is possible to prevent an overvoltage from being supplied to the DC circuit 50.

In addition, in this embodiment, the AC circuit 41 is provided with capacitors such as an input side capacitor 421 and an output side capacitor 429. On the other hand, the DC circuit 50 is provided with capacitors such as a rectifier side capacitor 435, a first smoothing capacitor 442, a second smoothing capacitor 443, a first capacitor 4813, a second capacitor 4814, a capacitor 4823, and a backup capacitor 492. That is, in this embodiment, as a result of providing capacitors to protect each of the ICs provided in the DC circuit 50, the number of capacitors provided in the DC circuit 50 is greater than the number of capacitors provided in the AC circuit 41. The capacitors provided in the DC circuit are provided near each of the ICs provided in the DC circuit 50.

In addition, in this embodiment, the PFC circuit 44, the 12V generating circuit 481, and the 5V generating circuit 482 are each provided with a capacitor. This allows each power to be charged and discharged.

In addition, in the pachinko gaming machine 100, the distance from the 12V control unit 4812 to the third board connection connector 449 is distance D. Furthermore, the distance from the 5V control unit 4822 to the third board connection connector 449 is distance E. In this case, in this embodiment, distance E is longer than distance D.

In the present embodiment, the PFC circuit 44 is provided on the power supply board 40, but the present invention is not limited to this.
The power supply board 40 does not need to be provided with the PFC circuit 44. In this case, the AC may be rectified to a DC and boosted in the rectifier circuit 43. That is, the rectifier circuit 43 may convert 24V AC to 36V DC.

(Modification)
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electronic circuit in a power supply board 40A as a modified example.
Although the configuration of the electronic circuit in the power supply board 40 has been described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12, the electronic circuit in the power supply board 40 is not limited to the above configuration.
The configuration of the electronic circuit in the power supply board 40A as a modified example will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The power supply board 40A receives 24V AC supplied from a commercial power source P and converted by a transformer T. The power supply board 40A also creates a predetermined voltage from the received voltage. Examples of predetermined voltages include DC 36V, DC 12V, and DC 5V. The power supply board 40A then supplies the created power to the game control board 200B, the performance control board 300B, the image control board 310B, the lamp control board 320B, the payout control board 330B, and the frame control board 360B.

The power supply board 40A is provided with an AC circuit 41, a rectifier circuit 43, a PFC circuit 44, and a power generation circuit 48. On the other hand, the power supply board 40A is not provided with a backup circuit 49 (see FIG. 12). In this modified example, a backup circuit is provided in the game control board 200B. Therefore, when the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is cut off, power is supplied from the backup circuit of the game control board 200B to the game control board 200B and the payout control board 330B.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modified PFC circuit 44.
The PFC circuit 44 of the power supply board 40A is provided with a boost circuit 45. On the other hand, the PFC circuit 44 is not provided with an input detection circuit 46 (see FIG. 11) and an output detection circuit 47. In other words, the power supply board 40A is not provided with a power failure monitoring circuit. In this modification, a power failure monitoring circuit is provided in the game control board 200B. Therefore, whether or not the power supply of the pachinko game machine 100 has been cut off is detected from a change in voltage in the game control board 200B. In addition, a power failure monitoring circuit may be provided in the payout control board 330B.

Next, the structures of the power supply board 40 and the power supply board case 60 in the power supply board unit 4 will be described.
FIG. 15 is an overall perspective view of the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment.

15, the power supply board unit 4 has a power supply board 40 and a power supply board case 60 that houses the power supply board 40 by covering at least a portion of the power supply board 40. The power supply board 40 and the power supply board case 60 are fixed to each other by a fixing portion (not shown).
The power supply board unit 4 is installed in the pachinko game machine 100 so that the board surface 400L (see FIG. 16 described later) of the board 400 constituting the power supply board 40 is aligned with the board surface of the game board 110 (see FIG. 1). The power supply board case 60 is formed in a box shape. The power supply board case 60 is provided on the front side of the power supply board 40 and covers various electronic components mounted on the power supply board 40.

Figure 16 is a top view of the power supply board 40 of this embodiment when viewed from the front.

16, the power supply board 40 of this embodiment has a rectangular board 400. The power supply board 40 has a rectangular shape whose left-right length is longer than its up-down length. The power supply board 40 has various components that constitute the AC circuit 41, the rectifier circuit 43, and the DC circuit 50 mounted on the board 400.
The power supply board 40 of this embodiment is installed so that the left-right direction of the power supply board 40 shown in Figure 16 follows the left-right direction of the pachinko gaming machine 100 (see Figure 2), and the up-down direction of the power supply board 40 shown in Figure 16 follows the up-down direction of the pachinko gaming machine 100 (see Figure 2).

The power supply board 40 has the above-mentioned shape and is installed in the above-mentioned orientation, so that the longitudinal direction of the power supply board 40 is aligned with the left-right direction. That is, the power supply board 40 is arranged so that the short side direction (short side direction) is aligned with the up-down direction. By arranging the short side direction of the power supply board 40 to be aligned with the up-down direction in this manner, the number of electronic components lined up in the up-down direction on the power supply board 40 is smaller than, for example, a case in which the power supply board 40 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is aligned with the up-down direction.
Here, the heat generated in a certain electronic component moves upward in the vertical direction due to natural convection in the heat transfer process. In this embodiment, the number of electronic components arranged in the vertical direction on the power supply board 40 is relatively small, thereby reducing the thermal influence between the electronic components.

16 , the AC circuit 41 is generally disposed in a region on the left side in the left-right direction of the power supply board 40. In particular, the AC connection connector 411, the power switch 412, the CR connection connector 416, and the FG connection connector 425 are disposed side by side in the up-down direction at the left end of the power supply board 40.
The rectifier circuit 43 is generally disposed in a left region in the left-right direction of the power supply board 40 , and is disposed to the right of the AC circuit 41 .
Furthermore, the DC circuit 50 is generally disposed in an area on the right side in the left-right direction of the power supply board 40. In particular, the first board connection connector 446, the second board connection connector 448, and the third board connection connector 449 are disposed side by side in the left-right direction on the right side in the left-right direction of the power supply board 40 and on the lower end in the up-down direction.

In the rectifier circuit 43 of this embodiment, the electronic components constituting the rectifier circuit 43 are packaged and formed into a rectangular shape. The rectifier circuit 43 is provided along a direction perpendicular to the plate surface 400L of the substrate 400 so as to stand steeply against the plate surface 400L. The rectifier circuit 43 is mounted so that the two faces having the largest areas face the left and right directions, respectively.
Furthermore, the rectifier circuit 43 is provided with a heat dissipation member 43hs. The heat dissipation member 43hs is made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. The heat dissipation member 43hs is provided along the rectifier circuit 43 so as to surround the rectifier circuit 43. The heat dissipation member 43hs absorbs heat generated by the rectifier circuit 43 and dissipates the heat to the outside of the rectifier circuit 43.

The rectifier circuit 43 and heat dissipation member 43hs of this embodiment are arranged to extend along the top-bottom direction of the power supply board 40, making it easier for heat generated in the power supply board 40 to escape to the top in the top-bottom direction. For example, if the rectifier circuit 43 and heat dissipation member 43hs were arranged to extend along the left-right direction on the power supply board 40, there would be a high possibility that heat would accumulate below the rectifier circuit 43 and heat dissipation member 43hs. In contrast, the power supply board 40 of this embodiment suppresses heat accumulation due to the rectifier circuit 43 and heat dissipation member 43hs.

The circuit control unit 454 of this embodiment is packaged and formed in a rectangular shape, similar to the rectifier circuit 43. The circuit control unit 454 is installed in the same manner as the rectifier circuit 43. Furthermore, the circuit control unit 454 is provided with a heat dissipation member 454hs, similar to the rectifier circuit 43.

Furthermore, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, electronic components that generate a larger amount of heat compared to other electronic components are arranged away from the power switch 412. That is, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the other electronic components are interposed between the electronic components that generate a relatively large amount of heat and the power switch 412. In this case, it is preferable that the height of the other electronic components is higher than the power switch 412 when the plate surface 400L of the board 400 is used as the reference.
In the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the electronic component that generates the largest amount of heat is the circuit control unit 454 in the PFC circuit 44. Therefore, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the input side capacitor 421, the rectification side capacitor 435, and the choke coil 428 are arranged between the circuit control unit 454 and the power switch 412.

In addition, the circuit control unit 454 of this embodiment is provided with a heat dissipation member 454hs. Therefore, it can be considered that other electronic components are interposed between the heat dissipation member 454hs and the power switch 412 on the power supply board 40. Even in this case, it is preferable that the height of the other electronic components is higher than the power switch 412 when the board surface 400L is used as the reference.

In addition, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, a heat dissipation member is provided between the capacitor and the coil. When a current flows through the capacitor or coil, heat is generated due to internal resistance components. Therefore, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, a heat dissipation member is disposed between the capacitor and the coil, so that the heat generated in the capacitor or coil is absorbed by the heat dissipation member. In the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, for example, a heat dissipation member 43hs is disposed between the rectification side capacitor 435 and the choke coil 428.

In addition, some of the multiple electronic components provided on the power supply board 40 of this embodiment have front component information 400j. The front component information 400j is provided on the surface of the electronic component that faces the front, and indicates information related to the electronic component, such as the model number and specifications. The front component information 400j is most easily visible when the power supply board 40 is viewed from the front. In addition, the front component information 400j of this embodiment is composed of white characters (hereinafter, including numbers and symbols).

As shown in FIG. 16, the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 of this embodiment each have front component information 400j (e.g., "KLM 10000μF 50V") on their front-facing surfaces. The capacitor 4823 of this embodiment also has front component information 400j (e.g., "680μF 25V") on their front-facing surfaces. The input capacitor 421 of this embodiment also has front component information 400j (e.g., "HT DDT29") on their front-facing surfaces.

Furthermore, the size of the characters in the front component information 400j for each electronic component increases in the order of the first smoothing capacitor 442 (or the second smoothing capacitor 443), the capacitor 4823, and the input side capacitor 421. Note that in this embodiment, the size of the characters in the front component information 400j is set according to the height of the electronic component from the board surface 400L. The relationship between the size of the characters and the height of the electronic component will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 16, the power supply board 40 has manufacturer name information 400m indicating the name of the manufacturer that manufactured the pachinko gaming machine 100, and board identification information 400i that can identify the power supply board 40. In this embodiment, the manufacturer name information 400m and board identification information 400i are formed by forming the front conductive layer 4002, which will be described later, into a shape that corresponds to the characters of the manufacturer name information 400m and board identification information 400i. In other words, the manufacturer name information 400m and board identification information 400i are formed in the front conductive layer 4002 in the same way as the wiring pattern.

The manufacturer name information 400m may be a name of the manufacturer, a registered trademark that can identify the manufacturer, etc. In the example shown in Fig. 16, the manufacturer name information 400m corresponds to "Aiu Co., Ltd.", which is the manufacturer of the pachinko gaming machine 100, and is composed of the characters "Aiu."
The board identification information 400i is provided for managing the power supply board 40, and is information for distinguishing the power supply board 40 from other boards such as other power supply boards of different types and game control boards. The board identification information 400i is composed of characters. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the board identification information 400i is composed of the characters "EFG0123".

The manufacturer name information 400m and the board identification information 400i are provided on the outer periphery of the board 400. In other words, the manufacturer name information 400m and the board identification information 400i are provided on the edge of the board 400. Therefore, on the power supply board 40, no electronic components are placed outside the manufacturer name information 400m and the board identification information 400i (on the edge of the board 400).

Figure 17 is a rear view of the power supply board 40 of this embodiment when viewed from the rear.

As shown in FIG. 17, the power supply board 40 has rear manufacturer name information 400m2 and rear board identification information 400i2 on the rear side of the board 400. In this embodiment, the rear manufacturer name information 400m2 and rear board identification information 400i2 are formed by forming the rear conductive layer 4004, which will be described later, into a shape that corresponds to the characters of the rear manufacturer name information 400m2 and rear board identification information 400i2. In other words, the rear manufacturer name information 400m2 and rear board identification information 400i2 are formed in the rear conductive layer 4004 in the same way as the wiring pattern.

The rear manufacturer name information 400m2 and the rear board identification information 400i2 are provided on the outer periphery of the power supply board 40, similar to the manufacturer name information 400m and the board identification information 400i on the front side of the board 400.
However, the rear manufacturer name information 400m2 and the rear board identification information 400i2 are arranged at a different position from the front manufacturer name information 400m and board identification information 400i in the front-to-rear direction (i.e., thickness direction) of the board 400. In other words, the rear manufacturer name information 400m2 and the rear board identification information 400i2 and the front manufacturer name information 400m and board identification information 400i are provided at different positions in the left-right and up-down directions.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17, the power supply board 40 of this embodiment has a board identification information sticker 400s on the back side of the board 400. The board identification information sticker 400s is made of paper or film-like plastic with an adhesive applied. The board identification information sticker 400s is provided for the purpose of managing the power supply board 40, and is information for distinguishing it from other boards such as the game control board 204. The board identification information sticker 400s includes characters. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the board identification information sticker 400s has the characters "0123CBA". The board identification information sticker 400s has a base part that is white, which is different from the color of the board surface 400L, and the character part is black.

Next, the height of the electronic components mounted on the power supply board 40 will be described in detail.
FIG. 18 is a side view of the power supply board 40 of this embodiment when viewed from above.
In addition, in FIG. 18, the position of a main surface portion 61 (described later) of a power supply board case 60 is also shown.

As shown in FIG. 18, the power supply board 40 has a plurality of electronic components on the board surface 400L side. Note that the power supply board 40 of this embodiment uses so-called DIP (Dual-in-line package) components in which a portion of the electronic components, such as leads, is inserted into the board 400 and mounted. Note that the power supply board 40 of this embodiment does not have so-called SMD (Surface Mount Device) components in which a portion of the electronic components is not inserted into the board 400 and the electronic components are electrically connected to the board surface 400L of the board 400.

In addition, some of the electronic components provided on the power supply board 40 of this embodiment have side component information 400f. The side component information 400f is provided on the side of the electronic component that faces the left or right, and indicates information related to the electronic component, such as the model number and specifications. The side component information 400f is most easily visible when the power supply board 40 is viewed from the left or right side.

18, in the power supply board 40, the height relationships between the electronic components when the board surface 400L is used as the reference are as follows. First, the first smoothing capacitor 442 and the second smoothing capacitor 443 are components with the same structure and approximately the same height. The height H1 of the first smoothing capacitor 442 is higher than the height H2 of the capacitor 4823. In other words, the height H1 of the second smoothing capacitor 443 is higher than the height H2 of the capacitor 4823.
Furthermore, the height H3 of the inductor 451 (coil) is greater than the height H1 of the first smoothing capacitor 442 (or the second smoothing capacitor 443).

Furthermore, the height H4 of the heat dissipation member 43hs is greater than the height H1 of the first smoothing capacitor 442 (or the second smoothing capacitor 443). However, the height H4 of the heat dissipation member 43hs is less than the height H5 of the heat dissipation member 454hs.
Moreover, the height H5 of the heat dissipation member 454hs is higher than the height H3 of the inductor 451 (coil). In the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the height H5 of the heat dissipation member 454hs is the highest among the electronic components provided on the power supply board 40. In addition, the height H4 of the heat dissipation member 43hs is lower than the height H5 of the heat dissipation member 454hs, but is higher than the other electronic components. In this way, by making the heights of the heat dissipation member 43hs and the heat dissipation member 454hs higher than the other electronic components, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, when heat is released from the heat dissipation member 43hs and the heat dissipation member 454hs, respectively, the transfer of the released heat is less likely to be hindered by the other electronic components.

In addition, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the height of the capacitor provided in the DC circuit 50 (see FIG. 16) is higher than the capacitor provided in the AC circuit 41 (see FIG. 16).

As shown in FIG. 18, in the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment, the plate surface 400L of the board 400 and the main surface 61 of the power supply board case 60 are arranged approximately parallel to each other. Therefore, the distance between the electronic components arranged on the power supply board 40 and the main surface 61 becomes shorter depending on the height of the electronic components described above. For example, the highest heat dissipation member 454hs on the power supply board 40 of this embodiment has the shortest distance from the main surface 61. The relationship between the height of the electronic components based on the plate surface 400L and the distance between the electronic components and the main surface 61 is similar for other electronic components.

When there is one electronic component of a certain height and another electronic component that is taller than the first electronic component, the size of the characters in the front component information 400j (see FIG. 16) provided for the first electronic component is larger than the size of the characters in the front component information 400j provided for the other electronic component. For example, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, as described above, the height of the capacitor 4823 is lower than the first smoothing capacitor 442. Therefore, the size of the characters in the front component information 400j for the capacitor 4823 is larger than the size of the characters in the front component information 400j for the first smoothing capacitor 442.

Here, when the power supply board 40 is viewed from the front, the shorter electronic components are located farther away than the taller electronic components. If the character size of the front component information 400j provided for the shorter electronic components were made the same as or smaller than the character size of the front component information 400j provided for the taller electronic components, the front component information 400j of the shorter electronic components, which are located further away, would be difficult to see. Therefore, in this embodiment, the character size of the front component information 400j for the shorter electronic components is made larger than that of the taller electronic components, making them easier to see.

Also, as shown in FIG. 16, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the size of the characters for the front manufacturer name information 400m or board identification information 400i is larger than the size of the characters for the front component information 400j provided in front of the electronic components. When the power supply board 40 is viewed from the front, the manufacturer name information 400m or board identification information 400i is located farther away than the front component information 400j provided in front of the electronic components. Therefore, by making the size of the characters for the front manufacturer name information 400m or board identification information 400i larger than the front component information 400j of the electronic components, the manufacturer name information 400m or board identification information 400i is made easier to recognize.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a substrate 400 of this embodiment.
For the sake of explanation, FIG. 19 also shows a resistor 40R as an example of an electronic component.

As shown in FIG. 19, the power supply board 40 has a board 400 on which various electronic components are mounted. The board 400 is mounted with a number of electronic components that constitute the AC circuit 41, the rectifier circuit 43, and the DC circuit 50 (see FIG. 16) described above.

The substrate 400 of this embodiment includes a plate-shaped base material 4001 having insulating properties and made of, for example, glass epoxy resin, a front conductive layer 4002 provided on the front side of the base material 4001, having electrical conductivity and on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a front resist layer 4003 having insulating properties and covering the front side of the base material 4001 and the front conductive layer 4002. The substrate 400 further includes a rear conductive layer 4004 provided on the rear side of the base material 4001, having electrical conductivity and on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a rear resist layer 4005 having insulating properties and covering the rear side of the base material 4001 and the rear conductive layer 4004.
In this embodiment, the plate surface 400L can be exemplified by the front surface of the front resist layer 4003.

The substrate 400 of this embodiment has through holes 400H corresponding to the positions where electronic components are mounted. The electronic components mounted on the substrate 400 have leads that are electrically connected to the substrate 400 and that pass through the through holes 400H. For example, the resistor 40R shown in FIG. 19 is provided such that the leads 40L pass through the substrate 400. The leads 40L of the resistor 40R are electrically connected to the front conductive layer 4002 or the rear conductive layer 4004 by solder Hd.

Next, the positional relationship in the front-rear direction of the information display on the power supply board 40 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 19, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, various types of information are arranged in the fore-and-aft direction (i.e., the thickness direction of the board 400) from front to rear in the following order: component mounting information 400g, front manufacturer name information 400m or board identification information 400i, rear manufacturer name information 400m2 or rear board identification information 400i2, and board identification information sticker 400s.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of component mounting information 400g provided on the board 400 of this embodiment.
FIG. 20A shows the power supply board 40 before electronic components are mounted thereon, and FIG. 20B shows the power supply board 40 after electronic components are mounted thereon.

As shown in FIG. 20, the board 400 of this embodiment has component mounting information 400g that indicates information related to the mounting of electronic components. The component mounting information 400g is provided according to the position where the electronic components are to be mounted. Furthermore, the component mounting information 400g of this embodiment is composed of white characters. The component mounting information 400g of this embodiment is formed by printing on the board surface 400L (on the front resist layer 4003 (see FIG. 19)) of the board 400.

The component mounting information 400g of this embodiment has different contents depending on the type of electronic component.
As shown in FIG. 20(A), for example, at a location where a surge absorbing element 40S (see FIG. 20(B)) is provided, text information s1 "SA1" indicating the surge absorbing element 40S and a circuit diagram symbol s2 indicating the surge absorbing element 40S are displayed as component mounting information 400g.
Furthermore, at the location where resistor 40R (see FIG. 20B) is provided, text information r1 "R4" indicating resistor 40R and a circuit diagram symbol r2 indicating resistor 40R are displayed as component mounting information 400g.
Furthermore, at a location where an IC package 40P (see FIG. 20B), which is a packaged component such as a PFC circuit, is provided, text information p1, “IC3”, indicating the IC package 40P, and a rectangular frame p2, indicating the mounting position of the IC package 40P, are displayed as component mounting information 400g.

Furthermore, at the location where the connector 40N (see FIG. 20B) is provided, text information n1 indicating the connector 40N, and a frame n2 indicating the mounting position of the connector 40N are displayed as the component mounting information 400g. The frame n2 has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the connector 40N, and indicates the up-down and left-right orientations of the connector 40N.
Furthermore, at the location where capacitor 40C (see FIG. 20B) is provided, text information c1 of "C7" and "C8" indicating capacitor 40C and a circular frame c2 indicating the mounting position of capacitor 40C are displayed as component mounting information 400g. Inside frame c2, a colored (white in this embodiment) filled area c21 indicating the negative pole of the capacitor and an unfilled area c22 indicating the positive pole of the capacitor are provided. Furthermore, outside frame c2, a "+" symbol c3 indicating the positive pole of the capacitor is provided.

Then, as shown in FIG. 20B, each electronic component is mounted on the corresponding portion of the substrate 400 .
For example, when the surge absorbing element 40S is mounted on the board 400, the circuit diagram symbol s2 (see FIG. 20A) is at least partially hidden by the surge absorbing element 40S when viewed from the vertical direction of the board surface 400L, making it invisible or difficult to see. On the other hand, the text information s1 is visible or easily visible even when the surge absorbing element 40S is mounted on the board 400.
Furthermore, when the resistor 40R is mounted on the board 400, the circuit diagram symbol r2 (see FIG. 20A) is at least partially hidden by the resistor 40R when viewed from the perpendicular direction of the board surface 400L, making it invisible or difficult to see. On the other hand, the text information r1 is visible or easily visible even when the resistor 40R is mounted on the board 400.

Furthermore, when IC package 40P is mounted on substrate 400, text information p1 and frame p2 are each visible or easily visible when viewed from the perpendicular direction of board surface 400L.
Furthermore, when the connector 40N is mounted on the board 400, the text information n1 and the frame n2 are each visible or easily visible when viewed from the perpendicular direction of the board surface 400L.

When the capacitor 40C is mounted on the substrate 400, the text information c1, the frame c2, and the symbol c3 are each visible or easily visible when viewed from the vertical direction of the board surface 400L. On the other hand, the filled area c21 and the non-filled area c22 are at least partially hidden by the capacitor 40C when viewed from the vertical direction of the board surface 400L, making them invisible or difficult to see.

In this embodiment, when multiple components are arranged relatively densely, the component mounting information 400g is arranged outside the group formed by the multiple electronic components, rather than in the area between the multiple electronic components. For example, as shown in FIG. 20(B), when multiple capacitors 40C are arranged next to each other, text information c1 is provided outside the group of multiple capacitors 40C. This ensures that in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, when multiple electronic components are mounted on the board 400, at least the text information c1 of the component mounting information 400g is not hidden between the electronic components and becomes difficult to see.

Furthermore, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the top and bottom of the characters as text information (s1, r1, p1, n1, c1) provided on the board 400 correspond to the top and bottom of the pachinko gaming machine 100. In other words, the top of the characters as text information is the top of the pachinko gaming machine 100, and the bottom of the characters is the bottom of the pachinko gaming machine 100. Note that in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, text information in which the top of the characters is the bottom of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is not provided on the board 400. Also, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the multiple pieces of text information have the same character size and font.

In this way, by aligning the orientation of the characters as the text information provided on the board 400, it is made difficult for an operator to mistake the orientation of the power supply board unit 4 when installing the power supply board unit 4 in the pachinko gaming machine 100. In other words, by installing the power supply board unit 4 so that the top and bottom of the characters as the text information (s1, r1, p1, n1, c1) provided on the board 400 correspond to the top and bottom directions of the pachinko gaming machine 100, it is made difficult for an operator to mistake the installation direction of the power supply board unit 4.

When forming text information on the board 400, it may be necessary to arrange the characters in the text information so that the top and bottom of the characters are aligned with the left and right direction of the pachinko gaming machine 100 due to the arrangement of electronic components on the board 400. In such cases, by making the number of pieces of text information in which the top and bottom of the characters correspond to the top and bottom directions greater than the number of pieces of text information in which the top and bottom of the characters are aligned with the left and right direction, it is possible to make it less likely that the worker will install the power supply board unit 4 in the wrong direction.

As described above, in this embodiment, the power supply board 40 has a plurality of identification marks for information provided at different positions in the thickness direction of the power supply board 40 .
When a malfunction occurs in the power supply board 40, it may be necessary to check the power supply board 40 and identify the location of the malfunction. In this case, if multiple identification marks are provided at different positions in the thickness direction of the power supply board 40, it is easier to distinguish between the identification marks than if multiple identification marks were provided at the same position in the thickness direction. Therefore, the earlier the source of the malfunction can be identified, the earlier the identified malfunction can be dealt with, and the more likely the malfunction will be prevented from progressing.

Next, the power supply board case 60 will be described in detail.
The power supply board case 60 of this embodiment can be made of a resin material such as polycarbonate. The power supply board case 60 is configured to be translucent, allowing at least visible light to pass through. Therefore, the power supply board case 60 is configured so that various electronic components of the power supply board 40 provided inside the power supply board case 60 can be visually confirmed from the outside of the power supply board case 60.

15, the power supply board case 60 has a main surface portion 61 that is provided on the front side in the front-rear direction and is provided approximately parallel to the plate surface 400L of the board 400. The power supply board case 60 also has an upper wall surface portion 62 that is provided on the upper side in the vertical direction and is provided approximately perpendicular to the plate surface 400L of the board 400, and a lower wall surface portion 63 that is provided on the lower side in the vertical direction and is provided approximately perpendicular to the plate surface 400L of the board 400. The power supply board case 60 also has a left wall surface portion 64 that is provided on the left side in the horizontal direction and is provided approximately perpendicular to the plate surface 400L of the board 400, and a right wall surface portion 65 that is provided on the right side in the horizontal direction and is provided approximately perpendicular to the plate surface 400L of the board 400. The power supply board case 60 also has an operation surface portion 66 on the left side of the left wall surface portion 64.

The power supply board case 60 covers various electronic components provided on the power supply board 40 with the main surface portion 61, upper wall surface portion 62, lower wall surface portion 63, left side wall surface portion 64, and right side wall surface portion 65. However, the power supply board case 60 does not cover the first board connection connector 446, the second board connection connector 448, and the third board connection connector 449, or parts of the board surface 400L of the board 400 around these connectors. In addition, the operation surface portion 66 covers these electronic components while leaving parts of the front sides of the AC connection connector 411, the power switch 412, the CR connection connector 416, and the FG connection connector 425 exposed.

The main surface portion 61 is formed in a flat shape. In the power supply board case 60 of the present embodiment, the main surface portion 61 has an area larger than any of the components constituting the power supply board case 60, that is, the upper wall surface portion 62, the lower wall surface portion 63, the left side wall surface portion 64, the right side wall surface portion 65, and the operation surface portion 66.
The main surface portion 61 has an attachment portion 61S for attaching a case seal 600, which will be described later, and identification information 60i for managing the power supply board case 60. The case seal 600, the attachment portion 61S, and the identification information 60i will be described in detail later.

In addition, the main surface portion 61 of this embodiment does not have any through holes, except for the ventilation holes 60H, which are provided on the upper wall portion 62 and the lower wall portion 63 and extend to the main surface portion 61, as described below. For example, in the pachinko gaming machine 100 of this embodiment, other units may be provided on the front side of the power supply board unit 4 (i.e., on the main surface portion 61 side) so as to be stacked on the power supply board unit 4. In this case, there is a possibility that heat generated in the other units will be transferred to the power supply board unit 4 from the front-rear direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to make it difficult for heat generated in the other units to be transferred to the power supply board unit 4 from the front-rear direction of the power supply board unit 4, no through holes are provided in the main surface portion 61.

However, the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment is not limited to having no through holes in the main surface portion 61 .
When a through hole is provided in the main surface portion 61, the through hole in the main surface portion 61 may have a shape different from that of the ventilation hole 60H, for example. Moreover, the through hole in the main surface portion 61 is made smaller in opening area than the ventilation hole 60H. Moreover, the total opening area of the multiple through holes provided in the main surface portion 61 is made smaller than the total opening area of the multiple ventilation holes 60H.

Furthermore, the power supply board case 60 may have, for example, a plate-shaped bottom surface portion on the rear side of the power supply board 40. The bottom surface portion is provided so as to face the main surface portion 61 with the power supply board 40 sandwiched therebetween. In this way, when a bottom surface portion is provided, the power supply board case 60 can cover the power supply board 40 from all directions, including the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction.
In this case, the bottom surface portion can be made of the same resin material as the main surface portion 61, the upper wall surface portion 62, the lower wall surface portion 63, the left side wall surface portion 64, and the right side wall surface portion 65. Alternatively, the bottom surface portion can be made of a material different from that of the main surface portion 61, the upper wall surface portion 62, the lower wall surface portion 63, the left side wall surface portion 64, and the right side wall surface portion 65, using a metal material or the like.

Furthermore, when the power supply board case 60 has a bottom surface, no through holes are provided in the bottom surface. This makes it possible to make it difficult for heat generated in other units to be transmitted to the power supply board unit 4 from the front and rear directions of the power supply board unit 4, for example.
However, the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment is not limited to not having a through hole in the bottom surface portion. When a through hole is formed in the bottom surface portion, the through hole in the bottom surface portion can be, for example, formed in a shape different from that of the ventilation hole 60H. Furthermore, the through hole in the bottom surface portion is made smaller in opening area than the ventilation hole 60H. Furthermore, the total opening area of the multiple through holes provided in the bottom surface portion is made smaller than the total opening area of the multiple ventilation holes 60H.

Furthermore, the upper wall portion 62 or the lower wall portion 63 may be provided with a connection point for connecting to the bottom portion. In this case, the connection point and the ventilation hole 60H are arranged side by side along the vertical direction of the power supply board case 60. For example, when the connection point is structured to engage the upper wall portion 62 or the lower wall portion 63 with the bottom portion, arranging the connection point and the ventilation hole 60H side by side makes the connection point relatively easy to deform, facilitating the work of engaging them.

FIG. 21 is a side view of the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment as viewed from above.
21A shows a side view of the entire power supply board unit 4, and FIG. 21B shows an enlarged view of a ventilation hole 60H, which will be described later.
FIG. 22 is a side view of the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment as viewed from the right side.
FIG. 23 is a side view of the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment as viewed from the left side.

21A, the upper wall portion 62 has a plurality of ventilation holes 60H. Each ventilation hole 60H is formed penetrating the upper wall portion 62 in the up-down direction. Each ventilation hole 60H is formed to extend long in the front-rear direction. The plurality of ventilation holes 60H are formed lined up in the left-right direction.
21B, the opening width of the ventilation hole 60H in the left-right direction varies in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the opening width W1 of the ventilation hole 60H is larger than the opening width W2 of the rear side. In other words, the opening width of the ventilation hole 60H is formed to become smaller from the front side to the rear side in the front-rear direction.

In addition, the opening width in the left-right direction of the ventilation hole 60H in this embodiment (for example, the widest portion) is smaller than the left-right width of the heat dissipation member 43hs or the heat dissipation member 454hs. The heat dissipation member 43hs or the heat dissipation member 454hs is positioned in the left-right direction so as to face the ventilation hole 60H in the up-down direction.
Furthermore, the length of the ventilation hole 60H in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the capacitor 4823 in the front-rear direction and shorter than the length of the first smoothing capacitor 442 (or the second smoothing capacitor 443) in the front-rear direction. In addition, the front end of the ventilation hole 60H is located forward of the heat dissipation member 454hs in the front-rear direction when the plate surface 400L is used as the reference.

The opening width of the ventilation hole 60H is smaller than the outer diameter (diameter) of the game balls used in playing the pachinko game machine 100. This allows the power supply board case 60 to prevent game balls from entering the power supply board case 60. This is not limited to the ventilation hole 60H, but is the same for the various openings provided in the power supply board case 60.

21A, the front end of the ventilation hole 60H is provided at the front end of the upper wall surface portion 62. The rear end of the ventilation hole 60H is provided at the center of the upper wall surface portion 62. That is, the ventilation hole 60H is formed from the front end to the middle toward the rear end in the front-rear direction of the upper wall surface portion 62. The upper wall surface portion 62 is formed with a ventilation hole region 62R1 in which the ventilation hole 60H is provided and a non-ventilation hole region 62R2 in which the ventilation hole 60H is not provided. As described above, the ventilation hole region 62R1 is provided at the front side in the front-rear direction of the upper wall surface portion 62, and the non-ventilation hole region 62R2 is provided at the rear side in the front-rear direction. In the upper wall surface portion 62 of this embodiment, the width of the region occupied by the ventilation hole region 62R1 in the front-rear direction is larger than the width of the region occupied by the non-ventilation hole region 62R2 in the front-rear direction.

The ventilation hole region 62R1 forms a path through which heat generated from the power supply board 40 inside the power supply board case 60 is discharged to the outside of the power supply board case 60.
When the power supply board unit 4 is viewed from above in the up-down direction, the non-ventilation hole region 62R2 is formed at a position facing the plate surface 400L of the board 400. Furthermore, the non-ventilation hole region 62R2 of this embodiment faces the gap Ws between the electronic component and the plate surface 400L. This prevents foreign matter such as dust from entering the gap Ws between the electronic component and the plate surface 400L, and prevents foreign matter from contacting an electrical connection point between the electronic component and the board 400 (e.g., the lead 40L of the capacitor 40C).

As shown in FIG. 15, the lower wall surface portion 63 has multiple ventilation holes 60H, similar to the upper wall surface portion 62. The ventilation holes 60H provided in the lower wall surface portion 63 and the ventilation holes 60H provided in the upper wall surface portion 62 are misaligned in the left-right direction.

22, the upper wall portion 62 is inclined at an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction HL. In this embodiment, the upper wall portion 62 is inclined downward from the rear to the front in the front-to-rear direction. The inclination of the upper wall portion 62 prevents foreign objects such as game balls or dust from stagnating or accumulating on the upper wall portion 62.
Similarly, the lower wall surface portion 63 of this embodiment is inclined at an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction HL.

Next, the left side wall portion 64 of the power supply board case 60 will be described.
23 , the left side wall portion 64 of this embodiment does not have a through hole. As described above, the temperature of the power supply board 40 rises due to heat generation by electronic components. In the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment, a through hole is not provided in the left side wall portion 64 adjacent to the power switch 412, so that the operator is less likely to feel heat when operating the power switch 412.

However, this is not limited to providing no through-hole in the left wall surface portion 64. For example, when providing a through-hole in the left wall surface portion 64, a through-hole may be provided in at least a portion facing the off portion of the power switch 412 (for example, the "circle" shown in FIG. 16), but a through-hole may be provided in other portions. In the power supply board unit 4, when the power switch 412 is turned on, the power is not turned on until that point, so the temperature of the power supply board 40 is low. On the other hand, when the power switch 412 is turned off, the power is already turned on, so the temperature of the power supply board 40 is high due to heat generation by the power supply board 40. Therefore, when forming a through-hole in the left wall surface portion 64, a through-hole may be provided in other portions of the left wall surface portion 64, but a through-hole may not be provided in at least a portion adjacent to the off portion of the power switch 412 (for example, the "circle" shown in FIG. 16).
In the power switch 412 of this embodiment, the ON state (for example, the "-" in FIG. 16) is located on the upper side of the power supply board unit 4 where the temperature is relatively high, and the OFF state (for example, the "o" in FIG. 16) is located on the lower side where the temperature is relatively low.

Next, the right side wall portion 65 of the power supply board case 60 will be described.
The right side wall surface portion 65 of this embodiment does not have a through hole. As described with reference to FIG. 18, for example, the second smoothing capacitor 443 of this embodiment is provided at a position lower in height than the front side component information 400j (see FIG. 16) and has side component information 400f facing the left and right direction. This side component information 400f is information that is most easily recognized when viewed from the left and right direction of the power supply board unit 4. Here, for example, the upper wall surface portion 62 and the lower wall surface portion 63 are provided with ventilation holes 60H. Since the ventilation holes 60H form unevenness in the upper wall surface portion 62, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the side component information 400f of the second smoothing capacitor 443 provided on the inside from the outside of the power supply board case 60. Therefore, the right side wall surface portion 65 of this embodiment does not have the ventilation holes 60H, making it easy to visually recognize the electronic components provided on the inside of the power supply board case 60 from the outside.

However, this is not limited to not providing a through hole in the right side wall portion 65. For example, when providing a through hole in the right side wall portion 65, a through hole may be provided in another location that does not face the electronic component on which the side surface component information 400f is provided, without providing a through hole in a location that faces the electronic component on which the side surface component information 400f is provided.

Next, the operation surface portion 66 of the power supply board case 60 will be described.
23, the operation surface portion 66 has an opening on the inside through which electronic components are provided, and the periphery of the opening is formed in a planar shape. Note that the surface portion around the opening is approximately parallel to the plate surface 400L.
The operation surface portion 66 has a first operation surface portion 661 provided for the AC connection connector 411 and the CR connection connector 416, a second operation surface portion 662 provided for the FG connection connector 425, and a third operation surface portion 663 provided for the power switch 412.

The heights of the first operation surface portion 661 and the second operation surface portion 662 relative to the plate surface 400L of the board 400 are both height H11 and are approximately the same. The height H12 of the third operation surface portion 663 relative to the plate surface 400L of the board 400 is higher than the height H11 of the first operation surface portion 661 and the second operation surface portion 662. The height H13 of the main surface portion 61 is higher than the height H12 of the third operation surface portion 663. In other words, the heights of the surfaces of the power supply board case 60 increase in the order of the height H11 of the first operation surface portion 661 and the second operation surface portion 662, the height H12 of the third operation surface portion 663, and the height H13 of the main surface portion 61.

The relationship between the operation surface portion 66 and each electronic component is as follows.
Here, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the heights are increased in the order of height H6 of the CR connector 416, height H7 of the FG connector 425, height H8 of the AC connector 411, and height H9 of the power switch 412. In contrast, the height H11 of the first operation surface portion 661 is lower than the height H6 of the CR connector 416 and the height H8 of the AC connector 411. Also, the height H11 of the second operation surface portion 662 is lower than the height H7 of the FG connector 425. Also, the height H12 of the third operation surface portion 663 is lower than the height H9 of the power switch 412. Note that the height H12 of the third operation surface portion 663 is higher than the height H8 of the AC connector 411, which is the highest of the connectors.

Next, the case seal 600 and the identification information 60i will be described in detail.
FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram of a power supply board case 60 of this embodiment.

24A, the case seal 600 of this embodiment is provided near the power switch 412. The case seal 600 conveys information about the power supply board unit 4, such as warnings regarding handling of the power supply board unit 4 and management information.
In the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment, it is the power switch 412 that is operated by the operator. The power switch 412 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction and on the left end in the horizontal direction. The case seal 600 is disposed on the main surface portion 61 on the power switch 412 side in the vertical direction and on the left end in the horizontal direction. This makes it easier for the operator to check the contents of the case seal 600 disposed nearby when operating the power switch 412.

The mounting portion 61S to which the case seal 600 is affixed is formed to be slightly larger than the case seal 600. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 24(B), the mounting portion 61S is formed to be recessed toward the rear side in the front-to-rear direction on the main surface portion 61. The case seal 600 affixed to the mounting portion 61S is designed not to protrude forward beyond the main surface portion 61. This makes it difficult for the case seal 600 to peel off when, for example, an operator touches the vicinity of the case seal 600 when handling the power supply board unit 4.

As shown in FIG. 24C , case sticker 600 is configured to include information display portion 610 that conveys information such as characters, and base portion 620 that serves as the base for case sticker 600 .
The information display section 610 of this embodiment is printed in black. Here, the above-mentioned front side component information 400j (see FIG. 16) is composed of white characters. Therefore, in the power supply board unit 4 of this embodiment, the color of the characters and lines (frames) on the case seal 600 is made different from the color of the characters on the board 400 and the electronic components mounted on the board 400, making it easier to see each piece of information.

In addition, the size and font of the characters on the information display unit 610 of this embodiment may be different from the size and font of the characters on the board 400 or the electronic components mounted on the board 400. Even in this case, the character information on the information display unit 610 and the character information on the power supply board 40 can be easily viewed.

The information display section 610 has management information 611 for managing the power supply board unit 4, a warning mark 612 that graphically alerts the user, and warning text 613 that textually alerts the user. The information display section 610 also has a first warning statement 614, a second warning statement 615, and a third warning statement 616 that specifically indicate the contents of the warning to the user. The first warning statement 614 indicates a warning regarding the handling of the power supply board case 60, for example, "Do not open the case." The second warning statement 615 indicates a warning regarding the temperature of the power supply board 40, for example, "Be careful of high temperatures." The third warning statement 616 indicates a warning regarding the environment of the power supply board case 60, for example, "Do not block the ventilation holes."

In addition, the information display section 610 has specification information 617 related to the specifications of the power supply board 40, and maintenance information 618 related to the maintenance of the power supply board 40. In this embodiment, the specification information 617 indicates the input voltage to the power supply board unit 4. Furthermore, the maintenance information 618 indicates the current value related to the fuse.

In addition, the base portion 620 of this embodiment is configured to be able to transmit at least visible light, so that the power supply board 40 arranged behind the case seal 600 can be seen through the case seal 600 even in a location where the case seal 600 is provided.
It should be noted that the base portion 620 is not limited to being transparent. For example, the base portion 620 may be the same color as the characters provided on the substrate 400. For example, the text information s1 (see FIG. 20) on the substrate 400 in this embodiment is white. In this case, the base portion 620 can be white.

In addition, in this embodiment, the case seal 600 is provided at a location that does not face the tallest electronic component in the front-to-back direction on the power supply board 40. For example, in this embodiment, the heat dissipation member 454hs is the tallest electronic component (see FIG. 18). Therefore, the case seal 600 is not provided at the center where the heat dissipation member 454hs is provided, but is provided at an end of the main surface portion 61 that is off the center. If the electronic component is provided close to the case seal 600 in the front-to-back direction, it is highly likely that the information display portion 610 of the case seal 600 will be difficult to see. Therefore, in this embodiment, the case seal 600 is provided at a location different from the location facing the tallest heat dissipation member 454hs.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the density of the electronic components arranged in the power supply board 40 at a location facing the case seal 600 in the front-rear direction (hereinafter, the seal facing area) is lower than the density of the electronic components arranged in the power supply board 40 at a location not facing the case seal 600 (hereinafter, the non-seal facing area). Here, if the density of the electronic components arranged in the seal facing area is high, it is highly likely that the information display section 610 of the case seal 600 will be difficult to recognize. Therefore, in the power supply board 40 of this embodiment, the density of the electronic components in the seal facing area is relatively low, making it easier to recognize the information display section 610.

The density of the multiple characters (e.g., text information s1 (see FIG. 20)) provided in the seal facing area may be lower than the density of the multiple characters provided in the non-seal facing area. This makes the characters provided behind the information display section 610 of the case seal 600 less cluttered, making it easier to recognize the information display section 610 of the case seal 600.

Furthermore, the orientation of the multiple characters provided in the seal facing area may be made different from the orientation of the characters in the information display section 610 of the case seal 600. This makes it easier to distinguish between the information display section 610 of the case seal 600 and the characters provided on the substrate 400, making it easier to recognize the information display section 610 of the case seal 600.

24(A), identification information 60i is provided on the main surface portion 61. The identification information 60i is formed integrally when the main surface portion 61 is molded. Then, as shown in FIG. 24(B), the identification information 60i is formed on the rear surface of the main surface portion 61 in the front-to-rear direction. This makes it difficult for the identification information 60i to be affected, for example, even if an object comes into contact with the power supply board case 60 from outside.
The identification information 60i and the information display section 610 of the case seal 600 convey information in the same manner, but are located at different positions in the front-rear direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 24B, when the board surface 400L (see FIG. 18) of the board 400 is used as a reference, the distance L1 of the case seal 600 from the board surface 400L is longer than the distance L2 of the identification information 60i. That is, for an operator looking at the power supply board case 60 from the outside, the case seal 600 is closer than the identification information 60i. Here, in terms of conveying information such as a warning to the operator, the case seal 600 is more important than the identification information 60i. Therefore, in this embodiment, the case seal 600 is arranged so as to be closer than the identification information 60i.

Next, the structure of the power supply board 40A of the modified example shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 will be described.
FIG. 25 is a top view of a power supply board 40A of the modified example, as viewed from the front side.

As shown in FIG. 25, a power supply board 40A of the modified example differs from the power supply board 40 in that it does not have the input detection circuit 46, the output detection circuit 47, and the backup circuit 49.
Further, the power supply board 40A uses so-called SMD components in addition to so-called DIP components.

Furthermore, the power supply board 40A of the modified example does not have the manufacturer name information 400m that was provided on the power supply board 40 described above, and in this example, only the board identification information 400i is provided. As described above, the power supply board 40A has multiple SMD components. Since the SMD components are soldered on the board surface 400L, they occupy a relatively large area in the surface direction of the board surface 400L. As a result, there are restrictions on the space on the board 400 of the power supply board 40A for providing the manufacturer name information 400m. Therefore, the power supply board 40A of this embodiment is configured to provide only the board identification information 400i, without providing the manufacturer name information 400m.

(Game control board unit 2)
Next, the game control board unit 2 will be described.
FIG. 26 is a front view of the game control board unit 2.
In the gaming control board unit 2, a gaming machine control board case 200C and a gaming control board 200B are provided so as to overlap each other. The gaming control board case 200C is provided in front of the gaming control board 200B. An information display sticker 250 is attached to the gaming control board case 200C. The gaming control board case 200C is made of a material having optical transparency.

FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an information display sticker 250. As shown in FIG.
The information display sticker 250 displays information about the pachinko gaming machine 100. The information display sticker 250 is provided with a code portion 2501, an identifying display portion 2502, a writing area 2503, and a transparent portion 2504.
In the code section 2501, a black QR (Quick Response) code (registered trademark) is displayed on a white background. When the QR code displayed in the code section 2501 is read by a terminal device (not shown), information about the gaming control board 200B is displayed on a display screen (not shown) of the terminal device. Information about the gaming control board 200B, for example, includes information indicating the delivery destination of the gaming control board 200B. Information about the gaming control board 200B, for example, includes information indicating the management number of the gaming control board 200B.

In the identification display section 2502, information for identifying the gaming control board 200B is displayed. More specifically, the identification display section 2502 displays the management number of the gaming control board 200B in black on a white background. Therefore, the information display sticker 250 can also be considered as a management number sticker showing the management number of the gaming control board 200B. In the identification display section 2502, text is displayed side by side in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the text "XX001" is displayed in black as the management number of the gaming control board 200B. Furthermore, in the identification display section 2502, the vertical direction of the text is aligned with the vertical direction of the gaming control board 200B.

A white background is provided in the writing area 2503. In the writing area 2503, the name of the person who opened the game control board case 200C (the inspector who inspects the game control board unit 2), the date when the game control board case 200C was opened, etc. are written.
The transparent portion 2504 is a portion having light transmittance. Therefore, even when the game control board 200B is housed in the game control board case 200C, the inspector can check the game control board 200B through the transparent portion 2504 of the information display sticker 250.

FIG. 28 is a front view of the game control board 200B.
The game control board 200B is provided with a board body 200S. The above-mentioned RAM 203, RAM clear switch 228, setting key switch 229, and information display 230 are attached to this board body 200S. In addition, a plurality of electronic components are attached to the board body 200S. The game control board 200B of this embodiment is provided with an IC (Integrated Circuit) 251, a connector 252, a resistor 253, and a capacitor 254 as electronic components. All of these electronic components are DIP (Dual inline package) components inserted into the board body 200S.
In addition, the game control board 200B may be provided with further electronic components in addition to those described above.

The game control board 200B is provided with six ICs 251 in addition to the ROM 203. Each IC 251 is provided with a type display section 2511. The type display section 2511 displays text indicating the type of the IC 251 in white.
Here, in IC251 in which the model display section 2511 is "CD01", "EF01", or "EF02", the text of this model display section 2511 is displayed side by side in the left-right direction. Also, the up-down direction of this text is aligned with the up-down direction of the game control board 200B. On the other hand, in IC251 in which the model display section 2511 is "GH01", "GH02", or "IJ01", the text of this model display section 2511 is displayed side by side in the up-down direction. Also, the up-down direction of this text is aligned with the left-right direction of the game control board 200B.
In addition, the IC251 whose model display section 2511 is "IJ01" is located in an overlapping area RE of the game control board 200B that overlaps in the front-to-back direction with the area in which the information display sticker 250 is provided.

Further, on the board body 200S, identification display portions 2512 corresponding to the respective ICs 251 are displayed. On the identification display portions 2512, text for identifying the ICs 251 is displayed in white. Each identification display portion 2512 is provided in the vicinity of the corresponding IC 251.
Here, in IC251 whose identification display units 2512 are "IC2", "IC3", and "IC4", these identification display units 2512 are displayed side by side in the left-right direction. Also, the up-down direction of the text displayed in these identification display units 2512 is aligned with the up-down direction of the game control board 200B. On the other hand, in IC251 whose identification display units 2512 are "IC5", "IC6", and "IC7", these identification display units 2512 are displayed side by side in the up-down direction. Also, the up-down direction of the text displayed in these identification display units 2512 is aligned with the left-right direction of the game control board 200B.

The game control board 200B is provided with three connectors 252. The board body 200S is provided with identification display sections 2521 corresponding to each connector 252. The identification display sections 2521 display text in white to identify the connector 252. Each identification display section 2521 is provided near its corresponding connector 252. Each identification display section 2521 is displayed side by side in the left-right direction. The vertical direction of the text displayed in each identification display section 2521 is aligned with the vertical direction of the game control board 200B.

Further, six resistors 253 are provided on the game control board 200B. Further, identification display sections 2531 corresponding to each resistor 253 are displayed on the board body 200S. Text for identifying the resistor 253 is displayed in white on the identification display sections 2531. Further, each identification display section 2531 is displayed lined up in the vertical direction. Further, the vertical direction of the text displayed on each identification display section 2531 is aligned with the horizontal direction of the game control board 200B.
Moreover, the resistor 253 whose identification display portion 2531 is "R6" is provided in the overlapping region RE.

The game control board 200B is also provided with a capacitor 254. The capacitor 254 is the tallest (longest in the front-to-rear direction) of the electronic components provided on the game control board 200B. For example, an electrolytic capacitor is used as the capacitor 254. An identification display section 2541 corresponding to the capacitor 254 is displayed on the board body 200S. The identification display section 2541 displays text in white to identify the capacitor 254. The identification display sections 2541 are displayed side by side in the left-to-right direction. The up-to-down direction of the text displayed on the identification display section 2541 is aligned with the up-to-down direction of the game control board 200B. This capacitor 2541 is provided in an area of the board body 200S that is different from the overlapping area RE.

FIG. 29 is a view of the capacitor 254 as viewed from the front side of the capacitor 254.
A type display section 2542 and a capacity display section 2543 are provided on the side of the capacitor 254 .
The type display section 2542 displays in white information indicating the type of the capacitor 254. In the illustrated example, the type display section 2542 displays the text "KL01."
The capacitance display portion 2543 displays in white information indicating the capacitance of the capacitor 254. In the illustrated example, the capacitance display portion 2543 displays the text "680 μF."

As described above, in this embodiment, the color of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 provided on the game control board case 200C is different from the color of the characters printed on the board body 200S of the game control board 200B. Here, the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 include, for example, the text shown in the identification display section 2502. Also, the characters printed on the board body 200S include, for example, the identification display section 2512, the identification display section 2521, the identification display section 2531, the identification display section 2541, and the like.
In this embodiment, the color of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 is different from the color of the characters printed on the electronic components mounted on the game control board 200B. Here, the characters printed on the electronic components mounted on the game control board 200B include, for example, the type display section 2511 of the IC 251.

As described above, since the game control board case 200C has optical transparency, when an inspector visually inspects the game control board unit 2, the inspector can also see the characters printed on the game control board 200B through the game control board case 200C. In this case, the inspector may mistakenly recognize the characters printed on the game control board 200B as characters printed on the information display sticker 250, which may hinder the visual inspection.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the color of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 is made different from the color of the characters printed on the game control board 200B, thereby preventing the inspector from mistaking the characters printed on the game control board 200B for the characters printed on the information display sticker 250.

In addition, in this embodiment, the size of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 provided on the game control board case 200C is different from the size of the characters printed on the board body 200S of the game control board 200B. Here, the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 include, for example, the text shown in the identification display unit 2502. Also, the characters printed on the board body 200S include, for example, the identification display unit 2512, the identification display unit 2521, the identification display unit 2531, the identification display unit 2541, etc. Here, the size of the characters printed on the board body 200S of the game control board 200B may be larger than the size of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 provided on the game control board case 200C. Also, the size of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 provided on the game control board case 200C may be larger than the size of the characters printed on the board body 200S of the game control board 200B. Additionally, the font of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 provided on the game control board case 200C may be different from the font of the characters printed on the board body 200S of the game control board 200B.

In addition, in this embodiment, the size of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 is different from the size of the characters printed on the electronic components mounted on the game control board 200B. Here, the characters printed on the electronic components mounted on the game control board 200B include, for example, the type display section 2511 of the IC 251. Here, the size of the characters printed on the electronic components mounted on the game control board 200B may be larger than the size of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250. Also, the size of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 may be larger than the size of the characters printed on the electronic components mounted on the game control board 200B. Also, the font of the characters printed on the information display sticker 250 may be different from the font of the characters printed on the electronic components mounted on the game control board 200B.

In addition, in this embodiment, the number of electronic components provided in the overlapping region RE of the substrate body 200S is greater than the number of electronic components provided in the overlapping region RE of the substrate body 200S. Also, the number of characters printed in the overlapping region RE of the substrate body 200S is greater than the number of characters printed in the overlapping region RE of the substrate body 200S. Also, the number of characters printed on electronic components provided in the overlapping region RE of the substrate body 200S is greater than the number of characters printed on electronic components provided in the overlapping region RE of the substrate body 200S.

In this embodiment, the color (white) of the area of the information display sticker 250 where the characters are written is the same as the color (white) of the characters printed on the board body 200S and the color (white) of the characters printed on the electronic components provided on the board body 200S. Examples of the area of the information display sticker 250 where the characters are written include the background part of the code part 2501, the background part of the identification display part 2502, and the background part of the writing area 2503. Examples of the characters printed on the board body 200S include the identification display part 2512, the identification display part 2521, the identification display part 2531, and the identification display part 2541. Examples of the characters printed on the electronic components provided on the board body 200S include the type display part 2511 of the IC 251.
In this case, in the area of the information display sticker 250 where characters are written, characters are written in a color different from the color of the characters printed on the board body 200S or the color of the characters printed on the electronic components provided on the board body 200S. This makes it possible to prevent an inspector from misidentifying the written characters with the characters printed on the board body 200S or the characters printed on the electronic components provided on the board body 200S.

[Main control process of gaming machine]
Next, the main control process of the pachinko gaming machine 100 will be described.
In the main control process, the game control unit 200 controls the game in the pachinko game machine 100, and instructs the presentation control unit 300, which is a sub-control means, to control the presentation, and instructs the payout control unit 330 to control the payout of prize balls.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing the main control process of the game control unit 200.
The main control process is a series of processes in game control, and is repeatedly executed at preset fixed time intervals (for example, 4 milliseconds). In this embodiment, the game control unit 200 generates an interrupt at preset fixed time intervals, and executes the main control process as an interrupt process when the interrupt is permitted (see S610) in the loop process shown in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 30, in the main control process, a random number update process, a switch process, a pattern process, an electric role process, a prize ball process, and an output process are executed in sequence (S801 to S806).

In the random number update process (S801), the game control unit 200 calls a function (subroutine) of the random number control unit 241 and updates the values of various random numbers used in game control by the game control unit 200. Details of setting random numbers and updating random number values will be described later.

As the switch processing (S802), a start port switch processing and a gate switch processing are performed.
In the start port switch processing, the game control unit 200 calls the function (subroutine) of the random number acquisition unit 231, monitors the state of the first start port switch 211 and the second start port switch 212 in Fig. 4, and executes processing for the special symbol lottery when the switch is turned ON. In addition, as will be described later in detail, when performing pre-determination processing in the first start port switch 211 and the second start port switch 212, each function (subroutine) of the special symbol determination unit 234 and the variation pattern selection unit 235 is called, and processing for pre-determination is executed.
In the gate switch processing, the game control unit 200 calls the function (subroutine) of the random number acquisition unit 231, monitors the state of the gate switch 214 in Figure 4, and when the switch is turned ON, executes processing for the normal pattern lottery.
The details of these switching processes will be described later.

As the symbol processing (S803), special symbol processing and normal symbol processing are carried out.
In the special symbol processing, the game control unit 200 calls each function (subroutine) of the special symbol change control unit 233, the special symbol determination unit 234, and the change pattern selection unit 235, and executes the special symbol change and processing associated with this pattern change.
In the normal symbol processing, the game control unit 200 calls the functions (subroutines) of the normal symbol determination unit 232 and the normal symbol change control unit 236, and executes the normal symbol change and processing associated with this pattern change.
The details of these symbol processes will be described later.

As the electric role processing (S804), the big prize slot processing and the electric tulip processing are carried out.
In the large prize opening processing, the game control unit 200 calls a function (subroutine) of the large prize opening operation control unit 237, and controls the opening operation of the large prize opening 125, which is a special electric device, based on predetermined conditions.
In the electric tulip processing, the game control unit 200 calls a function (subroutine) of the electric tulip operation control unit 238, and controls the opening operation of the electric tulip 123, which is a normal electric role, based on predetermined conditions.
The details of these electric accessory processes will be described later.

In prize ball processing (S805), the game control unit 200 calls a function (subroutine) of the prize ball processing unit 239 and sets a control command for managing the number of winning balls and for paying out prize balls according to the winnings.

In the output process (S806), the game control unit 200 calls a function (subroutine) of the output control unit 240, outputs a command for controlling the presentation to the presentation control unit 300, and outputs a command for controlling the payout to the payout control unit 330. The command for controlling the presentation is generated in each process from S802 to S804, and is stored (set) in a storage area for control commands provided in the RAM 203. The command for controlling the payout is generated in the process of S805, and is stored (set) in a storage area for control commands provided in the RAM 203. The RAM 203 has a storage area set for each type of control command.

The output control unit 240 sequentially checks the storage areas of each control command in the RAM 203, and if a control command is stored in each storage area (i.e., if a control command has been generated in the processing of S802 to S805), it reads out the control command and outputs it to the output destination (the performance control unit 300 or the payout control unit 330).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 30, output processing is performed at the end of a series of main control processing. That is, the commands generated in each of the processing steps S802 to S805 by the above-mentioned functions as the first processing means are stored in the corresponding storage area of RAM 203 for each processing step. Then, after these processing steps, output control unit 240 as the second processing means outputs all of the commands generated in each processing step that have been accumulated in the storage area of RAM 203. In other words, in this embodiment, when one cycle of main control processing is executed, the commands generated in the execution of that one cycle are output after the final command generation for that one cycle is performed.

[Modifications of the basic operation of the gaming machine]
In the operation example described with reference to Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 30, an interrupt is permitted in the loop processing portion of the basic processing, and a main control processing consisting of a series of processing is executed as an interrupt processing. However, the main control processing may be configured to be repeatedly executed at regular intervals, and the specific implementation means (execution procedure) is not limited to the examples shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 30. For example, the main control processing may be incorporated into a series of operations of the basic processing, the elapsed time may be measured at a predetermined timing, and the main control processing may be returned to at regular intervals (for example, 4 milliseconds). In addition, while the main control processing is incorporated into a series of operations of the basic processing, an interrupt may be generated at regular intervals, and if an interrupt is generated, the main control processing may be returned to the main control processing incorporated into the basic processing, as in the operation described with reference to Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 30.

When a command generated in the basic process is output, in principle, each time a command is generated, it is stored in a command storage area of the RAM 203, and the function of the output control unit 240, which is the second processing means, is called and output. The basic process is a special process such as an initial operation that is performed only when the power is turned on, unlike the main control process related to the progress of the game. The basic process is also a process that quickly outputs the generated command so that there are no gaps in the output process, since the processing procedure may vary due to branching based on conditions such as the state of the pachinko gaming machine 100 when the power is turned on. Note that, in cases where commands are generated consecutively by multiple related processes, or in other cases, a processing procedure may be adopted in which multiple commands are stored in the command storage area of the RAM 203 and output together depending on the specific processing requirements.

[Random number update process by game control unit]
The random number value as the judgment information used for various lotteries in game control such as the special symbol lottery is counted by a counter, and starting from a predetermined initial value, it is incremented by one each time the random number update process (S801) of the main control process shown in FIG. 30 is performed. Then, the value at the time when each lottery is performed is acquired by the start port switch process (FIG. 31) and the gate switch process (FIG. 32), and is used in the special symbol process (FIG. 33) and the normal symbol process (FIG. 38). This random number counter is an infinite loop counter, and after the counted random number value reaches the maximum value of the set random number (for example, 299 for the jackpot random number shown in FIG. 42(a) described later), it returns to the initial value again. In addition, since the random number update process is performed at regular intervals, if the initial value of each random number is specified, there is a risk that the winning value will be estimated based on the update interval and the initial value information. Therefore, after returning from the main control process to the basic process shown in FIG. 7, the initial value of each random number is randomly changed in the initial value random number update process of S613.

[Start port switch processing by the game control unit]
FIG. 31 is a flow chart showing the contents of the start port switch process of the switch process shown in S802 of FIG.
In this start port switch processing, processing for winning at the first start port 121 and processing for winning at the second start port 122 are performed in sequence. Referring to FIG. 31, the game control unit 200 first judges whether or not a game ball has won at the first start port 121 and the first start port switch 211 has been turned ON (S901). If the first start port switch 211 is turned ON, the game control unit 200 then judges whether or not the number of reserved balls U1 of the unchanging portion of winning at the first start port 121 is less than the upper limit (S902). In the example shown in FIG. 31, the upper limit is set to 4 balls. If the number of reserved balls U1 has reached the upper limit (No in S902), no more unchanging winning balls can be reserved, so the processing for winning at the first start port 121 is terminated.

On the other hand, if the reserved number U1 is less than the upper limit (Yes in S902), the random number acquisition unit 231 of the game control unit 200 acquires a random number value for determining whether or not a win has been won this time, and stores it in the RAM 203 (S903). In this case, since the first starting hole 121 has won, a random number value for the special symbol lottery is acquired. The random number value acquired at this time is the value updated in the random number update process of S801. This random number value then determines the result of the special symbol lottery in the subsequent special symbol process. The random number values referred to here include a jackpot random number value that determines whether or not a jackpot is won, a small jackpot, or a miss, a symbol random number value (jackpot symbol random number value) that determines the type of jackpot (time-saving state or no-time-saving state after the end of the jackpot game, high probability state or low probability state, long jackpot, short jackpot), a fluctuation pattern random number value that specifies the fluctuation pattern in the symbol fluctuation, a reach random number value that determines whether or not a fluctuation pattern (fluctuation time) that can execute the reach performance described below is set when a miss occurs, and the like.

Next, the game control unit 200 performs a pre-determination process (S904). The pre-determination process is a process (pre-determination) in which a winning ball (reserved ball) that has already obtained a random number by winning at the starting hole but has not yet had its random number determined by the special pattern process described below is determined before the random number is determined by the special pattern process.

The performance control unit 300 of this embodiment can perform a preview performance that suggests the result of the random number judgment by the special pattern processing based on the result of the random number judgment (pre-judgment result) determined by the pre-judgment processing before the random number is judged by the special pattern processing and the judgment result is announced. This preview performance is performed, for example, using a reserved display performance (described later) displayed on the image display unit 114 in response to the occurrence of a winning ball (reserved ball) that has already acquired a random number by winning at the starting hole but has not yet been judged by the special pattern processing. This preview performance based on the pre-judgment suggests to the player the judgment result when the random number is judged by the special pattern processing afterwards for the reserved ball corresponding to the pre-judgment related to the preview performance. This allows the player to play while having expectations about the reserved ball. Details of the preview performance based on the pre-judgment will be described later.

Then, the game control unit 200 adds 1 to the value of the reserved number U1 (S905).
Thereafter, the game control unit 200 sets a pre-determination result command including the pre-determination information obtained by the pre-determination process of S904 in the RAM 203 in order to notify the performance control unit 300 of the pre-determination result (S906).
Furthermore, the game control unit 200 sets a reserved number increase command in the RAM 203 to notify the performance control unit 300 of the increase in the reserved number U1 due to S905 (S907), and ends the processing for the winning at the first starting port 121.

Next, processing for the winning at the second start port 122 is performed. Referring to FIG. 31, the game control unit 200 next judges whether or not a game ball has won at the second start port 122 and the second start port switch 212 has been turned ON (S908). If the second start port switch 212 has been turned ON, the game control unit 200 next judges whether or not the number of reserved balls U2 that have not changed due to the winning at the second start port 122 is less than the upper limit (S909). In the example shown in FIG. 31, the upper limit is set to four balls. If the number of reserved balls U2 has reached the upper limit (No in S909), no more winning balls that have not changed can be reserved, and processing for the winning at the second start port 122 is terminated.

On the other hand, if the reserved number U2 is less than the upper limit (Yes in S909), the random number acquisition unit 231 of the game control unit 200 acquires a random number value for the lottery due to this winning and stores it in the RAM 203 (S910). In this case, since the winning occurred at the second starting port 122, a random number value for the special symbol lottery (jackpot random number value, jackpot symbol random number value, reach random number value, variable pattern random number value, etc.) is acquired, as in S903 above. The random number value acquired at this time is the value updated in the random number update process in S801. The result of the special symbol lottery is then determined in the subsequent special symbol process based on this random number value.

Next, the game control unit 200 performs a pre-determination process (S911). The contents of this pre-determination process are the same as those of S904.
Then, the game control unit 200 adds 1 to the value of the reserved number U2 (S912).
Thereafter, the game control unit 200 sets a pre-determination result command including the pre-determination information by the pre-determination process of S911 in the RAM 203 in order to notify the performance control unit 300 of the pre-determination result (S913).
Furthermore, the game control unit 200 sets a reserved number increase command in the RAM 203 to notify the performance control unit 300 of the increase in the reserved number U2 due to S912 (S914), and ends the processing for the winning at the second starting port 122.

[Gate switch processing by the game control unit]
FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the contents of the gate switch processing when the gaming ball passes through the gate 124.
In this gate switch process, the game control unit 200 first judges whether the game ball has passed through the gate 124 and the gate switch 214 has been turned ON (S1001). If the gate switch 214 has been turned ON, the game control unit 200 then judges whether the number of reserved balls G that have not yet been changed is less than the upper limit (S1002). In the example shown in FIG. 32, the upper limit is set to 4 balls. If the number of reserved balls G has reached the upper limit (No in S1002), no more winning balls that have not yet been changed can be reserved, and the gate switch process is terminated.

On the other hand, if the reserved number G is less than the upper limit (Yes in S1002), the random number acquisition unit 231 of the game control unit 200 acquires a random number value for the lottery due to this winning and stores it in the RAM 203 (S1003). In this case, since the winning is at gate 124, a random number value for the regular pattern lottery (such as a winning random number value) is acquired.

Next, the game control unit 200 adds 1 to the value of the reserved number G (S1004).
After the value of the reserved number G is added in S1004, the game control unit 200 sets a reserved number G increase command in RAM 203 to notify the presentation control unit 300 of the increase in the reserved number G by S1004 (S1005), and terminates processing for the winning at gate 124.

[Special symbol processing by game control unit]
FIG. 33 is a flow chart showing the contents of the special symbol processing of the symbol processing shown in S803 of FIG.
In this special symbol processing, the special symbol variation control unit 233 of the game control unit 200 first checks whether or not the big win game flag is ON in the flag setting (hereinafter, flag setting) set in the RAM 203 (S1101). Here, the big win game flag is a flag that is set to identify that the result of the special symbol lottery is a big win.

If the jackpot game flag is ON, the pachinko game machine 100 is already in the jackpot, so the special symbol processing ends without starting the special symbol change (Yes in S1101). On the other hand, if the jackpot game flag is OFF (No in S1101), the special symbol change control unit 233 then judges whether the current state of the pachinko game machine 100 is in the special symbol change (S1102). If the special symbol is not changing (No in S1102), the special symbol change control unit 233 then performs processing on the reserved numbers U1 and U2 (see FIG. 31) of the special symbols that have not changed (S1103 to S1106). In this embodiment, the reserved number U1 related to the winning of the first starting port 121 and the reserved number U2 related to the winning of the second starting port 122 are distinguished, so this processing is also performed individually for each corresponding starting port.

Specifically, the special symbol change control unit 233 first judges whether the reserved number U2 related to the winning of the second starting gate 122 is 1 or more (S1103). If the reserved number U2 is 1 or more (Yes in S1103), the special symbol change control unit 233 subtracts 1 from the reserved number U2 (S1104). On the other hand, if the reserved number U2=0 (No in S1103), the special symbol change control unit 233 next judges whether the reserved number U1 related to the winning of the first starting gate 121 is 1 or more (S1105). If the reserved number U1 is 1 or more (Yes in S1105), the special symbol change control unit 233 subtracts 1 from the reserved number U1 (S1106). On the other hand, if the reserved number U1 is 0 (No in S1105), this means that there is no winning combination to trigger the lottery for the special symbol, so the special symbol variation is not started, and a separate routine for setting up customer waiting is executed, and the process ends (S1116).
In this embodiment, priority is given to processing the reserved number U2 related to the winning of the second start port 122. That is, if the reserved number U2 is 1 or more, processing is performed for the reserved number U2, and if the reserved number U2=0, processing is performed for the reserved number U1 (see S803 to S806). On the other hand, it is also possible to control the reserved numbers U1 and U2 to be decremented in the order of winning, regardless of whether the winning is at the first start port 121 or the second start port 122.

After subtracting the reserved number U1 or reserved number U2 in S1104 or S1106, the special symbol variation control unit 233 turns off the customer waiting flag set in the flag setting of the RAM 203 (S1107). The customer waiting flag is a flag for identifying that the pachinko gaming machine 100 is in a customer waiting state, and is set in the customer waiting setting process (S1116, see FIG. 37 described later).

Next, the special symbol variation control unit 233 executes a jackpot determination process and a variation pattern selection process by a separate routine (S1108, S1109). As will be described in detail later, this jackpot determination process and variation pattern selection process determines setting information (jackpot symbol, game state, variation pattern, etc.) for the variation of the special symbols that are variably displayed on the first special symbol display device 221 and the second special symbol display device 222. This information is included in the variation start command sent to the performance control unit 300.

Then, the special symbol change control unit 233 starts changing the special symbols displayed by the first special symbol display unit 221 and the second special symbol display unit 222 shown in FIG. 3 based on the setting contents determined in the jackpot determination process and the change pattern selection process (S1110). Then, a change start command including setting information indicating the setting contents (jackpot symbol, game status, change pattern, etc.) is generated and set in the RAM 203 (S1111). The change start command set in S1111 is sent to the performance control unit 300 by the output process shown in S806 of FIG. 30.

If it is determined in S1102 that the special pattern is changing (Yes in S1102), or after the change start command is set in S1111, the special pattern change control unit 233 determines whether the change time has elapsed (S1112). In other words, it determines whether the time elapsed since the special pattern change started in S1110 has reached the change time set in the change pattern selection process in S1109. If the change time has not elapsed (No in S1112), the special pattern change continues, and the special pattern processing ends.

On the other hand, if the fluctuation time has elapsed (Yes in S1112), the special symbol fluctuation control unit 233 first stops the fluctuation of the special symbols on the first special symbol display device 221 and the second special symbol display device 222 at the symbol determined in the big win determination process of S1108 (S1113). A fluctuation stop command for stopping the decorative symbols, which will be described later, is set in the RAM 203 (S1114). Then, a different routine of during-stop processing is executed (S1115). The contents of the during-stop processing will be described later. The fluctuation stop command set in S1114 is sent to the performance control unit 300 by the output process shown in S806 of FIG. 30.

[Jackpot Determination Processing by the Game Control Unit]
FIG. 34 is a flowchart showing the contents of the big win determination process (S1108 in FIG. 33).
In this jackpot determination process, the special symbol determination unit 234 of the game control unit 200 first determines the jackpot random number value in the current special symbol lottery (S1201), and determines whether or not a jackpot or a small jackpot has been obtained (S1202, S1205). Whether or not a jackpot or a small jackpot has been obtained is determined by determining whether or not the value of the jackpot random number obtained in S903 or S910 of FIG. 31 matches the value set as the winning value for the jackpot or the value set as the winning value for the small jackpot (see FIG. 42(a)).

If the result of the random number determination in S1201 is a jackpot (Yes in S1202), the special symbol determination unit 234 then determines the jackpot symbol random number value (S1203). Depending on the result of this determination, the type of jackpot (a jackpot in a high probability time-saving play state, a jackpot in a low probability no time-saving play state, etc.) is determined. The type of jackpot that will occur is determined by whether the value of the jackpot symbol random number obtained in S903 or S910 of FIG. 31 matches any of the values preset for each type of jackpot (see FIG. 42(b)).

After the above determination, the special symbol determination unit 234 sets the symbol (jackpot symbol) representing the type of jackpot determined by the jackpot symbol random number determination as setting information in the RAM 203 (S1204).

If the result of the random number determination in S1201 is a small win (No in S1202, Yes in S1205), the special symbol determination unit 234 then sets a symbol indicating a small win (hereinafter, a small win symbol) as setting information in the RAM 203 (S1206).

If the result of the random number determination in S1201 is neither a big win nor a small win (No in S1202 and S1205), the special symbol determination unit 234 then sets a symbol indicating that the lottery was lost (hereinafter, a losing symbol) as setting information in the RAM 203 (S1207).

[Variation pattern selection process by game control unit]
FIG. 35 is a flowchart showing the contents of the variation pattern selection process (S1109 in FIG. 33).
In this variation pattern selection process, the variation pattern selection unit 235 of the game control unit 200 first refers to the game state of the pachinko game machine 100 (whether it is in a state without time reduction or in a state with time reduction, and whether it is in a state with high probability or a state with low probability) (S1301). Then, using the result of the determination in S1202 of the big win determination process (FIG. 34), it determines whether or not a big win has been won in this special symbol lottery (S1302). Then, if it is a big win (Yes in S1302), the variation pattern selection unit 235 reads out the variation pattern table for the big win from the ROM 202 and sets it in the RAM 203 (S1303).

On the other hand, if the player does not win the jackpot (No in S1302), the variation pattern selection unit 235 next judges a random number value to determine whether or not to perform a so-called reach effect to make the player expect a jackpot (S1304). Whether or not to perform the reach effect is determined by judging whether or not the reach random number value acquired in S903 or S910 in Fig. 31 matches a preset value (see Fig. 42(c)).
If the result of the determination using the random number value indicates that a reach effect is to be performed (Yes in S1305), the variation pattern selection unit 235 reads out a reach-use variation pattern table from the ROM 202 and sets it in the RAM 203 (S1306). If the reach effect is not to be performed (No in S1305), the variation pattern selection unit 235 reads out a loss-use variation pattern table from the ROM 202 and sets it in the RAM 203 (S1307).
Here, the fluctuation pattern table is a table that associates multiple pre-prepared fluctuation patterns (fluctuation times of 3 seconds, 7 seconds, 13 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, etc.) with the value of the fluctuation pattern random number.

Next, the variation pattern selection unit 235 judges the variation pattern random number value using the variation pattern random number value acquired in S903 or S910 of FIG. 31 and the variation pattern table set in S1303, S1306, and S1307 (S1308). That is, the variation pattern selection unit 235 refers to the variation pattern table set in the RAM 203 and selects a variation pattern according to the random number value of the variation pattern random number. Therefore, even if the same random number value is acquired, the variation pattern table referenced differs depending on the gaming state of the pachinko gaming machine 100 (whether it is in a time-saving state or a non-time-saving state, and whether it is in a high-probability state or a low-probability state), the result of the special symbol lottery (whether it has been a jackpot or not, and if it has not been a jackpot, whether a reach performance is performed or not), etc., and therefore the determined variation pattern differs.

Then, the variation pattern selection unit 235 sets the variation pattern selected in S1308 as setting information in the RAM 203 (S1309). The setting information for the variation pattern set in S1309 is included in the variation start command set in S1111 of FIG. 33, and is sent to the performance control unit 300 by the output process shown in S806 of FIG. 30. Details of the variation pattern selected in this embodiment and its setting will be described later.

[Processing during stoppage by game control unit]
FIG. 36 is a flow chart showing the contents of the during-stop process (S1115 in FIG. 33).
In this stop processing, the game control unit 200 first checks whether a flag indicating a time-saving state (hereinafter, time-saving flag) is ON in the flag setting of the RAM 203 (S1401). If the time-saving flag is ON (Yes in S1401), the game control unit 200 subtracts 1 from the value of the number of lotteries (variation number) J in the time-saving state (S1402) and checks whether the number of lotteries J has become 0 (S1403). If the number of lotteries J=0 (Yes in S1403), the time-saving flag is turned OFF (S1404). The operation of turning ON the time-saving flag and setting the initial value of the number of lotteries J are performed in the game state setting process (FIG. 40) in the large prize winning port process (FIG. 39) described later.

If the time-saving flag is OFF (No in S1401) or if the value of the number of lotteries J after turning the time-saving flag OFF in S1404 or after subtraction in S1402 is not 0 (No in S1403), the game control unit 200 then checks whether a flag indicating a high probability state (hereinafter, the high probability flag) is ON in the flag settings of RAM 203 (S1405). Note that if this high probability flag and the previous time-saving flag are both ON, the game is in a high probability time-saving game state, and if the high probability flag is ON and the time-saving flag is OFF, the game is in a high probability no time-saving game state.

If the high probability flag is ON (Yes in S1405), the game control unit 200 subtracts 1 from the value of the number of lotteries (number of variations) X in the high probability state (S1406), and checks whether the number of lotteries X has become 0 (S1407). If the number of lotteries X=0 (Yes in S1407), the high probability flag is turned OFF (S1408). Note that the operation of turning the high probability flag ON and setting the initial value of the number of lotteries X are performed in the game state setting process (Figure 40) in the large prize entrance process (Figure 39) described below.

If the high probability flag is OFF (No in S1405) or after the high probability flag is turned OFF in S1408 or after the subtraction in S1406, the value of the number of lotteries X is not 0 (No in S1407), the game control unit 200 then determines whether or not a jackpot has been won in this special pattern lottery (S1409). If a jackpot has been won (Yes in S1409), the game control unit 200 then determines the type of jackpot (S1410). Note that here, as an example of determining the type of jackpot, it is determined whether or not it is a long jackpot.

Here, the determination of whether or not there is a jackpot can be made based on the result of the jackpot determination process (FIG. 34). For example, if any of the symbols shown in the chart in FIG. 42(b) described later is set, the answer is Yes in S1409. If a losing symbol or a small winning symbol is set in RAM 203 by the jackpot determination process, the answer is No in S1409.

If the type of jackpot is a long jackpot (Yes in S1410), the game control unit 200 turns on the long jackpot game flag (S1411). This causes the game state setting in the RAM 203 to become a jackpot game state (long jackpot game state) in which the type of jackpot is a long jackpot. Note that no distinction is made here between a high probability state and a low probability state for a long jackpot. Whether it is a high probability state or a low probability state is determined by turning on the corresponding flag in the game state setting process (Figure 40) in the jackpot winning port process (Figure 39) described below.

If the type of jackpot is not a long jackpot (No in S1410), the game control unit 200 turns on the short jackpot game flag (S1412). This causes the game state setting in the RAM 203 to become a jackpot game state (short jackpot game state) in which the type of jackpot is a short jackpot. As with the case of a long jackpot, no distinction is made between a high probability state and a low probability state in the case of a short jackpot.

After turning the jackpot game flag ON in S1411 or S1412, the game control unit 200 initializes the values of the number of lottery draws J and X (S1413). Furthermore, if the time-saving flag is ON in S1401 and the number of lottery draws J is not 0 in S1403, the game control unit 200 turns the time-saving flag OFF (S1414). Similarly, if the high probability flag is ON in S1405 and the number of lottery draws X is not 0 in S1407, the game control unit 200 turns the high probability flag OFF (S1414).

After initializing the values of the lottery count J and X in S1413, the game control unit 200 starts the opening operation (S1417). Here, the content of the opening operation differs depending on whether the winning game flag is turned ON in S1411 or S1412. In other words, the opening operation is set according to the judgment result of the special symbol lottery.
After that, the game control unit 200 sets an opening command for performing an effect in an opening operation according to the big win game flag in the performance control unit 300 in the RAM 203 (S1418), and ends the processing during the stop. This opening command is transmitted to the performance control unit 300 in the output processing shown in S806 of FIG.

On the other hand, if the result of the current special symbol lottery is not a big win (No in S1409), the game control unit 200 next judges whether the result of the current special symbol lottery is a small win or not (S1415). If it is not a small win (No in S1415), the stopped processing is terminated.
On the other hand, if it is a small win (Yes in S1415), the game control unit 200 starts a small win game (S1416). This sets the game state of the RAM 203 to a small win game state. In the small win game, as described above, the big prize opening 125 is opened and closed a predetermined number of times, and the game ends after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[Customer waiting setting process by game control unit]
FIG. 37 is a flow chart showing the contents of the customer waiting setting process (S1116 in FIG. 33).
In this customer waiting setting process, the game control unit 200 first checks whether the customer waiting flag is ON in the flag setting of the RAM 203 (S1501). Here, the customer waiting flag is a flag that is set to identify that the pachinko gaming machine 100 is in a customer waiting state.

If the customer waiting flag is ON, the pachinko gaming machine 100 is in a customer waiting state, and the process ends (Yes in S1501). On the other hand, if the customer waiting flag is OFF, the game control unit 200 generates a customer waiting command and sets it in the RAM 203 (S1502), and turns the customer waiting flag ON (S1503). The customer waiting command set in S1502 is sent to the performance control unit 300 by the output process shown in S806 of FIG. 30. The customer waiting flag is set when the variation of the special symbols has stopped and there are no reserved symbols.

[Normal symbol processing by the game control unit]
FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing the contents of the normal symbol processing of the symbol processing shown in S803 of FIG.
In this normal symbol processing, the normal symbol variation control unit 236 of the game control unit 200 first checks whether the auxiliary game flag is ON in the flag setting of the RAM 203 (S1601). Here, the auxiliary game flag is a flag that is set when the normal symbol lottery is won. When the auxiliary game flag is set, the electric tulip 123 is opened according to the electric tulip processing (FIG. 41) described later, and it is easy to win the second start hole 122 (auxiliary game state).

If the auxiliary game flag is ON, the auxiliary game state is already set and the normal symbol is stopped, so the normal symbol processing ends without starting the normal symbol change (Yes in S1601). On the other hand, if the auxiliary game flag is OFF (No in S1601), the normal symbol change control unit 236 then judges whether the current state of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is during normal symbol change (S1602). If the normal symbol is not during change (No in S1602), the normal symbol change control unit 236 then judges whether the reserved number G (see FIG. 32) of unchanged normal symbols is 1 or more (S1603). If the reserved number G=0 (No in S1603), this means that there is no winning to start the lottery for the normal symbol, so the processing ends without starting the normal symbol change.

In contrast, if the reserved number G is 1 or more (Yes in S1603), the normal symbol variation control unit 236 subtracts 1 from the reserved number G (S1604). Then, the normal symbol determination unit 232 determines the winning random number in this normal symbol lottery to determine whether or not the normal symbol lottery has been won (S1605). Whether or not a winning number has been won is determined by determining whether or not the value of the winning random number obtained in S1003 of FIG. 32 matches the value set as the winning value in a table shown in FIG. 42(d) described below.

Next, the normal symbol variation control unit 236 sets the normal symbol according to the result of the normal symbol lottery (S1606). That is, if the normal symbol lottery is won, a symbol representing the win (hereinafter, winning symbol) is set in the RAM 203 as setting information. On the other hand, if the normal symbol lottery is not won, a symbol representing a loss in the lottery (hereinafter, losing symbol) is set in the RAM 203 as setting information.

Next, the normal symbol variation control unit 236 sets the variation time of the normal symbol (S1607). This variation time is set based on the time-saving flag set in the processes of S1404, S1414 in FIG. 36, S1804, S1807 in FIG. 40 described later, etc. That is, if the time-saving flag is ON when setting by S1607, it is set to a short time (e.g., 1.5 seconds), and if the time-saving flag is OFF, it is set to a long time (e.g., 4.0 seconds). After this setting, the normal symbol variation control unit 236 starts the variation of the normal symbol on the normal symbol display 223 shown in FIG. 3 (a) based on the setting contents of S1607 (S1608). The variation pattern of the normal symbol can also be determined by lottery. In this case, for example, when the game ball passes through the gate 124, the random number acquisition unit 231 acquires a random number value for the normal symbol fluctuation pattern, and in S1607, the normal symbol fluctuation control unit 236 determines the random number value for the normal symbol fluctuation pattern, thereby setting the fluctuation time.

After the normal pattern change has started in S1608, or if it is determined in S1602 that the normal pattern is changing (Yes in S1602), the normal pattern change control unit 236 determines whether the change time has elapsed (S1609). In other words, it determines whether the time elapsed since the normal pattern change started in S1608 has reached the change time set in S1607. If the change time has not elapsed (No in S1609), the normal pattern change continues, and the normal pattern processing ends.

On the other hand, if the variation time has ended (Yes in S1609), the normal pattern variation control unit 236 stops the variation of the normal pattern on the normal pattern display 223 (S1610). Then, the normal pattern variation control unit 236 judges whether or not the result of the judgment in S1605 was a win (S1611). If it was a win (Yes in S1611), the auxiliary game flag is turned ON (S1612). On the other hand, if the lottery was lost (No in S1611), the normal pattern processing ends without turning ON the auxiliary game flag.

[Big prize slot processing by game control unit]
FIG. 39 is a flowchart showing the contents of the large prize opening process included in the electric role process shown in S804 of FIG.
In this special prize opening process, the special prize opening operation control unit 237 of the game control unit 200 first checks whether the special prize game flag is ON in the flag setting of the RAM 203 (S1701). If the special prize game flag is OFF, there is no prize in the special prize opening 125, so the special prize opening process is terminated (No in S1701). On the other hand, if the special prize game flag is ON (Yes in S1701), the special prize opening operation control unit 237 next judges whether the pachinko game machine 100 is in the middle of an opening operation in the special prize operation control started in the stop process (FIG. 36) (S1702).

If the pachinko game machine 100 is in the opening mode (Yes in S1702), the special prize opening operation control unit 237 next judges whether the time (opening time) for the preset opening operation has elapsed (S1703). If the opening time has not elapsed, the opening operation of the special prize opening 125 continues, and the special prize opening process is terminated (No in S1703). On the other hand, if the opening time has elapsed (Yes in S1703), the special prize opening operation control unit 237 next sets the operation of the special prize opening 125 (S1704), initializes the number of winning prizes C (C=0) (S1705), adds 1 to the current value of the number of rounds R of the operation of the special prize opening 125 (S1706), and starts the operation (opens) of the special prize opening 125 (S1707).

In the operation setting of S1704, the operation pattern of the large prize opening 125 and the number of rounds (number of operation rounds) to be operated in that operation pattern are set. Examples of cases in which the large prize opening 125 is operated include a case in which a large prize opening is a long or short prize opening, or a small prize opening, in a special pattern lottery. The operation pattern and the number of rounds are set in various ways according to the type of the prize. In addition, in a large prize game, it is stipulated that the operation of the large prize opening 125 is performed multiple times (multiple rounds) in succession. As an example, in the case of a long prize, for example, it is operated for 15 rounds (15R), and in one round, it is opened once for 29.5 seconds. In the case of a short prize, for example, it is operated for 2 rounds (2R), and in one round, it is opened once for 0.9 seconds. To explain further, it is opened for 0.9 seconds, closed for 1.0 second, and then opened for 0.9 seconds. On the other hand, in the case of a small prize, it is opened for 0.9 seconds, closed for 1.0 second, and then opened for 0.9 seconds. If we compare the operation of a short win with that of a small win in the above example, both open for 0.9 seconds twice. In other words, the operation of the big win opening 125 as seen by the player is the same in the case of a short win and a small win, and it is not possible to distinguish between a short win and a small win based solely on the operation of the big win opening 125 on the game board 110.

In addition, it is stipulated by law that the cumulative opening time of the large prize opening 125 must be set to within 1.8 seconds in the event of a small win. On the other hand, in the event of a large win (long or short win), the large prize opening 125 must be opened multiple times in succession. Therefore, in order to make it difficult to distinguish from the appearance of the operation in a small win from the operation in a short win as described above, in the event of a small win, an operation mode is set in which the large prize opening 125 opens two or more times within a range in which the cumulative opening time in one operation is within 1.8 seconds, and in the event of a short win, the number of rounds is set to the same number as the number of times it is opened in a small win.

Next, the large prize opening operation control unit 237 judges whether the opening time in the operation pattern set in S1704 has elapsed (S1708). If the open state of the large prize opening 125 has not elapsed the opening time (No in S1708), the large prize opening operation control unit 237 then judges whether the number of winning prizes C in the large prize opening 125 is equal to or greater than a specified number (e.g., 9 prizes) (S1709). If the opening time has not elapsed and the number of winning prizes C is less than the specified number, the operation state (open state) of the large prize opening 125 continues, so the large prize opening process is terminated (No in S1709). On the other hand, if the opening time has elapsed (Yes in S1708) or the number of winning prizes C has reached the specified number (Yes in S1709), the large prize opening operation control unit 237 terminates the operation (closes) of the large prize opening 125 (S1710).

Next, the special prize opening operation control unit 237 determines whether the number of rounds R of the operation of the special prize opening 125 has reached the maximum value set in S1704 (S1711). If the maximum value has not been reached, the remaining operations are performed, and the special prize opening processing is terminated (No in S1711).

When the number of rounds R of the operation of the big win opening 125 reaches the maximum value (Yes in S1711), the big win opening operation control unit 237 then starts the ending operation (S1712). Here, the content of the ending operation corresponds to the state of the big win game flag among the ending operations set in each game of the long win game and the short win game.
After this, the big prize opening operation control unit 237 sets an ending command for performing an ending operation corresponding to the big prize game flag in the performance control unit 300 in the RAM 203 (S1713). This ending command is transmitted to the performance control unit 300 by the output process shown in S806 of FIG.

Next, the special prize opening operation control unit 237 resets the number of rounds R of the operation of the special prize opening 125 to 0 (S1714), and then determines whether the time elapsed since the start of the ending operation has passed the time (ending time) at which the ending operation should be performed that has been set in advance (S1717). If the ending time has not passed, the ending operation continues, and the special prize opening process is terminated (No in S1717). On the other hand, if the ending time has passed (Yes in S1717), the special prize opening operation control unit 237 then goes through a game status setting process by the game control unit 200 (S1718), and then turns off the special prize game flag, and terminates the special prize opening process (S1719). The contents of the game status setting process will be described later.

If it is determined in S1702 that the pachinko gaming machine 100 is not in the opening mode (No in S1702), the special prize opening operation control unit 237 then determines whether or not the game is ending (S1715). If the game is ending (Yes in S1715), the operation from S1717 onwards is executed.

On the other hand, if the pachinko game machine 100 is not in the ending (No in S1715), the special prize opening operation control unit 237 next judges whether the special prize opening 125 is in operation (open) or not (S1716). If it is not in operation (No in S1716), the operation from S1705 onwards is executed, and if it is in operation (Yes in S1716), the operation from S1708 onwards is executed.
In addition, the presentation performed in the small win game described above is the same as the presentation performed in the short win game, and it is not possible to distinguish between a short win and a small win from the presentation.

[Game Status Setting Process]
FIG. 40 shows the contents of the game status setting process (S1718) by the game control unit 200, which is executed when the ending time has elapsed (Yes in S1717).
When the game state setting process is performed, the jackpot game flag is ON in S1701 in Fig. 39 as a prerequisite. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 40, the game control unit 200 first judges the type of the jackpot (S1801, S1802, S1803, S1806). These judgments can be made based on the type of symbols set as setting information in the RAM 203 in the jackpot judgment process (Fig. 34), for example. Note that these judgments are generally similar to S1202, S1203, and S1205 in the jackpot judgment process (Fig. 34), so the judgment results of S1202, S1203, and S1205 may be used.

If it is a small win (Yes in S1801), the game status will not change, and the game status setting process is terminated.
If the type of jackpot is a jackpot in a low-probability time-saving game state (No in S1801, Yes in S1802 and S1803), the game control unit 200 turns on the time-saving flag (S1804). This sets the game state in the RAM 203 to a low-probability time-saving game state. The game control unit 200 also sets the initial value of the number of lotteries J (S1805) and ends the game state setting process. In the illustrated example, the initial value of the number of lotteries J is 100 times. Therefore, if 100 lotteries have been performed in the low-probability time-saving game state, the low-probability time-saving game state ends, and the game state becomes a low-probability no-time-saving game state.

On the other hand, if the type of jackpot is a low-probability, no-time-reduction jackpot (No in S1801, Yes in S1802, No in S1803), the game control unit 200 ends the process without turning on either the time-reduction flag or the high-probability flag. Therefore, the game state setting in RAM 203 for the game after this jackpot is a low-probability, no-time-reduction jackpot.

If the type of jackpot is a jackpot in a high-probability time-saving game state (S1801, No in S1802, Yes in S1806), the game control unit 200 turns on the time-saving flag (S1807) and sets the initial value of the number of lotteries J (S1808). In this case, the initial value of the number of lotteries J is 10,000 times in the illustrated example. In addition, the game control unit 200 turns on the high probability flag (S1809) and sets the initial value of the number of lotteries X (S1810). In the illustrated example, the initial value of the number of lotteries X is 10,000 times. As a result, the game state setting of the RAM 203 becomes a high-probability time-saving game state. Then, if the lottery in this high-probability time-saving game state has been performed 10,000 times, the high-probability time-saving game state ends, and the game enters a low-probability time-saving non-game state.

On the other hand, if the type of jackpot is a jackpot in a high probability no time-saving play state (No in S1801, S1802, S1806), the game control unit 200 turns on only the high probability flag (S1809) and sets the initial value of the number of lottery draws X (10,000 times) (S1810). This causes the game state setting in the RAM 203 to become a high probability no time-saving play state. Then, if the lottery draws have been performed 10,000 times in this high probability no time-saving play state, the high probability no time-saving play state ends and the state becomes a low probability no time-saving play state.

[Electric tulip processing by the game control unit]
FIG. 41 is a flow chart showing the contents of the electric tulip processing of the electric role processing shown in S804 of FIG.
In the electric tulip processing, the electric tulip operation control unit 238 of the game control unit 200 first checks whether the auxiliary game flag is ON in the flag setting of the RAM 203 (S1901). If the auxiliary game flag is OFF, the electric tulip 123 will not be opened, and so the electric tulip processing is terminated (No in S1901). On the other hand, if the auxiliary game flag is ON (Yes in S1901), the electric tulip operation control unit 238 next judges whether the electric tulip 123 is operating (S1902).

If the electric tulip 123 is not in operation (No in S1902), the electric tulip operation control unit 238 sets the operation pattern of the electric tulip 123 (S1903) and operates the electric tulip 123 with the set operation pattern (S1904). Here, the operation pattern is set based on the time-saving flag set in the processing of S1404, S1414 in FIG. 36, S1804, S1807 in FIG. 40, etc. For example, if the time-saving flag is OFF when setting in S1903, an operation pattern is set to open once with an opening time of 0.15 seconds, and if the time-saving flag is ON, an operation pattern is set to open three times with an opening time of 1.80 seconds. In this way, normally, when the time-saving flag is ON (in the time-saving state), the electric tulip 123 is opened multiple times for a long time, and a winning support (electric tulip support) that makes it easier to win the second starting hole 122 is performed. In addition, multiple operation patterns (types of auxiliary games) of the electric tulip 123 when the time-saving flag is ON or OFF may be prepared, and the operation pattern may be set according to the type of win determined in the normal symbol process (see FIG. 38).

If it is determined in S1902 that the electric tulip 123 is in operation (Yes in S1902), or after the electric tulip 123 has been operated in S1904, the electric tulip operation control unit 238 determines whether the opening time for the set operation pattern has elapsed (S1905). If the opening time has not elapsed, the electric tulip 123 will continue to be in operation (open state), and the electric tulip processing will end (No in S1905). On the other hand, if the opening time has elapsed (Yes in S1905), the electric tulip operation control unit 238 will turn off the auxiliary game flag and end the electric tulip processing (S1906).

[Random number determination method]
Here, we will explain in detail the random number determination method used in the jackpot determination process (Figure 34), the variable pattern selection process (Figure 35), the normal pattern process (Figure 38), etc.
FIG. 42 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of random numbers (judgment table) used in the special symbol lottery and the normal symbol lottery in this embodiment.
Figure 42(a) shows an example of the composition of a jackpot random number used in a special pattern lottery, Figure 42(b) shows an example of the composition of a jackpot random number used in a special pattern lottery, Figure 42(c) shows an example of the composition of a reach random number used in a special pattern lottery, and Figure 42(d) shows an example of the composition of a winning random number used in a normal pattern lottery.

Referring to FIG. 42(a), as the judgment value of the jackpot random number, two types are set: a jackpot when the game state of the pachinko game machine 100 at the time of jackpot judgment is a low probability state, a jackpot when the game state at the time of jackpot judgment is a high probability state, and a small jackpot. The range of the random number (jackpot random number) is 300, from 0 to 299. In the case of a special pattern lottery (jackpot lottery) in a low probability state, only one winning value is set, and the winning probability is 1/300. In addition, in the case of a special pattern lottery in a high probability state, 10 winning values are set, and the winning probability is 10/300 (=1/30). That is, in the illustrated example, when the starting hole 121, 122 is won in a high probability state and a special pattern lottery is performed, the winning probability is 10 times higher than when a special pattern lottery is performed in a low probability state. In addition, the small prize value is set to three regardless of whether the prize is in a low probability state or a high probability state, and the prize probability is 3/300 (=1/100).
Here, taking the special symbol lottery in the low probability state as an example, it is determined whether the jackpot random number value (see S903, S910) obtained as a result of winning the first start port 121 or the second start port 122 matches the winning value "5" of the jackpot lottery in the low probability state in Fig. 42 (a). Although a detailed explanation is omitted, the same applies to the special symbol lottery in the high probability state and the special symbol lottery for the small win.

Referring to FIG. 42(b), five types of jackpot symbols are available: low probability symbol A, low probability symbol B, high probability symbol A, high probability symbol B, and potential symbol. Here, low probability symbol A and low probability symbol B are symbols that indicate a jackpot in a low probability state, and among these, low probability symbol A indicates a jackpot in a long jackpot (8 rounds) and low probability time-saving game state. Low probability symbol B indicates a jackpot in a long jackpot (4 rounds) and low probability time-saving game state. High probability symbol A and high probability symbol B indicate a jackpot in a long jackpot (15 rounds) and high probability time-saving game state. High probability symbol C and high probability symbol D indicate a jackpot in a long jackpot (8 rounds) and high probability time-saving game state. High probability symbol E indicates a jackpot in a short jackpot (2 rounds) and high probability no time-saving game state. Potential symbol is a symbol that indicates a jackpot in a short jackpot (2 rounds) and high probability no time-saving game state. Therefore, the high probability symbol B and the potential symbol have the same game state after a jackpot game, but the potential symbol is set separately from the high probability symbol B in order to set the conditions for a hidden performance that does not clearly inform the player of the high probability state. The range of random number values is 250, from 0 to 249. In addition, for the jackpot symbol random number, a winning value is set for each of the first start hole 121 and the second start hole 122, which are the trigger for the special symbol lottery.

In the low probability pattern A, 35 winning values are assigned to both the first start hole 121 and the second start hole 122. Therefore, the probability of winning with the low probability pattern A when a jackpot is won is 35/250 (=7/50).
In the low probability pattern B, 15 winning values are assigned to both the first start hole 121 and the second start hole 122. Therefore, the probability of winning with the low probability pattern B when a jackpot is won is 15/250 (=3/50).

For the high probability symbol A, 20 values are assigned as winning values when the symbol enters the first starting hole 121. Therefore, when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the first starting hole 121, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol A is 20/250 (=2/25).
On the other hand, 150 values are assigned as the winning value when the second starting hole 122 is won. Therefore, when the jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the second starting hole 122, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol A is 150/250 (=15/25).

Five values are assigned to the high probability symbol B as the winning value when the symbol enters the first starting hole 121. Therefore, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol B when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the first starting hole 121 is 5/250 (=1/50).
On the other hand, 25 values are assigned as the winning value when the second starting hole 122 is won. Therefore, when the jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the second starting hole 122, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol B is 25/250 (=1/10).

For the high probability symbol C, 25 values are assigned as winning values when the symbol enters the first starting hole 121. Therefore, when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the first starting hole 121, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol C is 25/250 (=1/10).
On the other hand, 10 values are assigned as the winning value when the second starting hole 122 is won. Therefore, when the jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the second starting hole 122, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol B is 10/250 (=1/25).

For the high probability symbol D, 25 values are assigned as winning values when the symbol enters the first starting hole 121. Therefore, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol D when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the first starting hole 121 is 25/250 (=1/10).
On the other hand, 10 values are assigned as the winning value when the second starting hole 122 is won. Therefore, when the jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the second starting hole 122, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol D is 10/250 (=1/25).

For the high probability symbol E, 25 values are assigned as winning values when the symbol enters the first starting hole 121. Therefore, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol E when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the first starting hole 121 is 25/250 (=1/10).
On the other hand, five values are assigned as winning values in the case of winning the second starting hole 122. Therefore, in the case of winning the jackpot in the special symbol lottery started by winning the second starting hole 122, the probability of winning with the high probability symbol E is 5/250 (=1/50).

A value of 100 is assigned to the potential symbol as a winning value when the symbol enters the first starting hole 121. Therefore, when a jackpot is won in the special symbol lottery started by winning the first starting hole 121, the probability of winning with the potential symbol is 100/250 (=2/5).
On the other hand, the second starting hole 122 is not assigned a winning value for the potential symbol, and if the second starting hole 122 wins, the potential symbol will not be the winning symbol.

Here, taking the low probability symbol A as an example, it is determined whether the jackpot symbol random number value (see S903, S910) obtained as a result of winning at the first starting hole 121 or the second starting hole 122 matches the winning value "0 to 34" for the low probability symbol A in FIG. 42(b). Although a detailed explanation is omitted, the same applies to the lottery for special symbols such as the low probability symbol B.

As described above, by varying the probability of winning the type of jackpot when the first start hole 121 is won and when the second start hole 122 is won, it is possible to provide a variety of gameplay features. In addition, by devising the layout of the first start hole 121 and the second start hole 122 on the game board 110 so that it is easier to aim for either the first start hole 121 or the second start hole 122 in a specific state (mode), it is also possible to encourage players to participate more actively in the game.

Here, the pachinko gaming machine 100 of this embodiment is capable of setting a set value which is a stage of the advantageous degree of the game. In the pachinko gaming machine 100, the set value can be set to one of, for example, six stages of "1", "2", "3", "4", "5" and "6".
In the pachinko gaming machine 100, when the setting value is set to "1," the winning probability is the lowest. For example, when the setting value is "1" and the state is a low probability, the winning probability is 1/300. Also, when the setting value is "1" and the state is a high probability, the winning probability is 10/300.
In the pachinko gaming machine 100, when the set value is set to "6," the probability of winning is the highest. For example, when the set value is "6" and the game is in a low probability game state, the probability of winning is 1/285. When the set value is "6" and the game is in a high probability game state, the probability of winning is 10/285.
In this way, in the pachinko gaming machine 100, the winning probability is set in the order of increasing set values "1"<"2"<"3"<"4"<"5"<"6".

Next, the determination of the reach random number will be explained. The reach random number is set according to the reserved number as described later. Here, as an example, the reach random number when the reserved number is 0 will be explained.
Referring to FIG. 42(c), the range of the random number value is 250 from 0 to 249, and 22 random numbers are assigned to the lottery result (with reach) that is a variation pattern (variation time) that can execute the reach performance (for example, 13.5 seconds or more), and 228 random numbers are assigned to the lottery result (without reach) that is not a variation pattern that can execute the reach performance (for example, less than 13.5 seconds). That is, in the illustrated example, when the special pattern lottery does not result in a jackpot, the reach performance is performed with a probability of 22/250 (=11/125). Here, the reach performance is a performance performed in the image display unit 114 when the special pattern changes. Hereinafter, the performance when the special pattern changes that does not have a variation pattern that can execute the reach performance is called a no-reach performance, and the performance when the special pattern changes that has a variation pattern that can execute the reach performance is called a reach performance.

Here, taking the case of a reach as an example, it is determined whether the reach random number value (see S903, S910) obtained as a result of winning at the first start port 121 or the second start port 122 matches the winning value of the reach in FIG. 42(c), which is "0 to 21." Although a detailed explanation is omitted, the same applies to the special symbol lottery without a reach.

In many cases, when the special symbol changes, a performance using a decorative symbol is performed on the image display unit 114 in conjunction with the display control of the first special symbol display unit 221 and the second special symbol display unit 222 (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they are referred to as the special symbol displays 221 and 222). The decorative symbol is, for example, configured by displaying three rows of symbols consisting of a sequence of numbers in which the numbers 1 to 9 are written vertically in succession. Then, at the same time that the display of the special symbol changes on the special symbol displays 221 and 222 starts, the decorative symbol displayed on the image display unit 114 starts scrolling. Also, after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the display of the special symbol changes (the start of scrolling of the decorative symbol), the decorative symbol is fixed and stopped at the same time that the special symbol is stopped and displayed. Generally, when the result of the special symbol lottery is a jackpot, the decorative symbol stops and displays three identical numbers in a straight line horizontally or diagonally. The performance using the decorative symbol performed in conjunction with the display of the special symbol changes is called a change performance.

In the reach performance, the following operation is performed on the decorative symbols as a variable performance. First, any two symbols (number series) are temporarily stopped first before the decorative symbols scrolling vertically (horizontally) are fixed and stopped. At this time, the same numbers are temporarily stopped in a horizontal (vertical) or diagonal straight line. To explain further, if the decorative symbols are scrolling vertically, the same numbers are temporarily stopped in a horizontal line.
Next, the scrolling speed of the last row gradually slows down, giving the player a sense of expectation that three identical numbers will line up in a straight line. After the last row temporarily stops, the three symbols are fixed and stopped.
Here, in the reach effect, before the three symbols are fixed and stopped, the SP reach effect or the SP/SP reach effect may be performed. The SP reach effect is generally called the super reach or the special reach, and is an effect that gives more hope for a big win than the reach, and is a moving image effect in which various characters appear and a story unfolds. The SP/SP reach is generally called the super super reach or the special special reach, and is an effect that gives more hope for a big win than the SP reach, and is a moving image effect in which various characters appear and a story unfolds.
In addition, as shown in Fig. 43 described later, in this embodiment, when the fluctuation time is longer (for example, 90 seconds or 60 seconds), the SP reach or SP/SP reach performance is set to be executed. Note that the above-mentioned fluctuation performance performed together with the reach performance is also called reach-time fluctuation performance.
On the other hand, in the no-reach performance, the decorative symbols scrolling vertically (horizontally) are not determined and stopped before the symbols are determined and stopped without the same numbers lining up in a straight line horizontally (vertically) or diagonally, without any performance that gives the player a sense of expectation like the reach performance.

In this way, when the result of the judgment of the jackpot random number is a miss, the reach random number determines whether to perform a reach effect in which the reach effect is an executable variation pattern on the image display unit 114, or a reach-free effect in which the reach effect is not an executable variation pattern. Also, the reach random number changes the execution rate of the reach effect according to the reserved number, enabling efficient game progress while giving the player an appropriate sense of expectation.
In addition, when a big win is won, a reach effect is performed, and the decorative symbols are fixed and stopped in a state where the same numbers are lined up in a horizontal (vertical) or diagonal straight line. On the other hand, when a small win is won or a miss is won, the reach effect is performed, and the decorative symbols are fixed and stopped in a state where the same numbers are not lined up in the straight line.

Next, the determination of the winning random number used in the normal symbol lottery will be described.
42(d), the range of random number values is 10, from 0 to 9, with one value being assigned as the winning value when the time-saving flag is OFF, and nine values being assigned as the winning value when the time-saving flag is ON. Therefore, when a game ball passes through gate 124 in a non-time-saving state and a normal symbol lottery is held, there is a 1/10 probability of winning. In contrast, when a game ball passes through gate 124 in a time-saving state and a normal symbol lottery is held, there is a 9/10 probability of winning.

Here, taking the time-saving flag OFF as an example, it is determined whether the winning random number value (see S1003) obtained in response to the passage of the game ball through the gate 124, the first start port 121, or the second start port 122 matches the winning value "0" for the time-saving flag OFF in FIG. 42(d). Although a detailed explanation is omitted, the same applies to the normal symbol lottery for the time-saving flag ON.

Although not shown, multiple winning patterns can be set with different contents of auxiliary games (opening patterns of electric tulips 123) to be played when a winning is determined in the normal pattern lottery. In this case, for example, a winning pattern random number for specifying the type of winning in the normal pattern lottery is set in the same way as the jackpot pattern random number for specifying the type of winning in the special pattern lottery (see FIG. 39(b)). Then, the game control unit 200 acquires the random number value of the winning pattern random number together with the random number value of the winning random number in the gate switch process (see FIG. 32) by the random number acquisition unit 231, and identifies the type of winning based on the acquired random number value by the normal pattern determination unit 232.
Note that the range of random numbers, the ratio of winning values, and each value of the winning values shown in the configuration example of each random number in Figure 42 are merely examples and are not limited to the values shown.

[Example of setting fluctuation patterns]
Next, an example of the setting of the fluctuation patterns and tables used in the fluctuation pattern selection process shown in FIG. 35 will be described.
Fig. 43 is a diagram showing an example of the setting of the fluctuation pattern and the table used in the fluctuation pattern selection process shown in Fig. 35. Fig. 43 shows an example of the setting of the low probability time-saving non-play state. Although not shown, for other play states such as the high probability time-saving play state, a table of the setting of the fluctuation pattern selected in the fluctuation pattern selection process is provided separately.
43 shows a setting example when a gaming ball enters the first start hole 121. When a gaming ball enters the second start hole 122, a table for setting a variation pattern selected in the variation pattern selection process may be provided separately, or a table to be referred to when a gaming ball enters the first start hole 121 may be shared and referred to.

As shown in FIG. 43, when the result of the special symbol lottery is a jackpot (Yes in S1302 in FIG. 35), the special symbol variation control unit 233 determines the variation pattern based on the jackpot symbol and the variation pattern random number. Specifically, the special symbol variation control unit 233 determines the variation pattern based on whether the variation pattern random number value (see S903) acquired together with the jackpot random number value by the random number acquisition unit 231 matches any of the variation pattern random number values assigned to each jackpot symbol. For example, when the jackpot symbol is a "high probability symbol A" and the variation pattern random number is "51", it matches the variation pattern random number range "50 to 69" assigned to the "high probability symbol A" in FIG. 43, so "PB3" is selected as the variation pattern. The special symbol variation time in this "PB3" is "90.18 seconds".

In addition, when the result of the special symbol lottery is a miss (No in S1302 in FIG. 35), the special symbol variation control unit 233 determines the variation pattern based on the reserved number U1 of the first special symbol lottery, the reach random number, and the variation pattern random number. Specifically, when the reserved number U1 of the first special symbol lottery is "0", the special symbol variation control unit 233 determines whether the reach random number value (see S903) acquired together with the jackpot random number value by the random number acquisition unit 231 is assigned to the reach random number range "0-21" assigned to the reserved number "0" of "miss" in FIG. 43, or to the reach random number range "22-249". If the acquired reach random number is within the reach random number range "0-21", the fluctuation pattern is determined based on whether the fluctuation pattern random number value (see S903) acquired by the random number acquisition unit 231 together with the jackpot random number value matches any of the fluctuation pattern random number values assigned to the reach random number range "0-21". For example, if the fluctuation pattern random number is "51", it matches the fluctuation pattern random number range "50-89", so "PR4" is selected as the fluctuation pattern.

As described above, the game control unit 200 determines the special symbol fluctuation pattern based on the fluctuation pattern random number value (see S903, S910 in FIG. 31) obtained when the game ball enters the start hole 121, 122, and conditions such as the game state of the pachinko game machine 100, the presence or absence of reach effect, the number of reserved balls, etc. Then, information on the determined special symbol fluctuation pattern is included in a fluctuation start command and sent from the game control unit 200 to the performance control unit 300. In the performance control unit 300, as described later, a performance corresponding to (executable during) the fluctuation time specified based on the fluctuation pattern information included in the fluctuation start command is selected and executed as the performance when the special symbol fluctuates.

[Configuration of RAM of the game control unit and RAM of the performance control unit for performing advance notice performance based on advance judgment]
Next, the configuration of the RAM 203 of the game control unit 200 and the RAM 303 of the presentation control unit 300 in this embodiment for executing the advance notice presentation based on the advance judgment will be described.
Fig. 44 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of the RAM 203 (see Fig. 3) of the game control unit 200 according to this embodiment. Fig. 44(a) is a block diagram showing the configuration of the memory area 204, and Fig. 44(b) is a block diagram showing the configuration of each of the memories shown in Fig. 44(a).

As shown in FIG. 44(a), the RAM 203 has a memory area 204 as a special symbol reservation memory area that stores the jackpot random number obtained by the jackpot random number lottery. This memory area 204 has eight memory sections corresponding to the maximum number of reserved numbers in the first start hole 121 and the second start hole 122 (when the upper limit of each reserved number is 4). More specifically, the memory area 204 has a first memory section 204a, a second memory section 204b, a third memory section 204c, a fourth memory section 204d, a fifth memory section 204e, a sixth memory section 204f, a seventh memory section 204g, and an eighth memory section 204h.

As shown in FIG. 44(b), each of these memory units 204a-204h has an area for storing information indicating which starting port (first starting port 121 or second starting port 122) was won, an area for storing the obtained jackpot random number, an area for storing a pattern random number, an area for storing a reach random number, and an area for storing a variation pattern random number. That is, each of the memory units 204a-204h stores a jackpot random number, a pattern random number, a reach random number, and a variation pattern random number.

Here, each random number is stored in order starting from the first storage unit 204a. To explain more specifically, for example, when no random number is stored in any of the first storage unit 204a to the eighth storage unit 204h, the acquired random number is stored in the first storage unit 204a. Also, for example, when random numbers are already stored in the first storage unit 204a to the fourth storage unit 204d, the acquired random number is stored in the fifth storage unit 204e.

Fig. 45 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the RAM 303 (see Fig. 3) of the performance control unit 300 according to this embodiment. Fig. 45(a) is a block diagram showing the configuration of the reserved memory areas 305 and 306, and Fig. 45(b) is a block diagram showing the configuration of each of the memory units shown in Fig. 45(a).
As shown in FIG. 45(a), the RAM 303 includes a first reserved memory area 305 and a second reserved memory area 306 as reserved status memory areas that store the status of reserved balls. The first reserved memory area 305 and the second reserved memory area 306 correspond to the reserved status for the winning of the first starting hole 121 and the reserved status for the winning of the second starting hole 122, respectively, and each has four storage sections. Specifically, the first reserved memory area 305 includes a first storage section 305a, a second storage section 305b, a third storage section 305c, and a fourth storage section 305d. The second reserved memory area 306 includes a first storage section 306a, a second storage section 306b, a third storage section 306c, and a fourth storage section 306d.

As shown in FIG. 45(b), each of these storage units 305a-305d, 306a-306d has a reserved flag storage area for turning the reserved flag ON/OFF and a notification flag storage area for turning the notification flag ON/OFF. The reserved flag is a flag for identifying the presence or absence of reserved balls for each storage unit 305a-305d, 306a-306d. That is, for example, if the number of reserved balls due to winning in the first starting hole 121 is 3, the reserved flag is ON in the three reserved flag storage areas of the first to third storage units 305a, 305b, and 305c. The notification flag is a flag for setting whether or not to perform a notice performance based on the results of a preliminary judgment for each reserved ball. In the pachinko game machine 100 of this embodiment, the performance control unit 300 can set whether or not to perform a notice performance based on the results of a preliminary judgment depending on the game state and the situation of the performance. Therefore, if a preview performance is to be performed, the notification flag is set to ON, and if a preview performance is not to be performed, the notification flag is set to OFF. For example, if a preview performance is to be performed for the third of the three reserved balls, the notification flag is set to ON in the notification flag storage area of the third storage unit 305c.

In addition, although not shown in the figure, the RAM 203 has an area (hereinafter, the pre-judgment information storage area) in which pre-judgment information is stored, in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 44(a). The pre-judgment information is information obtained by the pre-judgment process based on the above random numbers (see S904 and S911 in FIG. 31). The contents of the pre-judgment information are the same as the information obtained as various judgment results in the special symbol process (see FIG. 33), and specifically, it is information for indicating whether or not a jackpot has been hit (and whether or not a small jackpot has been hit), the type of jackpot if a jackpot has been hit, whether the fluctuation pattern (fluctuation time) is long enough to execute a reach performance, and the contents of the fluctuation pattern. The pre-judgment information stored in the pre-judgment information storage area is sent from the game control unit 200 to the performance control unit 300 together with information on the reservation (hereinafter, the reservation information) corresponding to the winning ball (reserved ball) for which the pre-judgment process has been performed, or at a unique timing separate from this reservation information, and is included in the pre-judgment result command.

[Preliminary judgment process]
Next, the pre-determination process (see S904 and S911 in FIG. 31) will be described in detail.
In the pre-determination process in this embodiment, the game control unit 200 performs pre-determination as follows, using a random number table similar to the example of the random number configuration described with reference to Figures 42 and 43.

FIG. 46 is a flowchart showing the contents of the pre-determination process (S904, S911 in FIG. 31) according to this embodiment.
46, the game control unit 200 first judges whether the game state is a high probability state or not (S2401), and if it judges that it is a high probability state (Yes in S2401), it selects a table for the high probability state and performs a preliminary judgment of the jackpot random number and the jackpot pattern random number (S2402).On the other hand, if it judges that it is No in S2401, it selects a table for the low probability state and performs a preliminary judgment of the jackpot random number and the jackpot pattern random number (S2403).

After the preliminary judgment of the jackpot random number and the jackpot pattern random number in S2402 or S2403, the game control unit 200 judges whether the game state is in the time-saving state (S2404), and if it is judged to be in the time-saving state (Yes in S2404), selects a table for the time-saving state and performs a preliminary judgment of the reach random number (S2405).Furthermore, it selects a table for the time-saving state and performs a preliminary judgment of the fluctuation pattern random number (S2406).
On the other hand, if the answer is No in S2404, a table for a no-time-reduction state is selected to perform a preliminary determination of the reach random number (S2407).Furthermore, a table for a no-time-reduction state is selected to perform a preliminary determination of the fluctuation pattern random number (S2408).

Then, the game control unit 200 stores the results of the pre-determination of the jackpot random number, the pre-determination of the jackpot pattern random number, the pre-determination of the reach random number, and the pre-determination of the variation pattern obtained as described above in the pre-determination information storage area as pre-determination information (S2409). Furthermore, in order to send the pre-determination information to the performance control unit 300, a pre-determination result command including the pre-determination information is set in the RAM 203 (S2410).

The above-mentioned preliminary judgment is performed using a random number value (see S903, S910 in FIG. 31) obtained in response to the entry of the game ball into the starting hole 121, 122, and a judgment table having a configuration similar to that of the judgment table used in the jackpot judgment process (see FIG. 42). In other words, the judgment itself after selecting the judgment table to be used is the same as the judgment in the jackpot judgment process (see S1201 in FIG. 34). Therefore, in this embodiment, the subroutine (see S1108 in FIG. 33 and FIG. 34) of the jackpot judgment process used in the special symbol process (see FIG. 33) is called, and the random number judgment in the above-mentioned preliminary judgment is performed.

By configuring in this manner, in this embodiment, there is no need to prepare a processing function (subroutine) for judging random numbers separately from the jackpot judgment process in order to judge the random numbers in the pre-judgment process. This reduces the number of control instructions, and suppresses an increase in the size of the programs related to the jackpot judgment process and the pre-judgment process. Also, as described above, if the judgment table used for the pre-judgment is configured in the same way as the judgment table used for the jackpot judgment, the judgment table used for the jackpot judgment may also be used for the pre-judgment.

...

In this case, the subroutine (see S1109 in FIG. 33 and FIG. 35) of the variation pattern selection process used in the special symbol processing (see FIG. 33) can be called and used to look ahead at the variation pattern selected in the variation pattern selection process. In addition, the variation pattern table used in the variation pattern selection process of the special symbol processing may be used for the look-ahead table used to look ahead at the variation pattern selection. By configuring in this way, it is possible to reduce the number of control commands related to the look-ahead of the variation pattern selection and suppress an increase in the size of the program.

When the pre-judgment process and the jackpot judgment process during the special symbol change are performed in the same subroutine using the same judgment table group, the execution time of each process is different, so the pre-judgment result and the judgment result by the jackpot judgment process during the special symbol change may differ. That is, after the pre-judgment process is performed, the game state of the pachinko game machine 100 (high probability state or low probability state, time-saving state or no time-saving state) changes by the time the special symbol change starts. In this case, different types of judgment tables are used depending on the game state, so the specific judgment table used for judgment will be different when the pre-judgment process is performed and when the jackpot judgment process is performed. Therefore, even if the same random number value obtained when winning the start hole 121, 122 is used, the pre-judgment result and the judgment result of the jackpot judgment process may differ. In such a case, if the game state changes after the pre-judgment process is performed by the time the special symbol change starts, the performance control unit 300 may perform control such as (prohibition) not to perform the performance based on the pre-judgment result.

In accordance with the command output from the game control unit 200 to the performance control unit 300 as described above, the performance control unit 300 controls, for example, the image display unit 114, the board lamp 116, the speaker 156, and the frame lamp 157. For example, when the performance control unit 300 receives a command indicating the start of a door opening error, the performance control unit 300 causes the image display unit 114 to display a message such as "Please call an attendant" or an image indicating an abnormal state. The performance control unit 300 also causes the speaker 156 to output an alarm indicating an abnormal state, and restricts the output of music, voice, sound effects, and the like. The performance control unit 300 also turns on the board lamp 116 and the frame lamp 157 in red, for example, to indicate an abnormal state.

In addition, although it has been described here that the performance control unit 300 notifies the occurrence of an error using all of the image display unit 114, the board lamp 116, the speaker 156, and the frame lamp 157, it may be possible to use only some of these. The notification mode may be switched depending on the type of error. For example, when a door opening error occurs, the image display unit 114, the board lamp 116, the speaker 156, and the frame lamp 157 may all be used as described above. When a payout error occurs, the image display unit 114 and the speaker 156 notify the occurrence of an error. This allows staff at the gaming establishment (pachinko parlor) to easily determine the urgency of an error that has occurred in the gaming machine.

[Operation of the production control unit]
Next, the operation of the performance control unit 300 will be described.
FIG. 47 is a flowchart showing the operation of the performance control unit 300.
The operation of the performance control unit 300 consists of the main processing shown in Fig. 47(a) and the interrupt processing shown in Fig. 47(b). Referring to Fig. 47(a), the performance control unit 300 first performs initial settings at startup (S2501), sets the cycle of the CTC (Counter/Timer Circuit) (S2502), and then accepts interrupt processing while updating the random numbers used in performance control according to the set cycle (S2503).

The interrupt process is performed periodically according to the cycle set in S2502. Referring to FIG. 47(b), in this interrupt process, the performance control unit 300 receives a command from the game control unit 200 and performs command reception process (S2511). In this command reception process, the performance content (performance pattern) is selected. The performance control unit 300 also performs performance button process to accept the operation of the performance button 161 by the player (S2512). After this, the performance control unit 300 performs command transmission process to transmit a command including information on the selected performance pattern to the image/sound control unit 310 and the lamp control unit 320 (S2513). As a result, performance is performed by displaying an image and outputting sound on the image display unit 114, operating the movable role object 115, lighting the board lamp 116 and the frame lamp 157, etc.

[Command reception processing by the production control unit]
FIG. 48 is a flow chart showing the contents of the command receiving process (S2511 in FIG. 47(b)).
In this command reception process, the performance control unit 300 first judges whether or not the preliminary judgment result command and the reserved number increase command have been received (S2601). The preliminary judgment result command and the reserved number increase command are commands that are set in the start port switch process shown in Fig. 31 in the game control unit 200 (S906, S907, S913, S914) and sent to the performance control unit 300 in the output process (S806) shown in Fig. 30.
Then, when the performance control unit 300 judges that the pre-determination result command and the hold number increase command have been received (Yes in S2601), the performance control unit 300 adds 1 to the value of the hold number stored in the RAM 303 (S2602). Furthermore, the performance control unit 300 performs a pre-determination performance selection process based on the pre-determination result command and the hold number increase command (S2603). The contents of the pre-determination performance selection process will be described later.

If the received command is neither a pre-determination result command nor a reserved number increase command (No in S2601), the performance control unit 300 judges whether the received command is a fluctuation start command (S2604). This fluctuation start command is a command that is set in the game control unit 200 in the special symbol processing shown in FIG. 33 (S1111) and sent to the performance control unit 300 in the output processing (S806) shown in FIG. 30.
If the received command is a fluctuation start command (Yes in S2604), the performance control unit 300 executes a performance selection process (S2605). When a fluctuation start command is received, a random number value for performance control used in the performance selection process is obtained. This random number value is a random number value that is periodically updated in S2503 of the main process shown in FIG. 47(a). The details of the performance selection process will be described later.

If the received command is not a pre-determination result command, a reserved number increase command, or a fluctuation start command (No in S2601 and S2604), the performance control unit 300 judges whether the received command is a fluctuation stop command (S2606). This fluctuation stop command is a command that is set in the special symbol processing shown in FIG. 33 in the game control unit 200 (S1114) and sent to the performance control unit 300 in the output processing (S806) shown in FIG. 30.
If the received command is a fluctuation stop command (Yes in S2606), the performance control unit 300 executes a fluctuation performance end process (S2607). In the fluctuation performance end process, the performance control unit 300 analyzes the received fluctuation stop command and sets a fluctuation performance end command in the RAM 303 to instruct the end of the pattern fluctuation performance.

If the received command is not a pre-determination result command, a reserved number increase command, a fluctuation start command, or a fluctuation stop command (No in S2601, S2604, and S2606), the performance control unit 300 judges whether the received command is an opening command for starting the opening operation of the big win game (S2608). This opening command is a command that is set in the stopped processing shown in FIG. 36 (S1418) and sent to the performance control unit 300 in the output processing (S806) shown in FIG. 30.
If the received command is an opening command (Yes in S2608), the effect control unit 300 executes a big win effect selection process (S2609). The big win effect selection process will be described in detail later.

If the received command is not a pre-determination result command, a reserved number increase command, a fluctuation start command, a fluctuation stop command, or an opening command (No in S2601, S2604, S2606, and S2608), the performance control unit 300 judges whether the received command is an ending command for starting the ending operation of the big win game (S2610). This ending command is a command that is set in the big win opening process shown in Fig. 39 (S1713) and sent to the performance control unit 300 in the output process (S806) shown in Fig. 30.
If the received command is an ending command (Yes in S2610), the performance control unit 300 executes an ending performance selection process (S2611). The details of the ending performance selection process will be described later.

If the received command is not a pre-determination result command, a hold number increase command, a fluctuation start command, a fluctuation stop command, an opening command, or an ending command (No in S2601, S2604, S2606, S2608, and S2610), the performance control unit 300 then executes a customer waiting command reception process to transition the received command to a customer waiting state (S2612). The customer waiting command reception process will be described in detail later.

FIG. 49 is a flowchart showing the contents of the pre-determination effect selection process (S2603) and the effect selection process (S2605) of FIG.
In the pre-determination effect selection process, the effect control unit 300 first analyzes the pre-determination result command received from the game control unit 200 (S2801). Furthermore, the effect control unit 300 analyzes the reserved number increase command received from the game control unit 200 (S2802). Then, the effect control unit 300 selects an effect pattern (pre-determination effect pattern) to be used in the pre-determination effect based on the pre-determination result command and the reserved number increase command (S2803).

Here, as the pre-determination performance pattern, various performance patterns can be provided that foretell the result of the random number determination by the special pattern processing before the start of the fluctuation based on the result of the random number determination by the special pattern processing. For example, a reserved display performance, a continuous notice performance, etc. can be provided as a pre-determination performance pattern. In this embodiment, when a reserved ball occurs, a display showing the number of reserved balls is displayed on the first special pattern reserved display 218 and the second special pattern reserved display 219 of the display 130 (see FIG. 3), and a reserved display suggesting the occurrence of a reserved ball and the number of reserved balls is displayed on the image display unit 114 (reserved display performance). Therefore, in this reserved display performance, by reflecting the pre-determination result in the display mode of the reserved display, etc., a pre-determination performance can be provided that suggests to the player the judgment result when the random number determination by the special pattern processing is performed later for the reserved ball.

Note that, although the case where the pending display effect is used as the pre-determination effect has been described here, it is possible to perform a variety of advance notice effects by reflecting the various effects performed before the start of fluctuations based on the random number determination results by the special pattern processing. For example, effects using the effect image displayed on the image display unit 114, effects using the illumination of the board lamp 116 and the frame lamp 157, effects using the operation of movable props, effects using audio output such as music and sound effects, etc. can be set as pre-determination effect patterns.

In addition, the pre-determination performance is executed in conjunction with the pattern change for other winning balls that is performed before the pattern change for the winning ball (reserved ball) for which a pre-determination has been performed. In this embodiment, the reserved balls are limited to four per start port (first start port 121 or second start port 122) (see FIG. 31). Also, priority is given to the consumption of reserved balls in the second start port 122. In this case, for example, if a pre-determination is performed for a reserved ball in the second start port 122, pattern changes will be performed for up to four winning balls, including the currently changing change (referred to as the change in question), before the pattern change for that reserved ball is performed. In the advance notice performance for the reserved ball for which a pre-determination has been performed, if multiple pattern changes are performed before the pattern change for that reserved ball, an advance notice performance (continuous advance notice performance) that spans the multiple pattern changes may be performed.

Then, the performance control unit 300 sets a reserved number command containing the value of the reserved number after the addition and information on the pre-determined performance pattern selected in the pre-determined performance selection process in the RAM 303 (S2804). The reserved number command contains information indicating the selected pre-determined performance pattern to notify the CPU 311 of the image/audio control unit 310 of the pattern. By receiving the reserved number command, the CPU 311 creates a display list or the like for the VDP 314 to draw and output images and sounds corresponding to the selected pre-determined performance pattern. Based on the display list or the like, the VDP 314 reads image data and sound data for representing the selected pre-determined performance pattern from the CGROM 315 and the SNDROM 316, and displays the pre-determined performance using the image display unit 114 and the speaker 156.

In the effect selection process, the effect control unit 300 first analyzes the received fluctuation start command (S2811). It also subtracts 1 from the reserved number value stored in the RAM 303 (S2812). The effect control unit 300 then selects a fluctuation effect pattern for the pattern fluctuation by the image displayed on the image display unit 114 based on various setting information (such as the type of jackpot, the game state after the jackpot, and fluctuation pattern) obtained from the analysis result of the fluctuation start command (S2813).

Finally, the performance control unit 300 sets a variable performance start command in the RAM 303 to instruct the start of execution of the selected performance (S2814). The variable performance start command includes information indicating the selected variable performance pattern in order to notify the CPU 311 of the selected pattern. By receiving the variable performance start command, the CPU 311 creates a display list or the like for the VDP 314 to draw and output images and sounds corresponding to the selected variable performance pattern. Based on the display list or the like, the VDP 314 reads image data and sound data for representing the selected variable performance pattern from the CGROM 315 and the SNDROM 316, and displays the variable performance using the image display unit 114 and the speaker 156.

Although not described in detail, in the selection process of the variation presentation pattern of the pattern variation in S2813, the variation presentation pattern is determined based on the variation pattern. The variation presentation pattern of the decorative pattern, the background presentation, the notice presentation, etc. are determined based on the variation presentation pattern determined here. The variation presentation of the decorative pattern is a presentation display performed on the image display unit 114 in conjunction with the variation presentation of the special pattern performed on the first special pattern display device 221 or the second special pattern display device 222. In this variation presentation of the decorative pattern, a reach presentation, etc. is executed. Unlike this embodiment, when multiple variation presentation patterns are set for the variation pattern, the variation presentation pattern may be selected by lottery using a presentation random number (one of the random numbers updated in S2503 of FIG. 47(a), and the presentation random number value is obtained when the variation start command is received).

FIG. 50 is a flowchart showing the contents of the big win effect selection process (S2609) of FIG.
In this big win effect selection process, the effect control unit 300 first analyzes the received opening command (including information on the type of big win symbol) (S3001), and selects an effect pattern (big win effect pattern) (S3002). Then, the effect control unit 300 reads image data and sound data used for the effect by the selected big win effect pattern from the ROM 302, sets the big win effect start command that instructs the selected effect together with these data in the RAM 303, and ends the big win effect selection process (S3003). This determines the effect during the big win. In addition, in the selection of the big win effect pattern (S3002), a judgment may be made based on a random number value obtained when the command is received.

FIG. 51 is a flowchart showing the contents of the ending effect selection process (S2611) of FIG.
In this ending performance selection process, the performance control unit 300 first analyzes the received ending command (including information on the type of big win symbol) (S3101), and selects a performance pattern (ending performance pattern) (S3102). Then, the performance control unit 300 reads image data and sound data used for the performance by the selected ending performance pattern from the ROM 302, sets the ending performance start command that instructs the selected performance together with these data in the RAM 303, and ends the ending performance selection process (S3103). Note that in the selection of the ending performance pattern (S3102), a judgment may be made based on a random number value obtained when the command is received.

FIG. 52 is a flow chart showing the contents of the customer waiting command receiving process (S2612) of FIG.
The performance control unit 300 judges whether or not a customer waiting command for switching to a customer waiting state has been received (S3201). If a customer waiting command has been received (Yes in S3201), the performance control unit 300 starts measuring the elapsed time (S3202) and sets the measurement flag in the RAM 303 to ON (S3203). On the other hand, if the received command is not a customer waiting command (No in S3201), the performance control unit 300 judges whether or not the measurement flag stored in the RAM 303 is ON (S3204). If the measurement flag is OFF (No in S3204), the customer waiting command reception process ends.

If the measurement flag is ON (after Yes in S3204 or ON in S3203), the performance control unit 300 then determines whether the measurement time has reached a predetermined time-up time (e.g., 10 seconds) (S3205). If the time has not expired (No in S3205), the customer waiting command reception process ends. On the other hand, if the time has expired (Yes in S3205), the performance control unit 300 turns OFF the measurement flag stored in RAM 303 (S3206), sets a customer waiting performance command to perform a customer waiting performance (demo performance) in RAM 303, and ends the customer waiting command reception process (S3207).

When the command reception process is completed in this manner, one of the following commands is set in RAM 303: variable performance start command, variable performance end command, big win performance start command, ending performance start command, or customer waiting performance command.

FIG. 53 is a flowchart showing the contents of the effect button processing (S2512 in FIG. 47(b)).
In this effect button process, the effect control unit 300 first judges whether or not the player has operated the operation means such as the effect button 161 during a predetermined acceptance period (valid period) (S3301). Here, the operation of the operation means includes the effect button 161 being pressed to turn ON, and the center key or surrounding keys of the effect keys 162 being pressed to turn ON. In addition, if the pachinko game machine 100 is provided with an operation device other than the effect button 161 and the effect keys 162, such as a touch panel, it includes the detection of the operation of that device. The effect control unit 300 receives operation signals from the controllers of these devices and detects that an operation has been performed.

If an operating means such as the performance button 161 is operated (Yes in S3301), the performance control unit 300 sets a performance button command including information indicating the operation content of the operating means in RAM 303 and ends the performance button processing (S3302).

Then, the performance control unit 300 performs the command sending process (S2513) of FIG. 47(b) and sends the command set in the RAM 303 in the command receiving process and performance button process to the image/audio control unit 310 and the lamp control unit 320. Based on the received command, the image/audio control unit 310 and the lamp control unit 320 then control the image display on the image display unit 114, the sound output, the operation of the movable prop 115, the illumination of the board lamp 116 and the frame lamp 157, etc., to execute the set performance.

[Information displayed on the information display in each gaming area]
Next, the display information of the information display 230 in each game section will be described with reference to Fig. 54. In the table of display information in Fig. 54, the section counter value (type of game section), the number of outs during normal play, the data selection counter value, and the display content of the information display 230 are associated with each other.
Here, the first game section shown in FIG. 54 starts when the power is turned on for the first time. The total number of outs set at 60,000 is a value that can approximately guarantee one day's operation of a pachinko machine that produces 100 shots per minute. The normal base value is always displayed in two digits in the numeric segment. Also, if the normal number of outs is "0" or if the normal base value is 100 or more, "99." is displayed in the numeric segment.

The identification information displayed in the identification segment of the information display 230 includes "bL.", which indicates that it is the normal base value for the current play section, "b1.", which indicates that it is the normal base value for the play section one period before, "b2.", which indicates that it is the normal base value for the play section two periods before, and "b3.", which indicates that it is the normal base value for the play section three periods before.

The numerical information displayed in the numerical segment of the information display 230 includes "--", which indicates that there is no calculated normal base value, "00", which indicates that the normal base value is "0" or the normal out count is "0", "01" to "99", which indicate that the normal out count is "1" or more and the normal base value is "1" to "99", and "99.", which indicates that the normal base value is "100" or more. Note that if the normal base value is less than "10", the tens digit of the numerical information will always be "0" and it will be displayed in two digits.

The display mode of the numerical information displayed in the numerical segment does not change (it is displayed as a lit light) regardless of the play area or the number of outs during normal play, but the display mode of the identification information displayed in the identification segment changes (it is displayed as a flashing light or a lit light) depending on the play area or the number of outs during normal play (whether or not a calculated normal base value is present, and whether or not the calculated normal base value is credible).

Specifically, in the first to fourth play zones, when displaying the identification information of a play zone in which there is no calculated normal base value, the identification information will be displayed in a blinking manner. In addition, in the second play zone and onwards, when displaying the identification information of the current play zone ("bL."), if the period in which the reliability of the calculated normal base value is low (the number of normal outs is between 0 and 5999), the identification information will be displayed in a blinking manner. In all other cases, the identification information will be displayed in a lit manner.

Here, as an example of the display on the information display 230, if the section counter value is "1", the number of normal outs is within the range of 0 to 5999, the data selection counter value is "0", and the normal base value stored in the first area of the base memory area is "35", the identification segment of the information display 230 will flash "bL." and the numeric segment will light up and display "35".

In this way, when the normal base value is "99" or less, the performance information displayed in the numeric segment does not use the decimal point DP of the seven-segment display, i.e., "00" to "99", whereas when the normal base value is "100" or more, the performance information displayed in the numeric segment uses the decimal point DP of the seven-segment display, i.e., "99.", making it easier to know that the normal base value is abnormal.

Also, when the base value is normally less than "10", a "0" is always displayed in the tens digit of the numeric segment, resulting in a two-digit display (e.g. "01"), making it possible to effectively use the two seven-segment displays as numeric segments and provide an easy-to-understand display.

In addition, when the normal base value for the current play area is displayed, if the number of normal outs for the current play area is between 0 and 5999, which is not enough to calculate the normal base value, the identification information "bL." displayed in the identification segment will flash, making it easier to understand that the currently displayed normal base value is unreliable information.

In addition, if no normal base value has been calculated, a non-numeric "- - " will be displayed in the numerical segment, making it easier to understand that no normal base value has been calculated in the game section corresponding to the identification information displayed in the identification segment.

In addition, rather than executing the game ball counting process, performance information calculation process, and performance display data setting process as information programs, it is also possible to execute one or two of them as game programs (for example, execute the game ball counting process within the input control process that monitors the presence or absence of signal input from various switches), while executing the rest as information programs.

In addition, the process of outputting display data for displaying performance information on the information display device 230 may be executed by the performance program, rather than by the output control process, which is the game program.

In addition, instead of using the out ball detection switch 227 to detect out balls consisting of game balls that have entered the normal prize entry port 126, the first start port 121, the second start port 122, and the large prize entry port 125, and game balls that have flowed into the discharge port 117, the out ball detection switch 227 may be configured to detect only game balls that have flowed into the out port. In that case, the number of outs (total number of outs, number of outs during normal play) may be incremented by one each time a game ball is detected by the out ball detection switch 227, the normal prize entry port switch 217, the first start port switch 211, the second start port switch 212, and the large prize entry port switch 215.

(Main processing of the general control unit)
The main processing of the image/audio control unit 310 will be described with reference to Fig. 55. Fig. 55 is a flowchart showing the main processing of the image/audio control unit 310. This main processing is performed when a system reset, which occurs when a power supply voltage is supplied from a power supply board (not shown), is input to the CPU 311.

First, the CPU 311 prohibits all interrupts in step T1, and performs initial setting processing in step T2. Specifically, the CPU performs initial setting of the CPU such as setting the built-in registers, granting access to the RAM 313, initializing (clearing to 0) all RAM areas of the RAM 313, starting the CTC (counter timer circuit) to generate timer interrupts, and so on, and then in step T3, all interrupts are permitted.

In step T4, the CPU 311 performs an adjustment mode switching process. Specifically, by referring to an input signal from a changeover switch (not shown) that can be operated by a gaming store staff member, the CPU 311 performs a process for adjusting the volume (value) of the effect sound output from the speaker 156 and the light intensity (value) of the backlight of the image display unit 114, and for switching the adjustment mode related to the volume and light intensity adjustment (whether or not the volume can be adjusted, whether or not the light intensity can be adjusted, the initial value of the volume value (any of 0 to 5) and the initial value of the light intensity value (any of 0 to 5), the adjustment range of the volume value (0 to 5 or 1 to 5) and the adjustment range of the light intensity value (0 to 5 or 1 to 5)).

Here, a changeover switch (not shown) is provided on the game control board serving as the main board, and switches between adjustment modes related to the volume of the performance sounds output from the speaker 156 and the light intensity of the display devices (image display unit 114, sub-display unit (a display device that displays images related to the performance separately from the image display unit 114)) and various lighting devices (frame lamp 157, board lamp 116).
In addition, the setting (adjustment) of the volume and light values using a changeover switch (not shown) can be performed at any time as long as the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned on (after the image/sound control unit 310 has been started).

In step T5, the CPU 311 performs a volume adjustment process. Specifically, the CPU 311 performs a process to adjust the volume (value) of the effect sound output from the speaker 156 based on the detection signal (left button detection signal, right button detection signal) from the detection switch that detects the operation of the effect key 162 that can be operated by the player.

In step T6, the CPU 311 performs a light intensity adjustment process. Specifically, the CPU 311 performs a process to adjust the light intensity (value) of the backlight of the image display unit 114 based on a detection signal (down button detection signal, up button detection signal) from a detection switch that detects the operation of the effect keys 162 that can be operated by the player.

The setting (adjustment) of the volume value and light intensity value using the performance key 162 is restricted (limited) when the variable performance starts and ends (when the decorative pattern 41 stops). In addition, the settings (adjustments) of the volume value and light intensity value using the performance key 162 are restricted (limited) from when the power of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned on until the game progress control starts (specifically, during the setting change mode, RAM clear preparation mode, setting confirmation mode, during the initial operation of various drive sources, etc., until a timer interrupt is started on the game control board), and during the notification (output of notification sound) of important (high security level) abnormalities (power on, power recovery, illegal winning, abnormal winning, magnetic error, radio wave error, door open error) that should be notified with priority over a full tray error or a payout abnormality.

In addition, while the abnormality warning sound is being output, even if the current volume value is lower than the maximum volume value, the volume of the various sound effects (such as background music) output from the speaker 156 is reduced from the previous volume, and when the output of the abnormality warning sound ends, the volume of the various sound effects is restored to the volume before the reduction.

In step T7, the CPU 311 performs an eco mode control process. Specifically, the CPU 311 performs a process to control the start and end of an eco mode that reduces the amount of light from the backlight of the image display unit 114 to reduce power consumption.

In step T8, the CPU 311 determines whether or not it has received a performance instruction command or a notification instruction command transmitted from the performance control unit 300. If it has not received a performance instruction command or a notification instruction command, it proceeds to step T11. If it has received a performance instruction command or a notification instruction command, it proceeds to step T9.

In step T9, the CPU 311 performs an animation pattern setting process. Specifically, the CPU 311 performs a process of determining an animation pattern from an animation group of a type corresponding to the received performance instruction command or notification instruction command, and setting the animation pattern in a predetermined area of the RAM 313.

In step T10, the CPU 311 performs a sound pattern setting process. Specifically, the CPU 311 determines a sound pattern from a sound group of a type corresponding to the received performance instruction command or notification instruction command, and sets the sound pattern in a predetermined area of the RAM 313.

In step T11, the CPU 311 determines whether a frame switching flag is set in the RAM 313, indicating that it is time to update the frame of the image displayed on the image display unit 114. If the frame switching flag is set, the process proceeds to step T12. If the frame switching flag is not set, the process proceeds to step T4.

The frame switching flag is set by the V blank interrupt process, which is executed every time the image/audio control unit 310 receives a V blank signal sent from the VDP 314 every 1/30th of a second (the time it takes for the drawing and display of one frame of the performance image to be completed). Therefore, the processes in steps T12 to T15 described below are executed every time the V blank interrupt process is executed (frame update timing).

In step T12, the CPU 311 clears the frame switch flag set in the RAM 313, and in step T13 performs a scene update process. Specifically, the CPU 311 refers to the scene switch counter, wait frame counter, and frame counter that are updated in the V blank interrupt process described above, and updates the address of the animation scene based on the animation pattern determined in step T9, and updates the address of the sound scene based on the sound pattern determined in step T10.

In step T14, the CPU 311 performs drawing control processing. Specifically, in accordance with the priority order (drawing order) of the animation group to which the animation scene belongs, the CPU 311 generates a display list consisting of a group of drawing control commands from the display information (sprite identification number, display position, etc.) of one frame of the animation scene at the updated address, outputs this display list to the VDP 314, and performs processing to instruct the drawing of a display image based on the display list.

As a result, the VDP 314 draws display images based on the display list in the drawing frame buffer, and also performs processing to display the images (performance images, abnormality notification images) drawn in the display frame buffer on the image display unit 114. In other words, the frame update timing becomes the start and end timing of various performances (image displays and sound outputs such as hold displays, variable performances, big win preview performances, and pre-reading performances) performed by the image display unit 114. Note that performances (performance operations of the movable role-player 115) directly controlled by the performance control unit 300 or lamp control unit 320 may or may not coincide with the frame update timing.

In step T15, the CPU 311 performs audio control processing. Specifically, the CPU 311 generates an audio control command from the sound information at the updated address and outputs the audio control command to the image/audio control unit 310.

As a result, the image/audio control unit 310 performs processing to output various special sounds and notification sounds based on the voice control commands from the speaker 156. When this processing ends, the process proceeds to step T4.

In this way, when the variable presentation starts and ends (when the decorative pattern 41 stops), the volume and light intensity can be adjusted using a selector switch (not shown) that can be operated by game store staff, but volume and light intensity adjustments using the presentation key 162 that can be operated by the player are regulated (limited). This makes it difficult for players to miss important points such as the start and end of the variable presentation, making it possible to prevent a decline in interest in the game.

In addition, during the notification (output of alarm sound) of important (high security level) abnormalities (power on, power recovery, unrecoverable error, illegal win, abnormal win, magnetic error, radio wave error, door open error) that should be given priority over a full tray error or a payout abnormality, it is possible to adjust the volume and light intensity using a changeover switch (not shown) that can be operated by game store staff, but volume and light intensity adjustment using the effect key 162 that can be operated by the player is regulated (limited). This makes it possible to improve the convenience of the game store in adjusting the volume and light intensity while avoiding the inconvenience of a player not noticing the occurrence of an abnormality when trying to adjust the volume or light intensity.

In addition, while the abnormality notification sound is being output, even if the current volume value is lower than the maximum volume value, the volume of the various sound effects (BGM, etc.) output from the speaker 156 is reduced from the previous volume, and when the output of the abnormality notification sound ends, the volume of the various sound effects is restored to the volume before the reduction. This makes it possible to avoid the inconvenience of not noticing the abnormality notification sound due to the various sound effects, and ensures the security of the gaming machine.

Note that while an abnormality is being notified (an alarm sound is being output), it may be impossible to set (adjust) the volume value or light intensity value using the effect key 162 that the player can operate, or the adjustment range of the volume value or light intensity value may be limited to, for example, between 0 and 2.

(Initial processing of the lamp control unit)
The role initial processing of the lamp control unit 320 will be described with reference to Fig. 56. Fig. 56 is a flowchart showing the role initial processing of the lamp control unit 320, and this processing is executed within a timer interrupt processing executed in the lamp control unit 320 at a predetermined cycle (4 milliseconds).

In step R101, the CPU 321 determines whether or not a power-on command (power-on command, power-restoration command) has been received from the game control unit 200. If a power-on command has been received, the process proceeds to step R102; if a power-on command has not been received, the process proceeds to step R103.

In step R102, the CPU 321 sets the initial processing number, which is updated during each process of the reel initial processing, to "1" to execute the origin return process for the reels (movable reels 115, sub-image display section (not shown), and performance button 161).

In step R103, the CPU 321 determines whether the initial processing number is "1". If the initial processing number is not "1", the process proceeds to step R105 without executing the origin return process for the reel. If the initial processing number is "1", the process proceeds to step R104, where it executes the origin return process and ends the current reel initial processing. Specifically, it performs processes such as executing the return operation of the reel (movable reel 115, sub-image display unit (not shown), performance button 161) to the origin position based on the input signal from the position detection sensor and setting the initial processing number to "2". The origin return process will be described in detail later.

In step R105, the CPU 321 determines whether the initial processing number is "2". If the initial processing number is not "2", the current reel initial processing is terminated without executing the initial operation processing of the reel, and if the initial processing number is "2", the initial operation processing is performed and the current reel initial processing is terminated. Specifically, the CPU 321 performs processing such as performing an initial operation and initial light emission to check whether the reel is operating normally and setting the initial processing number to "0". Details of the initial operation processing will be described later.

In this way, according to the reel initial processing shown in FIG. 56, the origin return processing for returning the various reels to their origin positions and the initial operation processing for performing the initial operations and initial light emission of the various reels are not executed at the same time. Therefore, the return operations of the various reels to their origin positions and the initial operations and initial light emission of the various reels are not mixed, and it becomes possible to check the return operations separately from the initial operations and initial light emission.

In addition, according to the reel initial processing shown in FIG. 56, the origin return processing is executed before the initial operation processing. Therefore, the various reels start their initial operation from the origin position, making it easier to determine whether there is an abnormality in the operation of the various reels.

(Origin return process of lamp control unit)
The origin return process of the lamp control unit 320 will be described with reference to Fig. 57. Fig. 57 is a flowchart showing the origin return process in the lamp control unit 320.

In step R105-1, the CPU 321 determines whether the board role processing number, which indicates the progress of the origin return status of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)), is "0". If the board role processing number is not "0", the process proceeds to step R105-3. If the board role processing number is "0", in step R105-2, the drive target to be returned to the origin is set to the movable role 115 (movable performance device), and the process proceeds to step R105-5.

In step R105-3, the CPU 321 determines whether the board role processing number is "1." If the board role processing number is not "1," the process proceeds to step R105-12. If the board role processing number is "1," the process proceeds to step R105-4, where the drive target to be returned to the origin is set to the sub display device (not shown), and the process proceeds to step R105-5.

In step R105-5, the CPU 321 determines whether the target reel is in the origin position (standby position). Specifically, it determines the input signal from the position detection sensor that detects whether each reel is in the origin position. If the target reel is not in the origin position, the process proceeds to step R105-6. If the target reel is in the origin position, the process proceeds to step R105-11.

In step R105-6, the CPU 321 drives the drive motor to move the target board part so that the target board part returns to its origin position, and in step R105-7, increments by +1 the board part abnormality determination timer to determine the occurrence of a return abnormality in which the board part does not return to its origin position within a specified time.

In step R105-8, the CPU 321 determines whether the updated board role abnormality determination timer is at its upper limit (e.g., 5 seconds). If the board role abnormality determination timer is at its upper limit, it assumes that a return abnormality has occurred in the board role to be driven and proceeds to step R105-9. If the board role abnormality determination timer is not at its upper limit, it proceeds to step R105-12.

In step R105-9, the CPU 321 sets in the RAM 323 recovery abnormality information (movable performance device recovery abnormality information, sub display device recovery abnormality information) indicating that a recovery abnormality has occurred in the target board role, and in step R105-10, clears the board role abnormality determination timer.

In step R105-11, the CPU 321 updates the board role processing number by +1. Specifically, if the board role processing number is "0", the board role processing number is updated to "1" to drive the sub-image display unit (not shown), and if the board role processing number is "1", the board role processing number is updated to "2" to end the process of returning the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)) to its origin.

In step R105-12, the CPU 321 determines whether the frame role processing number, which indicates the transition of the origin return status of the frame role (performance button 161), is "0." If the frame role processing number is "0," the process proceeds to step R105-13, and if the board role processing number is not "0," the process proceeds to step R105-20.

In step R105-13, the CPU 321 determines whether the performance button 161 is in the origin position (standby position). Specifically, it determines an input signal from a position detection sensor that detects that the performance button 161 is in the origin position. If the performance button 161 is not in the origin position, the process proceeds to step R105-14, and if the performance button 161 is in the origin position, the process proceeds to step R105-19.

In step R105-14, the CPU 321 drives the effect button drive motor to move the effect button 161 so that the effect button 161 returns to its original position, and in step R105-15, increments by +1 the frame role object abnormality determination timer to determine the occurrence of a return abnormality in which the effect button 161 does not return to its original position within a predetermined time.

In step R105-16, the CPU 321 determines whether the updated frame role object abnormality determination timer is at its upper limit (e.g., 5 seconds). If the frame role object abnormality determination timer is at its upper limit, it assumes that a return abnormality has occurred in the performance button 161 and proceeds to step R105-17. If the frame role object abnormality determination timer is not at its upper limit, it ends the current origin return process.

In step R105-17, the CPU 321 sets in the RAM 323 recovery abnormality information indicating that a recovery abnormality has occurred in the performance button 161, and in step R105-18, clears the frame role object abnormality determination timer.

In step R105-19, the CPU 321 updates the frame role object processing number by +1. Specifically, if the frame role object processing number is "0", the CPU 321 updates the frame role object processing number to "1" to end the process of returning the frame role object (performance button 161) to its origin.

In step R105-20, the CPU 321 determines whether the board role processing number and the frame role processing number satisfy the termination condition. Specifically, it determines whether the board role processing number is "2" and the frame role processing number is "1". If the termination condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step R105-21, and if the termination condition is not satisfied, the current origin return process is terminated.

In step R105-21, the CPU 321 clears the board role processing number and the frame role processing number, and in step R105-22, sets the initial processing number described above to "2" to execute the initial operation processing of the role, and ends this return to origin process.

In this way, according to the origin return process shown in FIG. 57, when the movable role 115 and the sub-image display unit (not shown), whose performance positions (movement areas) overlap when the power is turned on, are not in the origin position (standby position), they are not returned to the origin position (standby position) at the same time (at the same time) but are returned to the origin position in a specified order (the order of the movable role 115 → the sub-image display unit (not shown)). This makes it easier to check whether various board roles have returned to their origin positions. Also, when the movable role 115 and the sub-image display unit (not shown) are in contact with each other in a way that makes it difficult to separate them, it is possible to prevent the two roles from applying load to each other, and to prevent the inconvenience of both roles being damaged at the same time.

In addition, according to the origin return process shown in FIG. 57, the return operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display section (not shown)) to the origin position and the return operation of the frame role (performance button 161) to the origin position can be executed simultaneously (at the same time). Therefore, the time required for the return operation of the various roles can be shortened, and it becomes possible to smoothly transition to the initial operation of the various roles to be executed next.

In addition, according to the origin return process shown in FIG. 57, an upper limit is set on the time for each reel to return to its origin position. This makes it possible to prevent inconveniences such as the return action of various reels never finishing. This makes it possible to avoid situations where various reels are performing a return action during a variable performance, resulting in no performance action being performed, and prevents a decline in interest in the game.

In addition, according to the origin return process shown in FIG. 57, when both the return operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display section (not shown)) to the origin position and the return operation of the frame role (performance button 161) to the origin position are completed, a process is performed to transition to the initial operation process. Therefore, the return operation of the various roles to their origin positions and the initial operation of the various roles are no longer performed simultaneously, making it possible to check the return operation and initial operation of the various roles separately.

The movable reel 115 and the sub-image display unit (not shown) are designed to return to their original positions in a predetermined order (movable reel 115 → sub-image display unit (not shown)), but they may also start to return to their original positions at the same time. In this way, the time required for the return operation of the movable reel 115 and the sub-image display unit (not shown) can be shortened, and a smooth transition to the initial operation of the various reels to be executed next can be made.

(Initial Operation Processing of Lamp Control Unit)
The initial operation process of the lamp control unit 320 will be described with reference to Fig. 58. Fig. 58 is a flowchart showing the initial operation process of the lamp control unit 320.

In step R107-1, the CPU 321 determines whether the board feature processing number, which indicates the transition of the initial operation status of the board feature, is "0." If the board feature processing number is "0," the process proceeds to step R107-2. If the board feature processing number is not "0," the process proceeds to step R107-7.

In step R107-2, the CPU 321 determines whether or not return abnormality information for the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)) has been set in the RAM 323. If return abnormality information has not been set, the process moves to step R107-4 assuming that the initial operation and initial light emission of the board role will be performed, and if return abnormality information has been set, in step R107-3, the board role processing number is set to "2" assuming that the initial operation of the board role will not be performed, and the process moves to step R107-7.

In step R107-4, the CPU 321 selects a board role initial operation pattern determination table (see FIG. 59(a)) for determining the initial operation pattern of the board role. Details of the board role initial operation pattern determination table will be described later.

In step R107-5, the CPU 321 determines the initial operation pattern of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)) and sets it in the RAM 323. Specifically, it refers to the board role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(a) and determines one initial operation pattern from among multiple initial operation patterns based on the type of power-on command and the presence or absence of return abnormality information.

In step R107-6, the CPU 321 increments the board feature processing number by +1. Specifically, if the board feature processing number is "0", the board feature processing number is updated to "1" to execute the initial operation of the board feature.

In step R107-7, the CPU 321 determines whether the board role processing number is "1." If the board role processing number is not "1," the process proceeds to step R107-11. If the board role processing number is "1," the CPU 321 executes the initial operation of the board role according to the initial operation pattern of the board role set in the RAM 323 in step R107-8.

In step R107-9, the CPU 321 determines whether or not all steps of the initial operation of the board role have been completed. If all steps of the initial operation of the board role have not been completed, the process proceeds to step R107-11. If all steps of the initial operation of the board role have been completed, the board role processing number is updated by +1 in step R107-10. Specifically, if the board role processing number is "1", the board role processing number is updated to "2" to end the process of initializing the board role.

In step R107-11, the CPU 321 determines whether the frame role processing number, which indicates the transition of the initial operating status of the frame role (performance button 161), is "0." If the frame role processing number is "0," the process proceeds to step R107-12. If the frame role processing number is not "0," the process proceeds to step R107-17.

In step R107-12, the CPU 321 determines whether or not return abnormality information for the effect button 161 has been set in the RAM 323. If the return abnormality information has not been set, the process moves to step R107-14, assuming that the initial operation of the frame role object will be performed. If the return abnormality information has been set, in step R107-13, the process sets the frame role object processing number to "2", assuming that the initial operation of the frame role object will not be performed, and the process moves to step R107-17.

In step R107-14, the CPU 321 selects a framed reel initial movement pattern determination table (see FIG. 59(b)) for determining the initial movement pattern of the framed reel. Details of the framed reel initial movement pattern determination table will be described later.

In step R107-15, the CPU 321 determines the initial operation pattern of the frame role object (performance button 161) and sets it in the RAM 323. Specifically, it refers to the frame role object initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) and determines one initial operation pattern from among multiple initial operation patterns based on the type of power-on command.

In step R107-16, the CPU 321 updates the frame role object processing number by +1. Specifically, if the frame role object processing number is "0", the frame role object processing number is updated to "1" to execute the initial operation of the frame role object.

In step R107-17, the CPU 321 determines whether the frame role processing number is "1." If the frame role processing number is not "1," the process proceeds to step R107-21. If the frame role processing number is "1," the process proceeds to step R107-18, where the initial operation of the frame role is executed according to the initial operation pattern of the frame role set in the RAM 323.

In step R107-19, the CPU 321 determines whether or not all steps of the initial operation of the frame role have been completed. If all steps of the initial operation of the frame role have not been completed, the process proceeds to step R107-21. If all steps of the initial operation of the frame role have been completed, the frame role processing number is updated by +1 in step R107-20. Specifically, if the frame role processing number is "1", the frame role processing number is updated to "2" to end the process of initializing the frame role.

In step R107-21, the CPU 321 determines whether the board role processing number and the frame role processing number satisfy the termination condition. Specifically, it determines whether the board role processing number is "2" and the frame role processing number is "2". If the termination condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step R107-22, and if the termination condition is not satisfied, the current initial operation process is terminated.

In step R107-22, the CPU 321 clears the board role processing number and the frame role processing number, and in step R107-23, it clears the initial processing number described above, and ends this initial operation processing.

In this way, according to the initial operation process shown in FIG. 58, the initial operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display section (not shown)) and the initial operation of the frame role (performance button 161) can be executed simultaneously (at the same time). Therefore, the time required for the initial operation of each role can be shortened, and it is possible to prevent the performance operation of each role during play from being hindered.

In addition, according to the initial operation process shown in FIG. 58, if there is a return abnormality in the movable role 115 and sub-image display unit (not shown) that constitute the board role, the initial operation of the movable role 115 and sub-image display unit (not shown) is not executed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the board role from completely failing or being damaged by forcibly initializing the board role in which a return abnormality has occurred.

In addition, according to the initial operation process shown in FIG. 58, if there is a recovery abnormality in the performance button 161 that constitutes the frame role object, the initial operation of the performance button 161 is not executed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as a complete failure or damage of the performance button 161 caused by forcibly initializing the performance button 161 that is experiencing a recovery abnormality.

In addition, according to the initial operation process shown in FIG. 58, even if the initial operation of the board part where a return abnormality has occurred is not executed, the initial operation of the frame part where a return abnormality has not occurred is executed, and even if the initial operation of the frame part where a return abnormality has occurred is not executed, the initial operation of the board part where a return abnormality has not occurred is executed. Therefore, it is possible to check whether there is an abnormality in the operation of the part where a return abnormality has not occurred.

In addition, according to the initial operation processing shown in FIG. 58, the initial operation processing ends when both the initial operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display section (not shown)) and the initial operation of the frame role (performance button 161) have been completed. This prevents a situation in which it is unclear whether the operation is an initial operation or a performance operation, such as when one of the board role and the frame role is performing an initial operation while the other is performing a performance operation.

(Table for determining initial operation pattern of board role)
FIG. 59(a) is a diagram showing a board role initial operation pattern determination table for determining the initial operation pattern of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display section (not shown)).

The initial operation pattern determination table for the board role-playing device associates the type of command when the power is turned on, the presence or absence of recovery abnormality information, and the initial operation pattern to be selected, and for reference, the operating mode at the time of the initial operation and the number of steps of the initial operation are also listed.

The initial operation patterns include patterns 01-03, which are determined when a power-on command is received, patterns 04-06, which are determined when a first power restoration command is received, indicating that the machine is waiting for customers, and patterns 07-09, which are determined when a second power restoration command is received, indicating that a special symbol is being displayed in a variable manner, or a third power restoration command is received, indicating that a jackpot is being played.

"Small descent of the movable performance device" refers to the movement (descent) of the movable performance device 115 from the standby position to an intermediate position slightly lower than the standby position, "large descent of the movable performance device" refers to the movement (descent) of the movable performance device 115 from the standby position to a performance position lower than the intermediate position, and "return to origin of the movable performance device" refers to the movement of the movable performance device 115 returning to the standby position.

"Sub-display device movement" refers to the operation of the sub-image display unit (not shown) rising from the standby position to the performance position, and "sub-display device return to origin" refers to the operation of the sub-image display unit (not shown) returning to the standby position.

The "movable performance device LED" refers to the multiple LEDs provided on the movable prop 115, and the "sub-display device LED" refers to the multiple LEDs provided around the screen of the sub-image display unit (not shown).

Note that the color of the movable performance device LED is not specified in initial operation pattern 02, initial operation pattern 05, and initial operation pattern 08. This is because the movable performance device LED flashes red to indicate an abnormality when the first movable member 115a returns to its original position.

In addition, the lighting color of the sub display device LED is not described in initial operation pattern 03, initial operation pattern 06, and initial operation pattern 09. This is because the sub display device LED flashes red to notify of an abnormality due to a recovery abnormality in the sub image display unit (not shown).

The first feature of the board role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(a) is that the operation mode (number of steps, operation of each step) of the initial operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)) is the same when the power is turned on with the initialization of RAM 203 and when the power is restored without the initialization of RAM 203. Therefore, regardless of whether the power is turned on or restored, it is possible to properly check whether there is an abnormality in the operation of the board role.

The same initial action means that at least the movement pattern of the board parts in each step is the same, and the action time in each step may be the same or different.

In addition, the operation mode (number of steps, operation of each step) of the initial operation of one of the movable role 115 and the sub-image display unit (not shown) may be different when the power is turned on and when the power is restored, or the operation mode (number of steps, operation of each step) of the initial operation of both the movable role 115 and the sub-image display unit (not shown) may be different. In this way, it becomes possible to easily grasp whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

In addition, when the operation mode (number of steps, operation of each step) of the initial operation of the movable role 115 and/or the sub-image display unit (not shown) is made different between when the power is turned on and when the power is restored, an operation that is not included in the initial operation when the power is turned on may be executed by the initial operation when the power is restored, or an operation that is not included in the initial operation when the power is restored may be executed by the initial operation when the power is turned on. In this way, it is easier to know whether the initial operation is due to power on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The second feature of the board role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(a) is that the lighting pattern of the initial light emitted during the initial operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)) is different when the power is turned on and when the power is restored to the waiting state. Therefore, it is possible to know whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The third feature of the board role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(a) is that while the light emission pattern of the initial light emission of the movable performance device LED is the same when the power is turned on and when the power is restored to the waiting for customers state, the light emission pattern of the initial light emission of the sub display device LED is different. Therefore, it is possible to know whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The initial light emission pattern of the movable performance device LED is the same when the power is turned on and when the power is restored to the waiting state, but the initial light emission pattern of the sub-display device LED is different. Conversely, the initial light emission pattern of the movable performance device LED may be different when the power is turned on and when the power is restored to the waiting state, but the initial light emission pattern of the sub-display device LED may be the same.

In addition, both the light emission pattern of the initial light emission of the movable effect device LED and the light emission pattern of the initial light emission of the sub display device LED may be different when the power is turned on and when the power is restored to the waiting state for customers. This makes it easier to understand whether the initial operation is due to power being turned on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power being restored (the game control state is restored).

The fourth feature of the board role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(a) is that the light emission pattern of the initial light emission during the initial operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)) is different when the power is turned on and when the power is restored during the variable display of special symbols or when a jackpot game is played. Therefore, it is possible to know whether the initial operation is due to power being turned on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power being restored (the game control state is restored).

The fifth feature of the board role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(a) is that the initial light emission pattern during the initial operation of the board role (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown)) is different when power is restored to restore the waiting state and the game is back on and when power is restored during the display of changing special symbols or during a jackpot game. Therefore, it is possible to know whether the initial operation is due to power restoration to restore the waiting state and the game is back on and when power is restored during the display of changing special symbols or during a jackpot game.

When the power is restored during the display of the changing special symbols or during a jackpot game, both the movable performance device LED and the sub display device LED are turned off, but the movable performance device LED and the sub display device LED may be lit in the same illumination mode as when the power is restored to return to the waiting state.

The sixth feature of the board role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(a) is that, regardless of whether the power is turned on or restored, if there is a return abnormality in the movable role 115 but not in the sub-image display unit (not shown), the initial operation of the movable role 115 is not performed but the initial operation of the sub-image display unit (not shown) is performed, whereas if there is no return abnormality in the movable role 115 but there is a return abnormality in the sub-image display unit (not shown), the initial operation of the movable role 115 is performed but the initial operation of the sub-image display unit (not shown) is not performed. In this way, it is possible to perform an appropriate initial operation depending on whether there is a return abnormality or not.

(Frame role initial operation pattern determination table)
FIG. 59(b) is a diagram showing a frame role initial operation pattern determination table which is referred to when determining the initial operation pattern of the frame role (performance button 161).

The frame role initial operation pattern determination table associates the type of command when the power is turned on with the initial operation pattern to be selected, and for reference, the operating mode at the time of the initial operation and the number of steps of the initial operation are listed.

"Performance button big rise" refers to the action of the performance button 161 rising from the standby position (initial position) to the performance position (upper position), and "performance button return to origin" refers to the action of the performance button 161 returning to the standby position.

The first feature of the frame role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the operation mode (number of steps, operation of each step) of the initial operation of the frame role (performance button 161) is different when the power is turned on with the initialization of RAM 203 and when the power is restored without the initialization of RAM 203. Therefore, it is possible to easily grasp whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The second feature of the frame role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the initial operation of the effect button 161 when the power is turned on is set to perform an operation that is not included in the initial operation of the effect button 161 when the power is restored. This makes it easier to understand whether the initial operation is due to power on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The initial operation mode (number of steps, operation of each step) of the performance button 161 may be the same when the power is turned on and when the power is restored. In this way, it becomes possible to properly check whether there is an abnormality in the operation of the frame device, regardless of whether the power is turned on or restored.

The third feature of the frame role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the light emission pattern of the initial light emitted during the initial operation of the frame role (performance button 161) is different when the power is turned on and when the power is restored to the customer waiting state. Therefore, it is possible to know whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The fourth feature of the frame role initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the light emission pattern of the initial light emission during the initial operation of the frame role (performance button 161) is different when the power is turned on and when the power is restored during the variable display of special symbols or when the power is restored during a jackpot game. Therefore, it is possible to know whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The LED on the effect button is set to turn off when the power is restored while the special symbol is changing or during a jackpot game, but the LED on the effect button may be set to light up in the same illumination mode as when the power is restored to return to the waiting state.

The fifth feature of the frame role object initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the number of luminous colors in the initial light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is turned on is different from the number of luminous colors in the initial light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is restored. This makes it easier to understand whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

Note that the number of colors emitted by the initial light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is turned on is greater than the number of colors emitted by the initial light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is restored, but this may be reversed.

The sixth feature of the frame role object initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the color of the light emitted by the initial light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is turned on includes a color of light that is not included in the color of light emitted by the initial light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is restored. This makes it easier to know whether the initial operation is due to power-on (the game control state is initialized) or the initial operation is due to power restoration (the game control state is restored).

The color of the light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is restored may include a color that is not included in the color of the light emitted by the effect button 161 when the power is turned on.

The seventh feature of the frame role object initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the time during which the effect button 161 vibrates when the power is turned on or when the power is restored is different from the time during which the effect button 161 vibrates during an operation effect that is executed by operating the effect button 161 during an effective period that occurs while a variable effect is being executed. Therefore, it is possible to understand that the vibration is during the initial operation of the effect button 161.

The eighth feature of the frame role object initial operation pattern determination table shown in FIG. 59(b) is that the initial vibration of the button vibration motor, which does not detect whether it is at the origin position, is executed by overlapping with the initial operation of the effect button 161, which detects whether it is at the origin position. This makes it possible to check the operation of the effect button 161 and the button vibration motor at the same time, thereby shortening the time required for operation check.

(Example of initializing various drive sources while changing settings)
A specific example of initializing various drive sources during a setting change will be described with reference to Fig. 60. Fig. 60 is a diagram showing a timing chart and a performance example when initializing various drive sources during a setting change.

First, at timing T0, the power supply of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned off. At this time, the various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating the movable bodies (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) that affect the outcome of the game, such as changing whether or not the game ball will enter a specific area (second start opening 122, first large prize opening 125) (ball entry difficulty), are in a stopped state.

In addition, the large prize opening LED that illuminates the large prize opening (first large prize opening 125) in a predetermined manner during a round of play is turned off, and the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, number of rounds display 225, status display 224, status check display 226), image display unit 114, and information display 230 are in a non-display state (not activated, turned off, erased).

At timing T1, with the setting key switch 229 and the RAM clear switch 228 both ON, the power switch 412 is switched from OFF to ON, turning ON the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100. Even after the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned ON, the RAM clear switch 228 remains ON.
A keyhole (not shown) is provided in the setting key switch 229. When the setting key switch 229 is in the OFF state, and a key is inserted into the setting key switch 229 and turned 90° clockwise, the setting key switch 229 is turned ON.
The RAM clear switch 228 is a push button. While the RAM clear switch 228 is being pressed, the RAM clear switch 228 maintains its ON state. When the RAM clear switch 228 is no longer being pressed, the RAM clear switch 228 turns OFF.

If the RAM clear switch 228 is in the ON state until the timing T2 when a predetermined time (3 seconds in this example) has elapsed since the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 was turned ON, the game control unit 200 will enter a setting change mode and enter a pre-start state before control of the game progress begins.

At this time, the status confirmation display 226 displays a status confirmation display indicating that the settings are being changed, and the various drive sources start operating (drive sources = ON) as their initial operation. In addition, a setting change notification is started to indicate that the settings are being changed and to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources (display of a screen during setting change, and alternating output of a voice during setting change saying "Settings are being changed" and an initial operation confirmation voice saying "Please also check the operation of the solenoid"). In addition, the current setting value (here, "6") is displayed on the seven-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230.

At the time T3, when the operation time of the various drive sources (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF), and thereafter, the operation and stopping of the various drive sources is repeated from the time T3 to the time T10.

When the RAM clear switch 228 is pressed at the timing of T7, the setting value displayed on the seven-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230 changes to "5". In this way, in this embodiment, the RAM clear switch 228 is also used as a setting change switch that changes the setting value of the pachinko gaming machine 100. Also, each time the RAM clear switch 228 is pressed, a lower setting value is set. Also, when the RAM clear switch 228 is pressed when the setting value is "1", the setting value becomes "6".

If, at the timing of T11, the operation time of the various drive sources that started at the timing of T10 has not yet elapsed and the setting value confirmation operation (setting key switch 229 is turned OFF) is performed, the setting change mode and the setting change notification are terminated, the operation of the various drive sources is immediately stopped (drive sources = OFF), the initial operation of the various drive sources is terminated, and the display of the setting value on the 7-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230 is also terminated. Then, the game control unit 200 transitions from the pre-start state to a playable state in which the progress of the game is controlled.

At this time, various displays (display of special symbols, display of normal symbols, display of the number of reserved special symbols, display of the number of reserved normal symbols, etc.) start on the display 130, and the power-on notification described above starts. In addition, the return and initial operations of the various roles (movable roles 115 (115a, 115b), sub-image display unit (not shown), performance button 161) controlled by the performance control unit 300 start, and all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d on the information display 230 light up to start checking whether they are on. The initial operations of the various roles end after the lighting confirmation of the information display 230 ends. In addition, text is displayed on the image display unit 114 to notify that the RAM 203 has been cleared.

At timing T12, when the confirmation time (here, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the illumination check of the information display 230, the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d are all turned off for a predetermined time (here, 5 seconds). Then, when the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d finish turning off, the display of performance information (here, the normal base value of the current play section) begins. After that, every time the display switching time (5 seconds) elapses, the performance information (normal base value) of the four play sections consisting of the current play section and the three previous play sections is displayed in sequence.

(Specific example of initializing various drive sources while preparing to clear RAM)
A specific example of initializing various drive sources during RAM clear preparation will be described with reference to Fig. 61. Fig. 61 is a diagram showing a timing chart and a performance example when initializing various drive sources during RAM clear preparation.

First, at timing T0, the power supply of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned off. At this time, the various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating the movable bodies (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) that affect the outcome of the game, such as changing whether or not the game ball will enter a specific area (second start opening 122, first large prize opening 125) (ball entry difficulty), are in a stopped state.

In addition, the large prize opening LED that illuminates the large prize opening (first large prize opening 125) in a predetermined manner during a round of play is turned off, and the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, number of rounds display 225, status display 224, status check display 226), image display unit 114, and information display 230 are in a non-display state (not activated, turned off, erased).

At the timing of T1, when the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned ON and a RAM clear operation (RAM clear switch 228 is turned ON) is performed, the RAM clear preparation mode is started in the gaming control unit 200, and the state becomes a pre-start state before the control of the progress of the game is started.

At this time, the status confirmation display 226 displays a status confirmation display indicating that the RAM is being prepared for clearing, and the various drive sources start operating (drive sources = ON) as the initial operation. In addition, a RAM clear preparation notification starts (display of the clear preparation screen, alternating output of the notification voice saying "Press RAM clear again" and the initial operation confirmation voice saying "Check the operation of the solenoid") to indicate that the RAM is being prepared for clearing and to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources.

At the time T2, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the start of operation of the various drive sources, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF), and thereafter, the operation and stopping of the various drive sources is repeated from the time T3 to the time T10.

At time T10, if the RAM clear approval operation (RAM clear switch 228 is turned ON) is performed before the operation time of the various drive sources that began at time T9 has elapsed, the RAM clear preparation mode and RAM clear preparation notification will end, and the operation of the various drive sources will immediately stop (drive sources = OFF), the initial operation of the various drive sources will end, and the game control unit 200 will transition from a pre-start state to a playable state in which the game progress is controlled.

At this time, various displays (display of special symbols, display of normal symbols, display of the number of reserved special symbols, display of the number of reserved normal symbols, etc.) start on the display 130, and the power-on notification described above starts. In addition, the return operation and initial operation of the various roles (movable roles 115 (115a, 115b), sub-image display unit (not shown), performance button 161) controlled by the performance control unit 300 start, and all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d on the information display 230 light up to start checking whether they are on. The initial operation of the movable roles 115 ends after checking whether the information display 230 is on. In addition, text is displayed on the image display unit 114 to notify that the RAM 203 has been cleared.

At timing T11, when the confirmation time (here, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the illumination check of the information display 230, the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d are all turned off for a predetermined time (here, 5 seconds). Then, when the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d finish turning off, the display of performance information (here, the normal base value of the current play section) begins. After that, every time the display switching time (5 seconds) elapses, the performance information (normal base value) of the four play sections consisting of the current play section and the three previous play sections is displayed in sequence.

The method of clearing the RAM is not limited to the above example.
With the RAM clear switch 228 in the ON state, the power switch 412 is switched from OFF to ON, and the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned ON. Then, when a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) has elapsed with the RAM clear switch 228 in the ON state, the RAM 203 may be cleared. At this time, all the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d in the information display 230 are fully lit and lighting confirmation is started. When a confirmation time (here, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the lighting confirmation of the information display 230 started, the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d are fully turned off for a predetermined time (here, 5 seconds). Then, the turning off of all the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d ends, and the display of performance information (here, the normal base value of the current play area) is started. Also, when the RAM 203 is cleared, a text notifying that the RAM 203 has been cleared is displayed on the image display unit 114.

(Example of initializing various drive sources while checking settings)
A specific example of initializing various drive sources during setting confirmation will be described with reference to Fig. 62. Fig. 62 is a diagram showing a timing chart and a performance example when initializing various drive sources during setting confirmation.

First, at timing T0, the power supply of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned off. At this time, the various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating the movable bodies (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) that affect the outcome of the game, such as changing whether or not the game ball will enter a specific area (second start opening 122, first large prize opening 125) (ball entry difficulty), are in a stopped state.

In addition, the large prize opening LED, which illuminates the large prize opening (first large prize opening 125) in a predetermined manner during a round of play, is turned off, and the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, number of rounds display 225, status display 224, status check display 226), image display unit 114, and information display 230 are in a non-display state (not activated, turned off, erased).

At timing T1, when the power switch 412 is switched from OFF to ON and the power of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned ON and a setting confirmation operation is performed (the setting key switch 229 is turned ON), the game control unit 200 starts a setting confirmation mode and enters a pre-start state before control of the game progress begins.
Also, text is displayed on the image display section 114 to inform the player that the setting values of the pachinko gaming machine 100 are being checked. Also, on the image display section 114, an image imitating the effect button 161 is displayed.

At this time, the status check indicator 226 displays a status check indication indicating that the settings are being checked, and the various drive sources are activated (drive sources = ON) as their initial operation. Also, a setting check notification is started (display of a setting check screen, alternating output of a setting check voice "Settings are being checked" and an initial operation check voice "Please also check the operation of the solenoid") to indicate that the settings are being checked and to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources. Also, the current setting value (here, "6") is displayed on the seven-segment indicator 230d at the right end of the information display 230.
In addition, when the effect button 161 is operated, a setting history screen is displayed on the image display unit 114. The setting history screen is a screen showing the history of the setting values of the pachinko gaming machine 100. The setting history screen shows "No", "Content", and "Date and Time". The "Content" shows which of the setting change mode and the setting check mode has been performed. In addition, when the setting change mode has been performed, the "Content" shows the changed setting value. In addition, when the setting check mode has been performed, the "Content" shows the setting value when the setting check mode has been performed. In addition, the "Date and Time" shows the date and time when either the setting change mode or the setting check mode has been performed. Here, the smaller the "No", the newer the "Date and Time". In addition, when the effect button 161 is operated while the setting history screen is displayed, the image display unit 114 displays again a text notifying that the setting values of the pachinko gaming machine 100 are being checked.
The setting history screen may be displayed during the setting change mode.

At the time T2, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the start of operation of the various drive sources, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF), and thereafter, the operation and stopping of the various drive sources is repeated from the time T3 to the time T10.

If, at the timing of T10, the confirmation end operation (setting key switch 229 is turned OFF) is performed before the operation time of the various drive sources that began at the timing of T9 has elapsed, the setting confirmation mode and the setting confirmation notification end, and the operation of the various drive sources immediately stops (drive sources = OFF), the initial operation of the various drive sources ends, and the display of the setting value on the 7-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230 also ends. Then, the game control unit 200 transitions from the pre-start state to a playable state in which the progress of the game is controlled.

At this time, various displays (display of special symbols, display of normal symbols, display of the number of reserved special symbols, display of the number of reserved normal symbols, etc.) start on the display 130, and the power restoration notification described above starts. In addition, the recovery operation and initial operation of the various roles controlled by the performance control unit 300 (movable role 115, sub-image display unit (not shown), performance button 161) start, and all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d on the information display 230 light up to start checking whether they are on. Note that the initial operation of the movable role 115 ends after the lighting confirmation of the information display 230 is completed.

At timing T11, when the confirmation time (here, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the illumination check of the information display 230, the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d are all turned off for a predetermined time (here, 5 seconds). Then, when the 7-segment displays 230a to 230d finish turning off, the display of performance information (here, the normal base value of the current play section) begins. After that, every time the display switching time (5 seconds) elapses, the performance information (normal base value) of the four play sections consisting of the current play section and the three previous play sections is displayed in sequence.

In this way, according to this embodiment, in the pre-start state before the game progress control starts, various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating movable bodies that affect the game outcome (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) are initialized, so that when the pachinko game machine 100 is shipped from the factory or replaced at the game parlor, it is possible to easily check the operation of the drive sources controlled by the main control means that controls the game progress.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the game result are being initially operated (pre-start state), the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, round number display 225, status display 224) except for the status confirmation display 226 are in a non-display (non-operating) state, which prevents unnecessary processing burden from being placed on the game control unit 200 and allows it to concentrate on checking the operation of the various drive sources.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the game outcome are being initially operated, a setting change notification is issued to indicate that a setting change is being made and to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources (a RAM clear preparation notification that the RAM is being prepared to be cleared and to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources, and a setting confirmation notification that the settings are being confirmed and to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources). This allows the worker (factory worker, game store staff) who checks the operation of the pachinko gaming machine 100 to be informed that it is time to check the operation of the various drive sources, and allows the worker to check the operation appropriately.

In addition, according to this embodiment, various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the outcome of the game are initialized in the setting change modes (RAM clear preparation mode, setting confirmation mode), so there is no need to create multiple states in the pre-start state before the game progress control begins, making it possible to reduce the development costs of the pachinko game machine 100 (shortening the development period, etc.).

In addition, according to this embodiment, when a setting value confirmation operation (RAM clear approval operation, confirmation end operation) is performed and the pre-start state ends, the operation of the various drive sources is immediately terminated even before the operation time of the various drive sources has elapsed. This means that the initial operation of the various drive sources is not performed to a playable state, making it possible to avoid the inconvenience of confusing the operation of the various drive sources with the operation of the various drive sources according to the progress of the game.

In addition, according to this embodiment, in the pre-start state before the game progress control is performed, various initial operations of the drive sources are performed to operate the movable bodies that affect the game outcome, and in the playable state in which the game progress control is performed, initial operations of the movable role 115 that does not affect the game outcome are performed. Therefore, two types of initial operations can be checked in sequence, and operation checks can be performed appropriately.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when the various drive sources for operating the large prize opening door 125D are initially operating, the large prize opening LED is kept off, which avoids the inconvenience of the light from the large prize opening LED making it difficult to check the operation of the large prize opening door 125D, and makes it possible to properly check the operation.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when the various drive sources for operating the large prize opening door 125D are initially operating, an open signal is not output even though the first large prize opening 125 is open. This prevents unnecessary processing burden from being placed on the game control unit 200, and also makes it possible to avoid inconveniences such as an information collection device, such as a hall computer, which collects information output from the pachinko game machine 100, collecting information that does not correspond to the progress of the game.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the performance information (normal base value) of the gaming machine is not displayed on the information display 230 (the display of the performance information is restricted) from when the gaming machine is powered on until the control of the game progress begins, so it is possible to prevent unnecessary processing burden from being placed on the gaming control unit 200.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the performance information (normal base value) of the gaming machine is displayed (the display of performance information is permitted) after the game progress control has started, so it is possible to check whether the game progress control has started and to inform the user that the performance information is related to the game.

In addition, according to this embodiment, during the setting change mode or setting confirmation mode, performance information is not displayed on any of the 7-segment displays 230a to 230c other than the 7-segment display 230d that displays the current setting value, so that the current setting value can be properly notified, ensuring convenience for the gaming establishment.

In this embodiment, in the setting change notification, RAM clear preparation notification, and setting confirmation notification, text such as "Initial operation of drive source" or "Please check the operation of the solenoid" that encourages visual confirmation of the initial operation of various drive sources is not displayed, but such text may be displayed.

In addition, in this embodiment, after the game progress control is started, all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d of the information display 230 are fully lit to check whether they are lit, but after the setting change mode, RAM clear preparation mode, or setting check mode, the lighting check may not be performed.

(Modification of Initial Operation of Various Driving Sources)
A modified example of initializing the various drive sources will be described below with reference to the drawings. This modified example differs from the above embodiment in that the drive source processing operation is performed after the setting change mode, the RAM clear preparation mode, or the setting confirmation mode is completed.

(Example of initializing various drive sources after changing settings)
A specific example of initializing the various drive sources after changing the settings in the modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 63. Fig. 63 is a diagram showing a timing chart and a performance example when initializing the various drive sources after changing the settings in the modified example.

First, at timing T0, the power supply of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned off. At this time, the various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating the movable bodies (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) that affect the outcome of the game, such as changing whether or not the game ball will enter a specific area (second start opening 122, first large prize opening 125) (ball entry difficulty), are in a stopped state.

In addition, the large prize opening LED that illuminates the large prize opening (first large prize opening 125) in a predetermined manner during a round of play is turned off, and the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, number of rounds display 225, status display 224, status check display 226), image display unit 114, and information display 230 are in a non-display state (not activated, turned off, erased).

At the timing of T1, when the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned ON and a setting change operation (setting key switch 229 is ON, RAM clear switch 228 is ON) is performed, the game control unit 200 starts the setting change mode and enters a pre-start state before control of the game progress is started. At this time, a status confirmation display indicating that the setting is being changed is displayed on the status confirmation display 226, and the setting change notification described above is started. In addition, the current setting value (here, "6") is displayed on the seven-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230.

At the timing of T2, when the setting value confirmation operation (setting key switch 229 is turned OFF) is performed, the setting change mode and setting change notification are terminated, the initial operation of the various drive sources is started, and the setting value displayed on the seven-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230 is erased and becomes hidden. At this time, the status confirmation display on the status confirmation display 226 is terminated, and an initial operation notification (display of an initial operation in progress screen, output of an initial operation confirmation voice "Please check the operation of the solenoid") is initiated to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources.

At the timing of T3, when the operation standby time (here, 7 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the initial operation notification, the first operation of the various drive sources (drive sources = ON) is started, and at the timing of T4, when the operation time of the various drive sources (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources is stopped (drive sources = OFF).

At time T5, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the second operation of the various drive sources is started, and at time T6, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) of the various drive sources has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF).

At the timing T7, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the third operation of the various drive sources is started, and at the timing T8, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) of the various drive sources has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF).

At timing T9, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the initial operation of the various drive sources and the notification of the initial operation end, and the game control unit 200 transitions from a pre-start state to a playable state in which the game progress is controlled.

At this time, various displays (display of special symbols, display of normal symbols, display of the number of reserved special symbols, display of the number of reserved normal symbols, etc.) start on the display 130, and the power-on notification described above starts. In addition, the return and initial operations of the various roles controlled by the performance control unit 300 (movable roles 115, sub-image display unit (not shown), performance button 161) start, and all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d on the information display 230 light up to start checking whether they are on. The initial operations of the various roles end after the lighting check on the information display 230 is completed.

At timing T10, when the confirmation time (here, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the illumination check of the information display 230, the illumination of all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d ends and the display of performance information (here, the normal base value of the current play section) begins. After that, every time the display switching time (5 seconds) elapses, the performance information (normal base value) of the four play sections consisting of the current play section and the three previous play sections is displayed in sequence.

(Example of initializing various drive sources after clearing RAM)
A specific example of the case where various driving sources are initialized after the RAM is cleared in the modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 64. Fig. 64 is a diagram showing a timing chart and a performance example in the case where various driving sources are initialized after the RAM is cleared in the modified example.

First, at timing T0, the power supply of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned off. At this time, the various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating the movable bodies (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) that affect the outcome of the game, such as changing whether or not the game ball will enter a specific area (second start opening 122, first large prize opening 125) (ball entry difficulty), are in a stopped state.

In addition, the large prize opening LED, which illuminates the large prize opening (first large prize opening 125) in a predetermined manner during a round of play, is turned off, and the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, number of rounds display 225, status display 224), image display unit 114, and information display 230 are in a non-display state (not activated, turned off, erased).

At the timing of T1, when the power supply of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned ON and a RAM clear operation (RAM clear switch 228 is turned ON) is performed, the game control unit 200 starts a RAM clear preparation mode and enters a pre-start state before the control of the game progress begins. At this time, the above-mentioned RAM clear preparation notification starts.

When the RAM clear approval operation (RAM clear switch 228 is turned ON) is performed at timing T2, the RAM clear preparation mode ends and the initial operation of the various drive sources is started. At this time, an initial operation notification is started to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources (display of an initial operation screen and output of an initial operation confirmation voice saying "Please check the operation of the solenoids").

At the timing of T3, when the operation standby time (here, 7 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the initial operation notification, the first operation of the various drive sources (drive sources = ON) is started, and at the timing of T4, when the operation time of the various drive sources (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources is stopped (drive sources = OFF).

At time T5, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the second operation of the various drive sources is started, and at time T6, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) of the various drive sources has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF).

At the timing T7, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the third operation of the various drive sources is started, and at the timing T8, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) of the various drive sources has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF).

At timing T9, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the initial operation of the various drive sources and the notification of the initial operation end, and the game control unit 200 transitions from a pre-start state to a playable state in which the game progress is controlled.

At this time, various displays (display of special symbols, display of normal symbols, display of the number of reserved special symbols, display of the number of reserved normal symbols, etc.) start on the display 130, and the power-on notification described above starts. In addition, the return and initial operations of the various roles controlled by the performance control unit 300 (movable roles 115, sub-image display unit (not shown), performance button 161) start, and all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d on the information display 230 light up to start checking whether they are on. The initial operations of the various roles end after the lighting check on the information display 230 is completed.

At timing T10, when the confirmation time (here, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the illumination check of the information display 230, the illumination of all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d ends and the display of performance information (here, the normal base value of the current play section) begins. After that, every time the display switching time (5 seconds) elapses, the performance information (normal base value) of the four play sections consisting of the current play section and the three previous play sections is displayed in sequence.

(Example of initial operation of various drive sources after checking the settings)
A specific example of initializing various drive sources after confirming the settings in the modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 65. Fig. 65 is a diagram showing a timing chart and a performance example when initializing various drive sources after confirming the settings in the modified example.

First, at timing T0, the power supply of the pachinko game machine 100 is turned off. At this time, the various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating the movable bodies (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) that affect the outcome of the game, such as changing whether or not the game ball will enter a specific area (second start opening 122, first large prize opening 125) (ball entry difficulty), are in a stopped state.

In addition, the large prize opening LED that illuminates the large prize opening (first large prize opening 125) in a predetermined manner during a round of play is turned off, and the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, number of rounds display 225, status display 224, status check display 226), image display unit 114, and information display 230 are in a non-display state (not activated, turned off, erased).

At the timing of T1, when the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned ON and a setting confirmation operation (setting key switch 229 is turned ON) is performed, the game control unit 200 starts a setting confirmation mode and enters a pre-start state before control of the game progress is started. At this time, a status confirmation display indicating that the setting is being confirmed is displayed on the status confirmation display 226, and the above-mentioned setting confirmation notification is started. In addition, the current setting value (here, "6") is displayed on the seven-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230.

At the timing of T2, when the confirmation end operation (setting key switch 229 is turned OFF) is performed, the setting confirmation mode and setting confirmation notification are ended, the initial operation of the various drive sources is started, and the setting value displayed on the seven-segment display 230d at the right end of the information display 230 is erased and becomes hidden. At this time, the status confirmation display on the status confirmation display 226 is ended, and an initial operation notification (display of an initial operation in progress screen, output of an initial operation confirmation voice "Please check the operation of the solenoid") is started to prompt the user to check the operation of the various drive sources.

At the timing of T3, when the operation standby time (here, 7 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the initial operation notification, the first operation of the various drive sources (drive sources = ON) is started, and at the timing of T4, when the operation time of the various drive sources (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources is stopped (drive sources = OFF).

At time T5, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the second operation of the various drive sources is started, and at time T6, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) of the various drive sources has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF).

At the timing T7, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the third operation of the various drive sources is started, and at the timing T8, when the operation time (here, 0.512 seconds) of the various drive sources has elapsed, the operation of the various drive sources stops (drive sources = OFF).

At timing T9, when the stop time (here, 0.512 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the various drive sources stopped, the initial operation of the various drive sources and the notification of the initial operation end, and the game control unit 200 transitions from a pre-start state to a playable state in which the game progress is controlled.

At this time, various displays (display of special symbols, display of normal symbols, display of the number of reserved special symbols, display of the number of reserved normal symbols, etc.) start on the display 130, and the power-on notification described above starts. In addition, the return and initial operations of the various roles controlled by the performance control unit 300 (movable roles 115, sub-image display unit (not shown), performance button 161) start, and all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d on the information display 230 light up to start checking whether they are on. The initial operations of the various roles end after the lighting check on the information display 230 is completed.

At timing T10, when the confirmation time (here, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the illumination check of the information display 230, the illumination of all 7-segment displays 230a to 230d ends and the display of performance information (here, the normal base value of the current play section) begins. After that, every time the display switching time (5 seconds) elapses, the performance information (normal base value) of the four play sections consisting of the current play section and the three previous play sections is displayed in sequence.

In this way, according to this modified example, in the pre-start state before the control of the game progress begins, various drive sources (electric tulip opening/closing unit 213, large prize opening door opening/closing unit 216) for operating movable bodies that affect the outcome of the game (electric tulip 123, large prize opening door 125D) are initialized, so that when the pachinko game machine 100 is shipped from the factory or replaced at the game parlor, it is possible to easily check the operation of the drive sources controlled by the main control means that controls the game progress.

In addition, according to this modified example, when various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the game outcome are being initially operated (in the pre-start state), the displays 130 (first special symbol display 221, second special symbol display 222, normal symbol display 223, first special symbol reserved display 218, second special symbol reserved display 219, normal symbol reserved display 220, round number display 225, and status display 224) except for the status confirmation display 226 are in a non-display (non-operating) state, which prevents unnecessary processing burden from being placed on the game control unit 200 and allows it to concentrate on checking the operation of the various drive sources.

In addition, according to this modified example, when various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the outcome of the game are initially operated, an initial operation notification is issued to prompt the operator to check the operation of the various drive sources. This notifies the operator (factory worker, game store staff) who checks the operation of the pachinko gaming machine 100 that it is time to check the operation of the various drive sources, enabling the operator to appropriately check the operation.

In addition, according to this modified example, even in the pre-start state before control of the game progress begins, various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the game outcome are initialized after the setting change mode (RAM clear preparation mode, setting confirmation mode) ends, so there is no need to carry out complicated operations such as checking the operation of various drive sources while changing settings (RAM clear, setting confirmation), and operation checks can be carried out appropriately.

In addition, according to this modified example, after the setting change mode (RAM clear preparation mode, setting confirmation mode) ends, the operation of various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the outcome of the game begins after an operation standby time has elapsed, so there is enough time between the end of the setting change (setting confirmation) and the start of the operation check of the various drive sources, making it possible to properly check the operation.

In addition, according to this modified example, the same initial operation notification is made regardless of whether the initial operation of the various drive sources for operating movable bodies that affect the game outcome is after the setting change mode, the RAM clear preparation mode, or the setting confirmation mode has ended. This simplifies the control of the initial operation notification, making it possible to reduce the development costs of the pachinko gaming machine 100 (shortening the development period, etc.).

In addition, according to this modified example, when the various drive sources for operating the large prize opening door 125D are initially operating, the large prize opening LED is kept off, which avoids the inconvenience of the light from the large prize opening LED making it difficult to check the operation of the large prize opening door 125D, and makes it possible to properly check the operation.

In addition, according to this modified example, in the pre-start state before the game progress control is performed, various drive sources are initialized to operate movable bodies that affect the game outcome, and in the playable state in which the game progress control is performed, an initial operation of the movable part 115 that does not affect the game outcome is performed. Therefore, two types of initial operations can be checked in sequence, making it possible to properly check the operation.

In addition, according to this modified example, when the various drive sources for operating the large prize opening door 125D are initially operating, an open signal is not output even though the first large prize opening 125 is open, so that it is possible to prevent unnecessary processing burden from being placed on the game control unit 200 and to avoid inconveniences such as an information collection device such as a hall computer that collects information output from the pachinko game machine 100 collecting information that does not correspond to the progress of the game.

In addition, according to this modified example, the performance information (normal base value) of the gaming machine is not displayed on the information display 230 (the display of the performance information is restricted) from when the gaming machine is turned on until the control of the progress of the game begins, so it is possible to prevent unnecessary processing burden from being placed on the gaming control unit 200.

In addition, according to this modified example, the performance information (normal base value) of the gaming machine is displayed (the display of performance information is permitted) after the game progress control has started, so it is possible to check whether the game progress control has started and to inform the user that the performance information is related to the game.

In addition, according to this modified example, during the setting change mode, RAM clear preparation mode, and setting confirmation mode, performance information is not displayed on any of the 7-segment displays 230a to 230c other than the 7-segment display 230d that displays the current setting value, so that the current setting value can be properly notified, ensuring convenience for the gaming establishment.

In addition, according to this modified example, the information display 230 is configured not to display setting values or performance information of the gaming machine during the initial operation of the various drive sources, so that the attention of the employees of the gaming facility can be focused on checking the initial operation of the various drive sources, and it becomes possible to accurately determine the malfunction of the various drive sources.

In the above embodiment, a gaming machine was described in which, if a jackpot is determined in the jackpot determination, a jackpot game is played and the game state is changed via the jackpot game. In other embodiments, even if a jackpot is not determined, the game may be shifted from the low-probability no-time-reduction game state to the time-reduction game state. For example, if the number of times the special pattern changes in the low-probability no-time-reduction game state (the number of consecutive times determined to be a miss in the jackpot determination) reaches a predetermined upper limit number (e.g., 900 times), the game may be shifted to a time-reduction game state for a predetermined number of times (e.g., 50 times, or 100 times or more) even if the change is not determined to be a jackpot. In this case, if the special pattern does not change a jackpot by the time the special pattern changes a predetermined number of times, the time-reduction game state ends and the game returns to the low-probability no-time-reduction game state. Alternatively, even if the result of the jackpot determination is a miss (i.e., even if the random number value for the special symbol lottery acquired at the time of winning the starting hole is a value indicating a miss), if the random number value for the special symbol lottery acquired at the time of winning (jackpot symbol random number value) is a predetermined value, the game may be shifted to a time-saving game state for a predetermined number of times. In addition, in the case of shifting to a time-saving game state based on the number of times of fluctuation of the special symbol, the above-mentioned predetermined upper limit number may be variable or fixed. For example, in the case of shifting to a time-saving game state based on the number of times of fluctuation of the special symbol, the time-saving game state may be granted when the number of times of fluctuation of the special symbol becomes a first number, and the time-saving game state may be granted when the number of times of fluctuation of the special symbol becomes a second number. In this case, the number of times of time-saving granted may be different depending on the number of times of fluctuation of the special symbol, and the number of times of time-saving granted may be set to be larger as the number of times of fluctuation increases. In addition, in the case of shifting to a time-saving game state based on the number of times of fluctuation of the jackpot symbol, the number of times of time-saving granted may be different depending on the number of times of fluctuation of the special symbol. For example, when the acquired jackpot random number value is a first value, a first number of time-saving times may be given, and when the acquired jackpot random number value is a second value, a second number of time-saving times may be given. In addition, there may be a case where the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the number of times of variation of the special pattern, and a case where the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the jackpot random number value. In this case, the number of time-saving times to be given may be different between a case where the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the number of times of variation of the special pattern and a case where the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the jackpot random number value. For example, when the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the number of times of variation of the special pattern, a time-saving game state of 50 times may be shifted, and when the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the jackpot random number value, a time-saving game state of 30 times may be shifted, which is less than the time-saving game state. Conversely, the number of time-saving times may be greater when the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the jackpot random number value than when the time-saving game state is shifted to based on the number of times of variation of the special pattern. In addition, in the case where the time-saving game state is shifted to in this way without going through a jackpot, if a time-saving game state is further granted without going through a jackpot during the shifted time-saving game state, the time-saving game state may continue for the number of newly granted time-saving times. For example, if a time-saving game state of 50 times is granted without going through a jackpot, and when a special pattern fluctuates 30 times in the time-saving game state, and a time-saving game state of 50 times is granted without going through a jackpot, the time-saving game state of 50 times may be shifted to. Alternatively, in this case, the number of time-saving times may be added. For example, if a time-saving game state of 50 times is granted without going through a jackpot, and when a special pattern fluctuates 30 times in the time-saving game state, and a time-saving game state of 50 times is granted without going through a jackpot, the newly granted 50 times may be added to the remaining 20 times, and a time-saving game state of 70 times may be granted. In addition, during such a time-saving game state without going through a jackpot, the time-saving game state without going through a jackpot may not be granted. Also, in a configuration in which a transition to a time-saving game state is made based on the number of times the special symbol changes or the random number value of the jackpot symbol, without going through a jackpot, a time-saving suggestion effect may be performed to suggest a transition to a time-saving game state. For example, if the number of times the special symbol changes is close to the above-mentioned predetermined upper limit, the time-saving suggestion effect may be configured to be easily executed. Conversely, if the number of times the special symbol changes is close to the above-mentioned predetermined upper limit, the time-saving suggestion effect may be configured to be difficult to execute.

Although the above describes various effects of the pachinko gaming machine 100, it is possible to apply or combine all or part of the contents described with other effects, controls, etc., even if not specifically mentioned. In addition, although various embodiments and variations have been mentioned, it is possible to apply or combine the contents of such embodiments and variations with other effects, etc., even if not specifically mentioned in this document. In addition, it is possible to combine various embodiments and variations with each other, or to replace parts of them, even if not specifically mentioned in this document.

4...power supply board unit, 40...power supply board, 60...power supply board case 60, 100...pachinko game machine, 114...image display unit, 200...game control unit, 300...performance control unit

Claims (1)

A substrate having a plurality of electronic components and used for gaming;
and a receiving means for receiving the substrate,
The substrate is
A first identification mark which is a mark for identifying information;
a second identification mark for identifying information, the second identification mark being provided at a position different from the first identification mark in a thickness direction of the substrate;
The container has a first side wall portion in which a plurality of openings are formed in a row, a second side wall portion in which a plurality of openings are formed in a row and facing the first side wall portion, and a specific wall portion on which specific characters are provided,
A non-opening portion is provided in at least a portion of the second side wall portion facing the opening portion of the first side wall portion,
The plurality of electronic components includes a specific electronic component that has the greatest length in a height direction relative to a substrate surface among the plurality of electronic components,
the specific character is provided at a location that overlaps a predetermined electronic component in the height direction but does not overlap the specific electronic component,
the specific wall portion is provided at a position higher than the specific electronic component in the height direction,
A gaming machine in which no letters or marks are provided on the specific wall portion at a location that overlaps with the specific electronic component.